Having a grand old time today. Hope Larbs is too!
First we went running, and I smoked it. (Didn’t inhale, only exhaled
) First time since we moved to Hill Country that ALL 5 miles were under 9 minutes. One was even 8:31! Sweet. It was a great run!
Then I did a bit more work and we had a sardinified lunch.
First an appetizer of snap peas from our garden with a little hummus! Can’t believe we grew them 
Actually, these were herring! Smoked herring from Trader Joe’s. Proclaimed the "best tinned fish we’ve had" by both of us. We made a version of the famous sardine salad and served it over garden butterhead lettuce.
Here’s the lettuce growing!
I spiked my herring with a bit of this:
On the side, half an apple with cinnamon
And sweet potato chips – heavens these were delicious.
I’m actually on the market for a new lens.
I currently use the stock lens that came with my camera, which is wide angle and zooms and the Canon 50 mm 1.8, which takes an AMAZING shot, but has a very limited frame and does not enable you to get up close to your food. I’m looking for something versatile (so wide angle and zoom good for wide-angle landscapes and foo and low aperture capability for dark restaurants) AND with a high quality and crisp picture.
Andrea lent me her Sigma 24-70mm 2.8 to test out and see if I’m interested in buying it. It’s hard to believe the differences between three lenses. These photos are all completely unedited.
Round I
Stock Lens:
Sigma
50mm
I like the 50 mm best in the apple shots.
Round II
Stock
50 mm
Sigma
I like the Stock lens the best out of these three
Round III
Stock
50 mm
Sigma
I preferred the 50 mm in those too.
RECOMMENDATIONS WELCOME!
After lunch we went to run a few errands, including picking up some pumpkins!!
And with that, I have a conference call to attend!
Evan Thomas says
I like the stock lens on all accounts. I can’t wait to get a DSLR for Christmas! Photography is so fun.
Erin @ Shortcut to Bliss says
There is something *magical* about eating from your garden. I love your raised boxes!
Jessica @ How Sweet It Is says
I have a Nikon, but have the 50mm version for my camera. I love the shot but it drives me crazy that I can’t get close to my food. I hate when just a tiny bit is in focus and the rest is blurry!
Allison K says
Those mums are so pretty!
Emily says
I sort of like sigma in the second photo, it’s great if you want a good close up/detail shot. The 50mm definitely looks better for the second one though. Ohhh I cannot wait to afford to really get the camera and lenses that I want 🙂
shannon (the daily balance) says
i’m so jealous of all the fancy photography capabilities! I would LOVE DSLR…
Camille says
I really like the sigma lens!
Hands in Namaste says
I don’t know much about camaras but I think your pictures are beauitful!!
That herring salad looks delicious!! I miss TJ’s while in Italy!
Heather (Heather's Dish) says
is it weird that i saw “seasoning from hell” and thought “i NEED that!”?
Laura says
I thought “Ooh, that would be a great gift for Ben!” (my husband who LOVES hot and spicy foods). haha… not weird at all. 🙂
Sarena (The Non-Dairy Queen) says
We use the stock here, but we have 3 macro filters to help with close ups. I really love the macro filters, but I still want the 50 mm for far away shots. Happy birthday to your sister! I hope she is having a great day!
Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat says
You’re slowly convincing me to try the sardine salad Kath!
Since I started blogging in March I’ve just been using a point-and-shoot camera, but Im rreeealllly wanting to get an SLR now. Do you have any recommendations as to what to begin with? I don’t want anything too fancy (read: not insanely expensive) just now, but am hoping for a noticeable improvement in photo quality, and a little room to add on fancier things later… any ideas?
Thanks! 🙂
Kath says
Get the Canon XSI. It’s what I have and the stock lens, as you see above, it’s pretty good. The 50 mm is only $100 and is a GREAT buy addition. The camera is (I think) about $600?
Sarah says
I agree with Kath! You can’t go wrong with Canon and the XSi is a great starter dSLR, but gives you a little bit more pixilation than the XS. Good luck!
