So there’s supposed to be a post today. A lovely and wonderful post about a new service that I found and how I got my first item and I was SO excited and it’s great. There would have been pictures and everything. iPhone pictures, but pictures nonetheless.
This post would be fun, wonderful and informative…if the internet didn’t hate me. I’d blame my phone for not being able to properly upload the pictures to my computer; but last night, after I’d painstakingly emailed myself the photos so that I could manually save and upload them one at a time, they still aren’t showing up in my inbox. Oh, the emails are there, taunting me with my own name in the from line, but Yahoo won’t let me download them. Well, that’s not true, it let me download two. Just enough for me to think that it’s working, but not enough for me to do anything with.
The internet hates me.
So it is the internet’s fault that you get a crap post today. TOTALLY not mine, all the internet.
So. Instead, I have two orders of business. I have some questions on blogs in general and I want your input.
(I’m asking an awful lot of questions lately, but I do that in real life too. Mostly because other people are fascinating and helpful and so much more interesting than me. I blog because I like talking to people, not because I have something to say. If I didn’t feel like there was a fun conversation going on here at KofM, I wouldn’t keep doing it. Is that stupid? Don’t care if it is, you’re not the boss of me….)
Anyway. The fabulous Lizzie of Love Your Way (Link Love post coming soon. See how cool her blog is? She’s like that in real life.) has been talking to me about making my little blog grow up a little and move out of the WordPress house and moving to hosting. So, those of you with blogs of your own, who do you use for hosting? Does it suck?
Also, I am in need of a camera. My iPhone works fine, but it’s still a camera phone. I’ve borrowed my mom’s lately, but she actually uses it for competitions and things and if I don’t give it back soon she’s going to clobber me. So do any of you have any camera recommendations? Nothing amazing; point and shoot’s are fine but it’s got to be fairly stupid-proof and possibly durable. According to Jethro, I’m “hard on machinery”. Which I disagree with, until he reminds me that I broke two phone cases before he got me an OtterBox case; which actually saved me from destroying my phone when the nice grippy rubber made it stick to the roof of my car as I drove three miles down the road going at least 35 miles an hour until some lady honked at me and was like, “OH MY GOD, LADY, your PHONE!!” and pointed to the roof. Oops. (God Bless you OtterBox.)
So yeah. Hosting and a camera. Tell me you thoughts on those.
And the most important question: How are you doing today?
*Image from here. The rage…oh, the RAGE…
Kind of a Mess 
Cameras! I love cameras! (I know nothing about hosting, I use blogspot, ha!)
I bought a Canon SX130 and it’s awesome and affordable. And it takes really good photos for the price. It’s not as crisp as an DSLR, but it’s a step above a simple point and shoot. It’s a range finder, which are super, super awesome.
Check out Craigslist for a used DSLR. You need to be very careful about your brand…find one that you are comfortable with because once you make your decision and switch will be VERY expensive! I shoot with Nikon’s first real great consumer level DSLR (D40), and they’ve only gotten better since I got mine. You can certainly find something that meets your needs for < $400
Call me if you want to have an in depth discussion on your camera purchase
I’ve already been informed that I need to call you before I make any camera purchases, so I definitely will. 🙂
I have a newer point and shoot canon and love it. It was a gift from the future hubs. Totally fool-proof!
As for hosting, I’m still at wordpress sooooo I have no idea! Sorry I can’t be more helpful!
btw what is that picture from? I’ve seen it around a couple places and it cracks me up!
Look Who’s Talking Now.
It’s kind of sad, but I found this and knew EXACTLY which movie it came from. My mom and I used to do this move and face at each other sometimes when we were irritated.
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v31/GoodLuckBear3/I%20got%20some%20Gifs/?action=view¤t=lookwhostalkingangrybaby.gif&newest=1
I have a Cool Pix camera and I like it a lot. That Ashton Kutcher knows a good camera when he sees it. 😉
If you can afford it, I would get a Nikon DSLR- the D40 is very well rated. I have a D90, which is pricier, but amazing.
If you’re looking for a point-and-shoot, I would recommend a Canon Powershot or Digital Elph. I’ve always had really good experiences with small Canons, but if you go any bigger than a point and shoot, I would go with Nikon.
Good luck!
I have a canon point and shoot, and love it. It takes GREAT vacation pictures, which, honestly, is about the only time the camera is used. That, and hockey games, and it takes decent though not great action shots from the stands. Mine is a few years old, so the model number won’t help, but I’ve found all the canons I’ve used to be easy, simply, and can survive a couple of drops. (Don’t, however, drop them in the ocean. My sister did that twice before my parents gave in and bought her a waterproof olympus.)
I think moving off wordpress to hosting on your own sounds like a pain, and only worth doing if the traffic you get is too high or you need other features or really want your own domain. YMMV.
Also, I only started blogging again, after a 3 year absence, after a decade of blogging (before that word was even invented) because I just wanted to be a part of the conversation. So I get you.
You know my thoughts on hosting and you are TOO sweet, I swear. You are one cool chica as well.
