An early spring photo walk in my neighborhood, using my Canon PowerShot S95

Even though my Nikon Df has become my primary digital camera, I leave my Canon PowerShot S95 out with a fully charged battery. It’s still a terrific tiny, light, and capable camera.

While the flowering trees were still in bloom early this spring, I took it on a walk around my neighborhood. There’s a two-mile loop I like to follow. When I’m not stopping all the time to make photographs, I walk it in about 30 minutes. I can often squeeze that in between meetings while I’m working. But when I bring a camera, my timing varies.

I complain a lot about this suburban neighborhood I live in — its homogeneity, the cheapness of the homes’ construction, the silly restrictions of the HOA. I even published a book about it, a photo essay showing many of this neighborhood’s not-awesome aspects. But it’s undeniable that some aspects of this neighborhood can be beautiful, especially in the spring and autumn.

Early Spring photo walk

The people who designed this neighborhood made sure that plenty of flowering trees were planted along the main avenue. The blooms last only a couple weeks, but they’re spectacular.

Early Spring photo walk
Early Spring photo walk

Some of those trees are Bradford pears, which is unfortunate. They’re plenty beautiful, but the blooms smell like rotting shrimp. Also, they are an invasive species.

Early Spring photo walk

You’ll find Canadian geese in all the retention ponds. Nasty little buggers. Don’t go near them as you’re likely to be attacked. Also, they poop everywhere. It’s too bad that it’s illegal in Indiana to kill them.

Early Spring photo walk

Not unexpectedly, you’ll find tulips and daffodils in peoples’ yards.

Early Spring photo walk
Early Spring photo walk

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Comments

14 responses to “An early spring photo walk in my neighborhood, using my Canon PowerShot S95”

  1. P Avatar
    P

    I’m always impressed by the colors produced by the S95, and the relatively film-like quality of its images.

    1. Jim Grey Avatar

      I will probably cry the day this camera dies.

      1. P Avatar
        P

        Let’s hope that doesn’t happen for a long, long time. My mom has a PowerShot Digital ELPH that’s several years older than your S95 and it’s still chugging along. I can’t speak to their more recent compacts, but the compacts Canon made in the early to late 2000’s were built to last.

        1. Jim Grey Avatar

          Yes, built to last for sure. My batteries don’t charge as well as they used to and don’t allow as many shots per charge. Unfortunately, OEM batteries are no longer available (that I can find) and the aftermarket batteries aren’t as good.

          1. P Avatar
            P

            The battery issue is an irritating thing, for sure. It has always made me mad that most electronic devices which utilize proprietary batteries end up with no OEM options within just a couple of years. If you ask me, it’s pretty poor on the part of the companies selling the product—a total lack of long-term, or even short-term, support. I find myself wishing everything still just used plain old AAs…

            1. Jim Grey Avatar

              Fortunately a whole bunch of Canon compacts used the same battery as the S95, and so OEM batteries have been unavailable for only the last 3-4 years. That’s actually not terrible for a camera made in 2006. At least this camera’s planned obsolescence is delayed this far!

              I have a Canon A495 as well and it takes AAs. It eats them. If I were going to take it on a long trip I’d need to buy a giant box of AAs to take along.

              1. P Avatar
                P

                True. Everything is a trade-off…

  2. Andy Umbo Avatar
    Andy Umbo

    Pretty excellent pics here…one of my “jobs” in 2023 is to evaluate small, self contained, digital cameras for purchase, with an eye towards getting rid of my big digital stuff, since it’s doubtful I’ll ever get back into taking pics in a professional capacity. I’m amazed at some of the output, including 16×20 prints, that I’ve seen from small digital cameras with non interchangeable lenses. I was walking around with my old Canon A560, with 7 megapixel files, and after I reset the camera to juice the files a bit, I was amazed at the quality, and the pics I took of locals could have easily been used for reproduction in a print vehicle. There’s a new LUMIX LX 100 coming out, the M1 or 2? I might get that and call it a digital day! There’s no arguing with a pocketable camera with pro quality files!

    1. Jim Grey Avatar

      Yes, you should very much be able to find a small digital that will give you excellent quality images. I’ll be interested to know what you choose.

    2. Kurt Ingham Avatar

      If your results are going to be posted on the Interweb there are dozens of great choices. My Sony DSC RX10 superzoom covers macro flowers to the Blue Angels with aplomb. If size is an issue my wife’s Lumix DMC-LX7 still provides great output and has a ‘solid feel; often absent in digital cameras. Or use the phone

  3. Kurt Ingham Avatar

    Great post- pictures and comments!

    1. Jim Grey Avatar

      Why thank you!

  4. M.B. Henry Avatar

    Absolutely lovely spring pics!

    1. Jim Grey Avatar

      Thank you!!

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