I'm in love! I'm in love! And I don't care who knows it!

I'm playing with my new toy...my new baby...otherwise known as my new lens :)  Check this out.  The following pictures were all taken of the same (very awesome) basket with berries that currently sits on our kitchen table (along with alot of other stuff that was pushed out of the way to create the illusion that our home is always neat and tidy).  But just ignore all that and look at this. 

Ok, the first picture was taken with the first digital camera that I've ever owned - a Canon PowerShot.  It's pretty awesome for a point and shoot (I think) and takes great snap shots.  I took this on Manual setting, shutter speed 1/30, iso 200, and f2.8 (the lowest it will go).

Are you impressed with my "camera speak"?  Yea, I thought so.  Tehe :)  Anyway, the next picture was taken with my Canon Rebel - my first DSLR (which is fancy terms for a camera that you switch lenses on).  The lens I used was a 50mm 1.8 II, which up until today was my favorite lens.  It made me fall in love with my camera and with the art of photography, and it's taken some pretty sweet pictures for me, I must say.  This was taken with the same iso and shutter speed, but at f1.8.

Not bad, not bad.  Pretty big improvement I'd say.  But now, drum roll please....here is the same shot, taken with my Rebel and my *new* lens, a 50mm 1.4, again with the same shutter speed and iso. 

HELLOOOOOOOOOOO!  I am in love!    I have wanted this lens for months, but I made a promise to myself (and to my husband too) that I would only upgrade my equipment with money that I earn from my photography.  So here it is, the first harvest of my new passion.  I can't WAIT to start taking portraits with this...and thankfully I won't have to wait long because I have 4 family sessions and a maternity session coming up soon - yay!  And if you come over to my house (or pretty much anywhere near me anytime soon) I WILL be putting a camera in your face, so consider yourself warned and please try not to blink!