Although there are many great stores online that offer free delivery, I wanted to see the difference in size between the 6 and 8 horsepower models before I made my final decision.  

Unfortunately, when I arrived at West Marine,  they only had one model in inventory and it was a 15" shaft.  The drift boat demands a 20" shaft.  The woman at the counter offered to order the motor for me.  I was very disappointed.  

I searched outboard motor dealers on my phone and was directed to Sportsman's Warehouse.  I drove over and was shocked by this enormous "Wal-Mart of sporting goods."  It took me 20 minutes to find their portable motor section and they only carried the 5 and 9.9 horsepower models.  When I asked about the 6 hp model, I was told that there is no such motor.  I could not leave the chaotic mess that is Sportsman's Warehouse fast enough.

Dismayed, I checked the Internet once more.  The Mercury Marine web site listed six dealers in the area (two of which I had tried).  I began calling down the list of phone numbers.  The fourth number down was for Shasta Inboards. I asked about the 6 hp motor and was thrilled to learn that they had one in stock.  My frustration must have been audible when I was told that they had just closed for the day.  The man on the other end of the line asked if I wanted to come over right then.

When I arrived, he already had the motor on a stand and was giving her a once over.  He then walked the motor and I out to the shop where he began a full inspection and adjustment on it.  He walked me through the entire operation and maintenance of the outboard spending close to an hour with me in a hail storm.  When I told him about my experience that day and how glad and thankful I was that he took all of this attention with me, he let me know how lucky I was because the motor was $100 cheaper than West Marine and that "over there" they don't set it up right for you.

Shopping online can be great.  It cannot replace the experience of buying from knowledgeable, caring, and friendly professionals when it matters.  I appreciate my purchase even more because of this lucky, wonderful experience.

Below is a video I took as the throttle was adjusted in a hail storm:

As long as Noah has a chance to be active, he is more than willing to model.   

I had some fun creating some high contrast black and white images this evening.

Using off-camera flash, I attempted to create high contrast images that show off Noah's definition.  I dimmed the room, set a high shutter speed, and then adjusted the aperture and flash to eliminate all background lighting.

I had to set up a "gobo" (a go-between) to prevent the flash from spilling into the background.

I used the giant water heater box to eliminate flash from the background.  That way, Noah is the only subject in the image.  You can see the shadow created by the box in the upper left.  That was where I had Noah pose.

I was also able to catch a nice family portrait:

Here is my solution for not eating enough fresh fruits and vegetables.

I am not in love with this image.  The colors are nice but the droplet is somewhat out of focus.  I am also surprised by how much noise is in the background.  It demonstrates the limitations of our lower end camera.  This shot is taken with ISO of 400.  I wouldn't think there should be so much noise.

Here is a photo of the "studio" that I set up:

Noah set up this tower.  He also made a great assistant by holding the off-camera flash.  

Our new lens (AF-S Micro Nikkor 60mm f/2.8G ED) is renown for its lovely bokeh.  The bokeh is the out of focus area in the background.  It has been described as "creamy." In this image, the bokeh accentuates the quality of the light.  I love the purple/orange cast.

I like this image so much that I made a print for our home.  

Noah posed for me as I messed with exposure settings on both the camera and the flash. Here he is doing the splits. 

I was trying to capture some of the sunlight coming through the window (we are having another sunny winter's day). The flash totally dominated the light but created a nice effect. The hard light matches Noah's hard body and his tough expression.

I am using a older yet very powerful flash that I have owned for 15 years (Nikon SB-28). Because the communication ability of the flash is outdated, it can not coordinate with our modern camera. Before I invest in a new flash, I am going to try to learn more about using flash the hard way: manual settings all the way.

After tinkering with the exposure settings on both the camera and flash, I was eventually able to properly expose the light streaming through the living room window. 

I like these two portraits. Adding off camera flash to composition is fascinating and the results can be very satisfying.

In the images that I took, she is resting on Michele's arm drying her wings.

Due to the break in the weather, there was plenty of ambient sunlight.  As a lucky bonus, there was an additional source as sunlight was reflected off of a mirrored door stored in the garage.  The light enabled nice exposures.

The butterfly flew away shortly after the shoot and alighted in a nearby tree.

Perfect!

I would love for some feedback on the three images in my gallery. Which is your favorite and why?