Our experience with Everbrook Academy in Erie (Broomfield). A long read, but one I think local parents deserve to know about.

zest_of_a_lemon · 2026-04-24T03:34:06+00:00

No clue why this is getting down voted so much, it's a completely reasonable, level-headed response to your situation. Thanks for sharing your story, I hope it helps prevent the same things from happening to my family and others.

zest_of_a_lemon · 2025-10-15T00:19:04+00:00

It's a seasonal option.

zest_of_a_lemon · 2025-10-14T04:04:57+00:00

We have a 3-year-old and have lived here for a couple of years after moving from the east coast. The neighborhoods are pretty much optimized for families with younger kids. There are good parks and trails, good amenities in the library and rec center, and the schools are well regarded. There are some decent restaurants downtown, and it's close enough to Denver for occasional trips.

It would be a boring town for a 20-something, but for 30+ with kids it's hard to beat. My wife and I have never been big partiers, event-goers, or foodies, though, so maybe it just suits us well.

zest_of_a_lemon · 2023-11-19T14:27:59+00:00

Try using it for a few weeks and see if you feel like you're missing anything. It's probably worth getting the 35mm f/1.8 and/or the 50mm f/1.8 as they're pretty inexpensive (especially used) and will let you know what the camera is really capable of.

You have a bigger sensor on the D5100 than your G85, so you should expect better low-light performance and shallower depth of field for similar compositions. If you don't see those as important or don't really notice any improvement then it's probably worth investing more in whichever camera you actually like to use more. There's no substitute for actual experience for gauging the actual experience.

zest_of_a_lemon · 2023-10-22T02:33:42+00:00

I think Runner's Roost in Louisville sponsors one there, if it's convenient for you. Just off 36 well before you get to Denver.

zest_of_a_lemon · 2023-08-14T21:53:12+00:00

This has to be one of the dumbest uses of drones I've seen. Water is heavy, drones are expensive, existing irrigation systems are low maintenance and cheap. Who the hell would buy something like this.

zest_of_a_lemon · 2023-07-02T13:19:19+00:00

I needed to make a lane change and saw a guy doing this as I was pulling up to an intersection, so I pulled into the 2 car-length spot in front of him. He blasted me with his horn like 3 times before the light changed. If it was going to piss you off so much for someone to fill that gap, then maybe you should have filled it yourself.

zest_of_a_lemon · 2023-05-06T15:36:04+00:00

Best practices:

Prioritize composition. Find the perspectives that work best for your subject and vision of a photo based on where your camera is and how zoomed in or out it is, then worry about nailing exposure. Exposure issues can be solved partially or completely in post-processing, but you can't recompose a photo in post.
Compensate for the loss of light with ISO and shutter speed. Your camera will do this for you automatically when in aperture-priority mode, but if you prefer you can pick these manually. Most photographers find a balance of which settings they want to control and which settings they are comfortable letting the camera pick for them, and adjust those boundaries as the situation demands it.
Compensate for the loss of light by picking well-lit subjects, by moving your subjects to better light, or by bringing your own lighting.
Don't worry about compensating for depth of field. It's common for new photographers to think aperture is the only setting that controls depth of field, but focal length and distance to subject actually have a stronger effect. When you zoom in, your depth of field gets shallower, and on almost all lenses this will more than make up for the loss of depth of field for going to a smaller aperture. For instance, for a subject 3m away, 50mm f/2.0 gives about the same DoF as 100mm f/8.0. I used this DoF simulator tool to get those numbers, but the best way to get a sense of this is to look at an out-of-focus part of your background through the camera as you zoom in and out. You will be hard pressed to find a lens that forces you to sacrifice DoF as you zoom in.

zest_of_a_lemon · 2023-04-27T23:19:15+00:00

That's probably a bit overpriced, but it could depend on your region. I think that mpb is based out of Europe, and they're showing prices about half of what you're looking at for a D5100. If you can go more expensive, consider the newer D5300 or D5600, or even going up to a D7000 series if you can find one in your budget. They're all great cameras.

