"Buying a Leica doesn't make you a photographer. It makes you a Leica owner." - 365 Project, Day 5

Perhaps somewhat indicative of my own self-view, the first picture I remember taking that stuck in my mind somewhat disappointed me.  To be fair, getting the shot I wanted would have required a 400mm lens, and I doubt they were widely manufactured for Polaroid instant cameras.  Even if they had, my 7-year-old self (give or take a few years) would have hardly been able to amass the $1500 usually needed to purchase such a lens (on the lower-end, as an f2.8 can very speedily go north of $5k).  My mother liked the picture (she sort of has to, doesn't she?) and when I told her what I wanted, her explanations as to why the viewfinder on my $50 Polaroid didn't match my eyesight, unfortunately, but predictably, fell on deaf ears.  I also remember one of my aunts telling me she liked my photos, and that she'd pay me $1 for each one I took for her.  That never happened, but the compliment was there.

A few years later (on my 13th birthday, I believe), I received a Pentax Espio 115 compact camera from my father.  He bought me film whenever I needed it, and I took pictures whenever I thought of it.  I was happier with the results of this gizmo, as I was a bit older and understood better how zoom worked (perhaps remembering my mother's words from years past).  The battery door broke and it was only fixed years later at a ridiculous price.  After that, and more or less since that time, I've had a camera with me at all times.  I remember carrying the Pentax in my coat pocket at school.  I remember taking approximately 600 pictures - some nice, but most of them, uh, shall I say, sandy-coloured - in my 2-and-a-half-week trip to Egypt.  I also remember the gritty sound the zooming mechanism made after coming back from said trip.  Sand really does get everywhere.  The big downside of film is that I still have about half a dozen rolls that I've never bothered to develop.  Whenever I took it upon myself to develop a roll, it was always a surprise, as I never remembered what pictures I had taken.

Fear of ruining that camera made me stop using it, but a few years later I bought my first DSLR, the Canon XSi/450D/Kiss X2.  (I'm sure if I'd bought the camera in Tahiti, it would have had yet another name, as Canon seems to be happy going mental with their various camera monikers.)  It (and some other, more compact cameras, it has to be said) served me well for a couple of years and now I'm enjoying the benefits of a Canon 7D.  (For those interested, my other camera is a Canon S95.)  One of the advantages of the 7D over the XSi is the weather-resistant sealing, and that sealing treated me very well today.  It was the first rainy day of 2011, and it allowed me to take some nice, if somewhat drab, pictures.  Ottawa is certainly missing some colours, though, to be sure, if you enjoy grey and muddy brown, you will certainly enjoy this picturesque city at this time of year.

I was the only one that took a picture outside today, and that just goes to show the intelligence the others show in determining when to leave their homes.  My shoes have been in front of a heater for about 4 hours and show no sign of drying.

Frank

His note: Why can't everything be bluetooth?

Mandy

Her note: I love art and melted glass is no exception.  Pooled together it forms millions of pieces of art in one.  I love it!

Shannon

She didn't have a note, but she told me she saw this cupcake at work and took a picture of it.  It looks scrumptious.

Pat

I was probably the only person that willingly spent roughly 2 hours outside today, and that should be indicative of my mental state.  For those who care, the vitals: shot at 22mm, at ISO 400, at f11 at 1/320s.  That makes a picture a bit dark, but I didn't alter it in any way, other than converting the RAW to JPEG.  My lens is not the greatest, but that lack of detail, vibrance and colour is because of the rain and not the lens used.  That should tell you what the weather was like.  Today was wet, and humid, and not very pretty.  I wanted to capture the mood of the weather and this picture, I find, is perfect.

The weather is supposed to persist into tomorrow, and I can assure you I do not intend on spending 2 hours walking around in the slush and wetness.  We will see what picture opportunities tomorrow brings.