Camera: I bought a Canon camera…in between a point & shoot and an SLR and it’s PERFECT for me. Small enough to carry around but great quality and all of that. Took it to Europe with me and it did fine, I think at least: One, Two, Three. I’m no photographer in the least, but I pick a camera almost solely based on the color quality…does it look too blue/green/yellow in the store? I just care that people’s skin colors come out their actual skin colors and not like they’re recovering from the flu all the time or anything…you know?
Best Buy was a HUGE help to me.
I’m going to be a brat and disagree with Jason. When you’re buying a used DSLR, you want to have it checked out by professionals BEFORE purchasing for oh-so-important details like, shutter counts. That’s a big one. (Like knowing how many miles are on a used car before your purchase.) I’ve generally not had very good luck with it, though I’ve tried. (This was when I was living in CA, and could walk into Canon for all of this. Can’t do that elsewhere.)
Plus, not very stupid-proof. But if you’re interested in learning how to use a professional camera, an entry level DSLR is the way to go.
Point and shoot? I LOVE my Canon PowerShot SD750 (it’s old, I know there’s an updated version out now). The thing is a workhorse … and I’m just as hard on my electronics as you are. This camera has been thrown around so many times I’m a little ashamed, and it’s beaten up beyond belief … and it still takes a damn good shot. So, maybe something like this, for around $200? http://www.amazon.com/Canon-PowerShot-ELPH-100-HS/dp/B004J3V828/ref=dp_ob_title_ce
We do NOT disagree with Jason. 🙂
But thanks for the info, I didn’t even KNOW they could do that with cameras. (See? I need stupid-proof….)
i second this- canon powershot rocks as a point-and-shoot-but-still-pretty-awesome camera!
I’ve had Canons and Nikons, and I vastly, VASTLY prefer the Canons. I have one that’s point and shoot but bulky as hell (I think it may be an older gen than the one that was mentioned in the first comment – it’s got a 10X zoom on it), and I sort of regret getting that and not a nice slim little number. I DEFINITELY take fewer pictures than I used to, because I don’t want to cart my bulky, battery-eating camera around. (Yes, it eats batteries, too.) It does, however, take very nice pics and is relatively idiot proof.
Having said all that, I’d suggest Kodak. Hear me out, because I know they don’t have the best reputation among camera aficionados. They’re inexpensive, they’re durable, and they are idiot proof. In fact, their whole marketing scheme is based on them being idiot-proof and affordable. OH! And their HQ is in the US, in Rochester NY. So, supporting a business that HQs in a rust belt city is also a win.
This is a totally unhelpful post to tell you that the internet doesn’t hate you, Yahoo does. I’m in love with the fastmail account that my fiance set up. I have since given up on any and all of the free email sites. I keep one active to give when I sign up for things I really don’t want to hear from, but I have it forwarded to my fastmail.
http://www.fastmail.fm
I am sorry the internet hates you (I say, blame Al Gore) but really – you had me at the picture. PERFECT.
I think a lot of people have said this already, so I’m just going to add my two cents in here. I have two cameras – a point and shoot Canon Powershot (some old model), which is awesome and compact and takes good pictures. I also have a dSLR (Nikon D40), which is also great. As far as dSLR cameras go, it’s on a smaller and lighter end, so for me at least, it’s easier to grip it and carry it around. It definitely takes better pictures than the point and shoot, but I like both of those cameras.
I have a Canon Powershot/Elph of some variety (it’s a couple years old). It’s the second camera I’ve had from that line, and both have served me quite well (first one lasted like 3-4 years before I took it too close to a waterfall and then scratched the lens trying to dry it in a panic…not a smart move). Best part about that line is that not only do they take great pictures, but they’re tiny. If you’re at all serious about photography though, and/or want photography to be a big part of your blog, you might want to seriously consider a DSLR right off the bat. I’ve been posting more pictures on my blog lately, and particularly for the indoor pics (and close-ups of food), I’ve really been wishing hard that I had a DSLR. Sadly it’s not in the budget for me right now, but hopefully I’ll be able to get one someday!
I use Dreamhost for my site and love it. They have “one-click installs” for WordPress and other frequently used services so you can get it up and running in minutes, and if you do have trouble with it, their customer service is speedy and effective (just to illustrate, when you fill out a help request they ask how familiar you are with the technology, so they can tailor their response to an appropriate level). I’ve been with them for two years and have no complaints whatsoever.
As a current user I’m able to give out discount codes for new customers, so email me (vanity at elisabethericson dot com) if you want one! I do get a small commission for referrals, but I’d recommend them even if I didn’t, and if nothing else you can save a few bucks that way.
As for cameras, I got a Canon Digital Rebel (Canon’s entry-level DSLR) with an external flash as a graduation present in 2007 and have been very happy with it. Can’t really advise on point-and-shoots, though, sorry!
No input to offer on blog hosting though at some point in my blogging life, I will probably need to ask the same question. As for camera’s, I love my GE Digital X5 series camera. Got it for under $150 at an electronics store & bought it because it looks far more expensive than that & no one had returned it plus there was only one left so I had to have it. It’s got a lot of features and it’s easy to use. Though you’ve probably purchased a camera by now. I’m late, I know. ; )