I almost bought an insanely priced DSLR yesterday.

Was very much in the mindset that I was going to use my last full paycheck to reward myself for getting through the season with one.

But then I decided to take a step back. As much as I’m wanting to get back into the Nikon DSLRs, the little but mighty red point-and-shoot Nikon I bought for $50 at a card and comic book shop a few years back does an adequate job at capturing the things I want. Sure it lacks any manual options and trying to get the autofocus to center on what I’m trying to focus on is finicky and takes some serious patience and finesse when time is limited, which can be a headache when a butterfly is here one minute and gone the next. But it’s a solid camera considering I can capture craters on the moon but always have to have rechargeable batteries at the ready in the hopes they can outlast my sudden bursts of wanting to test the boundaries of the camera.

And I do have the 15 pro max that does pretty good with certain shots as well, especially when timing is everything, so it’s been really hard to talk myself into upgrading.

So instead of making the big purchase, I bought new rechargeable batteries and headed to the arboretum to once again fall in love with my little red engine that could.


















It doesn’t come with all the bells and whistles, but it makes me practice patience more as I lovingly encourage to focus on the moth and not the flower behind it, makes me concentrate so intently on the moment in front of me that I have to continually hold my breath as I click the shutter button, and makes me feel an incredible amount of joy when everything comes together for a capture I won’t soon forget. I’m more than okay with that.