Kath says
I’m pretty sure the XSI is an upgrade from the XS. Why would it be more pixilated?
Sarah says
Oh, I meant that the pixilation itself is higher – I think the XS is 10 and the XSi is 12.2? What is the right way to say that? It has more pixels?
Kath says
I think that just means the “pixels are higher.” Pixelation Is bad!! Gives things a grainy look 🙂
Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat says
Thanks ladies!! You’re the best! 😀
Melissa @ HerGreenLife says
We’re still waiting on our sugar snap peas. They’re flowering now, but no peas yet — yours look delish!
Did your pumpkins travel by bike? I brought a pumpkin home in the crate on the back of my bike last week, though I admit I purposely picked one that wasn’t TOO huge 🙂
Kath says
No, they were buckled into the backseat 🙂
Estela @ Weekly Bite says
I have the 50mm f1.4 and LOVE IT!! The photos are great!
I’m thinking of getting a 35 mm, not sure.
Anna @ Newlywed, Newly Veg says
I like the Sigma shots!!
Sounds like you had a great run– I knew you’d conquer those hills before too long 🙂
Mary (What's Cookin' with Mary) says
I have been in love with my Cannon 100mm since I got it… Infact, I almost never take it off… Only when I take the camera to a party/ BBQ/ event with people (read: pictures of things other than food – even though it still works for that/ portraits). I swear that lense can make anything look beautiful. You would not be dissappointed.
Mama Pea says
Aww those sweet little peas. Almost as cute as mine.
Holly @ couchpotatoathlete says
Jason would love the Seasoning from Hell — what a riot!
I think the stock lens looks good — this coming from a point-and-shoot girl…
Gabriela @ Une Vie Saine says
I use my stock lens for my Rebel, so I’m interested to see what people say!!
Amanda (Eating Up) says
Will there be a KERF pumpkin carving contest?!
Lee says
I have the two lenses that you have too. What I find is very helpful is that I have an external flash. I am able to bounce it off the ceiling which provides more light but doesn’t give my pictures that harsh quality that the flash that comes with the camera does. It was only $100.
Jamie @ Food in Real Life says
I don’t know much about cameras, but I do know about gardening, and I think it’s so exciting when you get to eat food that you grow! Our garden is done for the year sadly, but we froze a ton of stuff!
stacey-healthylife says
All the flowers look so pretty.
Lauren says
Hi Kath! What brand are those sweet potato chips? They look delicious!
Kath says
Terra chips
Paige @Running Around Normal says
It’s hard for me to tell, but I think I like the Sigma best, though I have the Cannon 50 mm and love it! It’s not a bad price either:)
Laura @ Backstage Pass to Health & Happiness says
I like the Sigma lens in most of those photos.
I am in the market for a DSLR, but am waiting until the holiday season to buy one. Hoping to snag a good ‘Cyber Monday’ deal.
Rachel says
I use the Canon 28-135 for my general walk-around lens. It is mighty heavy, but takes good pictures.
Lauren at KeepItSweet says
so jealous that you can grow food at your house!!
Tanja @ Postmodern Hostess says
I am thoroughly impressed by the homegrown sugar snap peas! I have found them to be thoroughly fussy, and a favorite of predators like squirrels and crows. Based on our many harrowing experiences (click here to see what I mean), I think I am giving up on peas for a while!
Nice work on the run, too. 🙂
Sarah says
Kath, you should look into getting this nifty attachment …
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002W4RPD2/ref=oss_product
It’s for the 18-55mm (stock) and works fun wonders for a really small price while you’re feeling out new lens. I posted some side by side attachments on twitter (@MrsSarahWeaver).
Here’s the wide angle attachment – the left is without the attachment and the right is with. It definitely opens up the frame …
http://twitpic.com/2ytw2a
Macro attachment – left is without, right is with …
http://twitpic.com/2ytw8a
Good luck!
Kath says
Those are cool! I didn’t know there was such a thing!
Sarah says
I know, I was so excited when I came across it! It’s a fun way to expand your collection without having to spend hundreds of dollars.
