bean bag

Although I have tripods, I find I almost never use them.  I have trouble getting close enough or low enough for perspective I want to achieve.  I'm often taking photos of something on the floor or table and the tripod just won't give me the point of view I want.  The problem is when the camera is that much lower than my body, it is more likely to blur the photo due to my hand shaking.

The solution - a bean bag!  

Plug in the remote shutter control, place the camera on the bean bag, get the angle just so, and snap!  

It works brilliantly and I got some potentially good stock photos on how to use a 100-year-old Singer while sewing the bag.

...

In other news, I think I've found a new lens to lust after.  The zoom is good... but I'm finding my style is more mundane and down to earth - literally.  I like getting close to things in an attempt to show the camera what I see.  I found a 35mm, F1.7 prime (but fully manual) lens for a good price.  But is 35mm wide enough for me?  I don't know so I set my kit lens to 35 and am going to try a few days.  My kit lens can only open to f5.6 at that focal length and needs to be about 2 feet away from something to focus (but I can do better with manual focus). I like the angle of view it gives, so this might be something to put on my Christmas list.