DSLR year zero
I have succumbed to the subtle pressure exerted by my friends and colleagues (bombarding me with great pictures they have taken) and have purchased a DSLR and a few decent lenses. The camera feels very comfortable in the hands; quite sturdy but not too heavy, and its quality easily exceeds my current level of skill as a photographer. The experience of consciously trying to improve my skill is somewhat mixed - I can see definite improvement, but I have become critical to the point of loathing of every photo that I have taken before, as I want to kick myself for messing up the capture of many beautiful and important moments with poor focus or camera shake.
My son has been the primary object of my attention; I figure that if I can photograph a writhing two year old who usually likes to run when he spots a camera then I will be able to photograph pretty much anything…