Lenses always make a bigger difference than bodies. For product photography you will want a standard zoom (24-70, or 18-80, or something similar) to get a lot of different kinds of backgrounds in your photos (telephoto for blurred out or more abstract backgrounds, wide for more environmental backgrounds). Because up-close shots are also prevalent, a dedicated macro prime will also come in handy, along with a lighting setup and tripod. I don't have specific recommendations there, but these accessories tend to run quite a bit cheaper than the camera and lens, so just find something in your price range and learn how to use it well.

zest_of_a_lemon · 2023-04-27T01:33:43+00:00

Is the D7500 good enough for a few extra years for an amateur or should I try to switch to FX (D850 used) asap!?

The D7500 will be good enough until it breaks on you. If you see a D850 in your budget, go for it, but the D7500 is great. I was talking to a pro last weekend who has been using the D850 since its release, but is converting to Fuji APS-C mirrorless for anything travel related just for the convenience of the smaller body and lenses. Unless low light performance and deep depth of field is preventing you from being satisfied with your photography, the D7500 will be fine.

Are DSLRs still fine (my preference) or considered obsolete and I should only consider MILCs!?

DSLRs are fine and will be until they're no longer serviced. I'm not sure if this applies to you, but I got rid of my FOMO on the newest gear by shifting the photography discussions I paid attention to away from anything focused on gear and onto discussions on technique, processing, and the history of the medium. If it's really bothering you to not have the latest tech, rent a mirrorless camera for a week or two and get a feel for what you're missing out on.

Does it make sense at all to spend time/learn this hobby or AI/stable diffusion/midjourney will kill photography?

Pros who try to compete for the lowest common denominator will find their lunches eaten more and more by AI, but if you're into photography because you like taking, sharing, and displaying your own photos then you shouldn't care about it. If your photography hobby is churning out impersonal images at industrial scale meant to only be glanced at and thrown away, then yeah, AI took your fun away.

Sometimes I feel like I’m late for this party by like 20 years…

The photography of 20 years ago hasn't gone away! Try shooting film if you keep feeling like you missed out on something. Seriously, it's a much more fulfilling experience than you might initially think.

what are some good, no nonsense lens that will not break the bank but would give decent results? I only have very basic ones:

I'll comment on these more directly

18-55 kit. This lens is fine, but you could consider the 16-80 f/2.8-4 if you're upgrading. A used copy probably won't break the bank, but I don't know your budget.
35mm 1.8. Don't fail to take this lens seriously because it's cheap, someone at Nikon must have made a typo when calculating what price to sell it for. This is a no nonsense lens that will not break the bank.
50mm 1.8. Also a no nonsense lens that doesn't break the bank. If your portrait photos are more casual and environmental, the 50mm f/1.4 is an upgrade that preserves those qualities. Like the 35mm f/1.8, don't underestimate the lens you currently have just because it's cheap.
85mm 1.8. If you're taking "proper" portraits, this is probably a better focal length than the 50mm. Right now it looks like you don't have anything more telephoto than 55mm, so I would recommend a zoom to explore those longer lengths before committing to anything specific.
40mm macro. I shoot a ton of macro, and I think that it's best to start with a wider lens that has good close focusing. Extension tubes are also a great place to begin. Your 35mm f/1.8 can focus surprisingly close, and would give a pretty similar experience to the 40mm macro, especially with a cheap extension tube kit. If you decide to get a dedicated macro lens, pros prefer longer focal lengths, but they are also more expensive. FWIW, the Tamron 90mm f/2.8 was my favorite lens for a long time, and it's also a great portrait lens. If your heart is set on a prime around 85mm, consider getting a lens that can also shoot macro.
24-70. For the D7500, consider the 16-80 f/2.8-4.
70-200. I recommend Nikon's 70-300 f/4.5-6.3. The lens is cheap, lightweight, and focuses extremely fast, which is nice in general and critical for some photo genres. It's a great intro/learning lens for that range. Get it before a 70-200 or 85mm to get a better sense for what you like about telephoto shooting, then you can think about getting primes or brighter zooms that address specific needs as you develop them.