Allie (Live Laugh Eat) says
I heard about an attachment but never looked into it. Thanks for the tip!
Mom says
Those are the most gorgeous pink flowers! Are those in your yard?
Kath says
Yup!
Michelle (The Runner's Plate) says
You make me want to have a garden!! So jealous!
Krystina (Organically Me) says
You have such a quaint, homey looking hard. Love the pumpkins and flowers.
Lisa @bakebikeblog says
Wow – your garden is stunning!
Christina says
I generally use a Tamron 2.8 24-75 (for non-sports photography) because it’s very crisp but I would also like to add something that zooms out a little further, like an 18mm.
Liz @ Tip Top Shape says
Ha, I am so technologically blind. I was looking at all those pictures and thinking- I can’t see a difference. All I know is that it is a heck of a lot better than my digital, haha.
Love that you have your own little garden! I have one during the summer and loved having all the fresh produce on hand.
Ashley says
Are you shooting in RAW or auto? We should camera chat! 🙂
Kath says
JPG, but not auto. AV setting. Always.
Kjirsten- Balanced Healthy Life says
Nice job on the garden. I tried growing a bunch of different herbs and peppers this year but before we could use any of it, the plants died. : (
Hope says
Your lettuce garden looks so much better than ours!! Whenever I bring something in from the garden, I’m always thinking “wow, we grew this”! Pretty cool
Simply Life says
oh your garden looks great!
Ashley says
Oh..p.s. We have an f 2.8 lens 28-75mm [tamron]…I like it, but the 50mm produces a much higher quality photo 🙂
Kath says
Then it’s off my list!
Clearly Composed says
I actually like the stock lens best in all the photos and you have officially inspired me to try herring sometime soon. 🙂
Christena says
I must try the herring/sardine salad soon. But I’m really commenting to let you know that because of you, I am now OBSESSED with Brendan James. In fact, I went to Target last night for the sole purpose of picking up his CD and they didn’t have it. 🙁 How have I never heard of him before! I love him! He’s fantastic! I have watched just about every one of his videos on You Tube, but the song “Green” (YOU linked to it in that recent post!) is my favorite so far and I have been playing it nonstop! And he is a total cutie to boot!! Also just found out he’s coming to my area in just a few weeks….perfect!
Kath says
I’m listening to him now!!
Caitlin says
Hey Kath, love the blog!
I just wanted to ask, you often mention working or showering or something in between workouts and meals which coming for the daughter of a personal trainer is not advisable! Of course if you finish your workout at an awkward non-meal time it’s cool to not have a full meal but to help your body recover you need at least a little snack! Again, LOVE this blog, I think your awesome I just want you to get the most out of your workouts!
Kath says
I almost ALWAYS eat right after my workouts. Today was an exception 🙂
Caitlin says
Excellent to know! I’m in college now but when I got home for winter break I CAN’T WAIT to try some of your recipes! The sweet potato gnocchi looks amazing!
Krit says
For just cardio workouts there’s no need to eat ASAP.
Caitlin says
Depending on the length/intensity you need to eat some sort of carbohydrate within an hour, an hour begin the absolute longest! True if you go for a 30 minute evening jog there is no rush but if you have not eaten for a few hours or you workout first thing in the morning for 45-90 minutes or very intensely you need to refuel quickly in order to recover quickly.
Angie (My Life in Bites) says
I looooove the idea of eating vegetables grown in my own garden! I am totally green with envy over here. Note to self – next home must have a garden!
Allie (Live Laugh Eat) says
I bounce between my 50mm and my stock lens too. The 50mm annoys me when it gets up close and starts to shudder (ugh!). I switched to my stock lens and have no desire to switch back unless I’m going to a dark restaurant. I don’t like having to crop photos. I’ve been thinking about getting a macro lens (perhaps the 60mm) for that reason. It doesn’t zoom either but at least it doesn’t shudder. Hmmm. Let me/us know what you find out!
For the above photos did you use the same aperture/shutter speed/ISO with each lens or different for each?
