Venturing into the world of SLRs at last!!

A new beginning...

I have been researching cameras for a while, well pretty much its a constant obsession, any photographer will agree, there's always something to be looking at; lenses, cameras, diffusers, props, the list goes on ;) And I've finally made a decision. It goes like this;

I've bought myself a Canon EOS 550d, teamed with a 50mm 1.8 prime lens.

Ok, so that doesn't sound hugely exciting to you? But it is for me! And I haven't even got it yet! Fingers crossed it gets here before the weekend and I can start taking lots of fancy photos.
What I look forward to the most? The quality step-up, the bokeh possibilities (expect this to be the first image I share with you!), ISO and learning a new camera inside & out (yes I'm a technic geek!)

However I will miss my nifty Fuji HS-20. It's been a wee beast and punches way above its weight!
Check it out here: 
http://www.trademe.co.nz/electronics-photography/digital-cameras/digital-slr/auction-513260601.htm 

So an end to the of my relationship with the Fuji and onto bigger and better things with Canon.

Some might wonder why I didn't go SLR right off the bat? 
You might remember my blog entitled "Buying a fancy SLR doesn't make you a photographer - it makes you an SLR owner", so for one I didn't want to be one of those :-) I didn't want to go out and buy something fancy, I wanted to learn the technical stuff first and worry about the equipment later. And by all means a 550d isn't a 7D ;)
Actually, I've got lots of excuses; the price tag, I didn't know what I wanted, I needed versatility until I found my niche, blah blah blah (as Boris the turtle would say).
However, my biggest excuse and personal argument is this:
It shouldn't be and in my opinion it isn't the camera that makes the photograph. Yes, it certainly helps, but strip any camera down and its simply a light capturing tool. No matter how much money you spend on a top of the line camera, its not going to give you good photos. There is skill, technical ability and practice practice practice involved.
Photography is an art. I wanted to get a steady footing in the realms of photography before worrying about having fancier equipment. I told myself, if I could take stunning photos with a basic camera (with the ability of manual settings) then I deserved to upgrade. I feel I've proven to myself that I can, I've learnt a great deal so far and now start to feel I can benefit further from an SLR.

I am excited and anxious about my new beginning and I am looking forward to sharing my new journey with you (once the darn thing arrives!).

And I will leave you with something to ponder:

I have grabbed this photo below from http://www.slrlounge.com/the-iphone-photo-shoot-by-slr-lounge, which you should definitely check out, there's more photos on there and some videos that will astound you and put my theory to the test.
This photo was taken using an iPhone, not even a basic point&shoot, no manual settings, just skills of a professional and the right conditions...even with an SLR I don't think I could get a photo like this: 

"You know you are seeing such a photograph if you say to yourself, "I could have taken that picture. I've seen such a scene before, but never like that." It is the kind of photography that relies for its strengths not on special equipment or effects but on the intensity of the photographer's seeing. It is the kind of photography in which the raw materials--light, space, and shape--are arranged in a meaningful and even universal way that gives grace to ordinary objects."
Sam Abell