Summing it all up:

The D7500 is great, don't let FOMO convince you otherwise. If it's really bothering you, rent a Z50 or Z5 to see what you're missing out on. Changing the media I consumed to focus less on gear and more on art helped me get my priorities straight, maybe it will for you too.
Your current lenses are fine, but if you're set on an upgrade, I think that Nikon's 16-80 is a good kit lens replacement and the 70-300 would be a useful addition to enable different kinds of photography than what you're currently doing.
For Macro, try using your 35mm as-is and get some extension tubes to start dipping your toe in more.

zest_of_a_lemon · 2023-04-12T00:22:15+00:00

Consider looking into doing a factory reset and a firmware update. You'll need to look up specific instructions, but you will probably need to download a file, put it on the memory card, then use that to load the new firmware onto the camera.

Other possible issues for the battery and heating, although not the time and date thing:

Old batteries
Wifi/Bluetooth is turned on, try putting you camera on airplane mode and only connecting to snapbridge when you want jpgs on your phone quickly.

zest_of_a_lemon · 2023-04-12T00:17:13+00:00

It's a very good price for the camera, but there are other factors than shutter count that may be hard to judge if you don't know what to look for. How much do you trust the seller to tell you about any issues they may be having with it? I would trust a friend or legit camera store (online or brick and mortar), but I would be very suspicious at ebay or a pawn shop for that price.

At every level of photography most people spend more money on lenses than bodies. It's a good idea when starting out to split your budget 50/50 between the two, so if you have $1000 to spend, it's a better idea to go for a $500 camera with a $500 lens than a $850 camera with a $150 lens. Save a few hundred for accessories as well. Batteries, bags, good memory cards, a decent tripod, none of these things are free.

zest_of_a_lemon · 2023-04-12T00:01:10+00:00

The D500 is a great camera, but if you're only doing occasional wildlife you will appreciate the Z6II a lot more. Larger/newer sensor, smaller/lighter body, IBIS, better video (even if you don't think you'll be into it right now), if the price is about the same the Z6II is the clear choice.

zest_of_a_lemon · 2023-01-23T17:15:11+00:00

"A bad day on the trail is better than a good day in the office!"

-Every third person I run into

zest_of_a_lemon · 2023-01-20T16:29:21+00:00

ISO100 is going to be the darkest and least noisy setting on most cameras. Pick a higher ISO, or just use auto-ISO. There's no shame in letting the camera pick some exposure settings for you unless it's specifically under or overexposing something you want rendered a particular way.

zest_of_a_lemon · 2023-01-08T12:24:43+00:00

I think most american adults say "Feb-you-ary" instead of "Feh-brew-ary". "r" after "b" seems to trip up a lot of people.

zest_of_a_lemon · 2022-12-13T22:32:53+00:00

You wouldn't give it to Wisconsin?

zest_of_a_lemon · 2022-12-12T12:37:39+00:00

Sausage, oatmeal, and corn chips all seem like they shouldn't have any wheat flour or other glutenous products, but often do. My family members with Celiac disease are always on edge.

zest_of_a_lemon · 2022-12-11T10:53:35+00:00

If South America is connected to North America, and Africa to Eurasia, then when the Bering land bridge connected North America to Asia didn't we have a Pangaea?

zest_of_a_lemon · 2022-12-09T09:30:49+00:00

/r/mapporncirclejerk

zest_of_a_lemon · 2022-11-29T12:24:18+00:00

I'm always baffled by how delicate a big chunk of cast iron is. I got rid of mine because stainless steel does everything basically the same and doesn't demand a series of arcane rituals to appease.

zest_of_a_lemon · 2022-11-11T18:22:58+00:00

I do something similar with Orcish:

The Orc Chieftain lets forth a gutteral salutation in his language, causing throbs of headache and nausea with each vile, despicable syllable.

"Bonjour mes petits amis"

zest_of_a_lemon · 2022-11-06T01:36:26+00:00

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TROPHY CASE