Kath says
All the same! With the exception of slight movements and sun movements
Jasmine @ Eat Move Write says
I like the 50mm best. The clarity is amazing.
Mary @ Bites and Bliss says
I can’t believe there’s such a difference in all those photos. I guess seeing them side-by-side has something to do with that, too. I’m in the search for a DSLR and I don’t even know where to start!
Jennifer says
I would say 50 mm. I liked the way they turned out the best. 🙂
I was wondering if you have heard of Pea butter? Maybe you have touched on this before but I was wondering if it was a healthy alternative for a parent wanting to give their child a pbj sandwich that is nut free? Thoughts?
http://www.peabutter.ca/Nutrition_Info/nutrition_info.html
Kath says
Interesting! Other than the hydrogenated oils, it looks good, but those are code word for transfats. Have you tried sunflower butter?
Jennifer says
I haven’t tried the sunflower butter yet. I will give that a try with my children as they are nut butter fans (almond is a favorite!) and crofters jam fans! Thanks for your feedback! 🙂
Amy says
I can’t believe how well your garden’s doing! Almost everything I planted was dead by early August. My grape tomatoes are the only things still standing. My peas were wilted by July 4th! Is this your second crop of peas?
Kath says
We didnt plant until August when we moved
Jaime says
I really need to get a “Big Girl” camera! Comparing your pictures to mine is like comparing an apple to a french fry. Make sense? 😉
chelsey @ clean eating chelsey says
I’m crossing my fingers for a DSLR for Christmas, but I don’t know a lick about photography.
Hannah says
Next time I vote you put the seasoning from hell on your apple 😉
Dee says
WOW! Your garden is awesome!
I’m partial to the 50mm1.8! But I’ve been wanting a zoom lens 24-70mm2.8 for awhile now though. I don’t think you can go wrong with either of those two!
Let us know what you get! 🙂
J3nn (Jenn's Menu and Lifestyle Blog) says
What a coinky dinky: I was thinking about lenses today, too!! Probably because my birthday AND Christmas are coming. 😉 I have been noticing that my pics aren’t as great as they used to be (bad lighting, worn lenses, etc.), and I was actually looking for exactly what you just showed with that lens. I love the 50mm lens, but it’s so frustrating that it won’t take an image if you are too close! Definitely going to look into the one you mentioned and showed an example of. Wow, that looks awesome, and I’d say it’s definitely a good investment!! Thanks 😀
maya @ finding balance in tokyo says
I have the same canon 50mm 1.8 lens and I LOVE the photo quality it captures. I wish it was a little more versatile and I could get in closer up and actually fit things in fame without being across the room, but even with the drawbacks I have been using it almost exclusively since we got it because of the amazing photo quality. (We also have the stock 18-55mm lens, a wide angle, and a second 55-250[?]mm zoom in the house)
I’ve been thinking about getting a 24 or 28 mm prime to change it up a bit, but I don’t think I know enough about lenses to make a good choice on my own. A nice zoom lens would be ideal, but I don’t think I have the budget required for a zoom lens of the quality I would want.
Chelsea @ One Healthy Munchkin says
I don’t know a thing about cameras, so I don’t think I’d be much help. I’m crossing my fingers for a DSLR for Christmas though!
Krit says
You are such a blogger, changing your meal time just for photography purposes! I prefer to eat when I’m hungry, but I also eat off ugly bowls and sometimes standing up so clearly I’m a bit odd. 😉
Katelyn says
50’s are so nice, they have such a crisp detailed picture. The sigma looked amazing.
Nicole says
Hi Kath! I don’t know if you chose a lens yet, but Canon makes a 60 mm macro lens. It’s really nice!
Sara says
Sigma’s are great lenses (I have a 30mm for my Olympus E-520 and I really like it) but you will find that it is a little “soft” open wide. Close it down a few stops and you’ll get the sharpness you’re looking for. Good luck!
Crystal Toole says
I love my 85mm but it is mostly for closer up shots. the 50mm is nice and I love being able to shoot at 1.8. 😉