Hold It! The Kid Wants You In The Shot

I got a new camera for Christmas.  No big deal, as I have had an off and on affair with cameras for more years than I care to remember.  As I recall I started with a hand me down Brownie Instamatic and over time graduated to Polaroids, range finders, single lens reflex and now DSLR or digital single lens reflex.  

I'm already wondering if I should have just left well enough alone and continued chronicling life's important moments with my good point and shoot Nikon Coolpix that has served me well for the past several years.  It takes good pictures and--most important--ANY MORON (me)-- can easily handle its operation.  The new Canon DSLR that I bought at an unnamed warehouse store-- okay, COSTCO--was advertised for $150 less at Best Buy less just days after I bought the damn thing.  Did this portend an adversarial relationship with my new purchase?  

Maybe it's because I'm getting older, but the instruction book that accompanied the new camera seems at least as heavy and certainly a snooze worthy equal to my old high school geometry textbook.  Of course with the latter and the help of homework copied off my pal Tom White I was able  soar to a solid D minus in Mr. Graff's class but, with the camera book,  I can't even manage to stay awake or bluff my way to mere competence.  Isn't there somebody I can hire to understand all this nonsense?  And, while we're at it, where the hell is White when I need him?  This learning curve is daunting.

Since you mentioned curves--you did didn't you?-- the box containing the new camera also contained a DVD of instructions on getting started and becoming a comfortably adequate master of my new toy.  The only problem is that the lovely young woman tapped to show me the tricks of operating this magic box of visual high tech is so good looking I have yet to learn a thing.  Heck, I watched her presentation sixteen times before I realized the sound wasn't even turned up.  This is vexing.  I've given some thought to just employing a fourth grader to follow me around and snap pictures of things I point at.  Problem solved!  All this digital technology is part of the sub thirty-something generation's DNA anyway.  Let one of them deal with all this DSLR B.S.  Those of us who have attained "senior" status know that though pain is mandatory, suffering is optional. Options ahoy!

If anybody needs me I'll be watching this very fine DVD presentation.  I may be old but I ain't dead yet.

"Eyes up here old man!  You might learn something."