If you’re in the market for a great entry-level digital SLR, Target has an incredible deal on the Nikon D3100. It’s available in stores only for $299.00! I’ve been pricing this model for a couple of years and it’s never been this low. In the past year or so, it’s been hovering around the $450 range (depending on the lens package).

I’m guessing Nikon is discontinuing the model. I checked other sites to compare. Amazon is selling the same kit (18-55mm DX VR zoom lens) for $409. B&H Photo is currently selling this package for $389 (B&H always has the best deals, a great warranty program and typically has a few extra accessories with their products-like SD cards and/or cases). Target’s website is selling it for $429. So, $299 is really a steal.

My daughter has used this camera for almost 4 years and loves it. Don’t get me wrong, she’d love to have a more expensive camera but this one has served her well. She’s taken tens of thousands of photos and has even produced some finished videos with it. It’s held up great with a lot of use.

The D3100 has a light-weight, easy-to-handle body compared to other DSLR’s

There are more expensive Nikon models with higher megapixels, to be sure. Unless you’re a professional, though, 14.2 mp is plenty. As you can see by the shot below, the D3100 takes professional quality photos:

Western & Southern Open Champ

This would be a great entry level camera for a kid who’s considering photography as a hobby.

If you end up picking one up, let me know. I haven’t been this excited about a bargain for a while.

*You might want to call your local Target stores to check if they still have any left. Also, the card in front of the display model indicated a price of $429 for the kit to match the price online. The display camera, itself, had a “clearance” sticker on it with the $299 price, which is why I originally thought the price was for the floor model. I have not called other Target stores to confirm that they also have this model for the “clearance” price but I don’t see why they wouldn’t if they have it in stock.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Happy Birthday Sweet 16 Year Old!

(I really did write this on Hannah’s birthday (September 11) but got distracted by the day, which is ok because it was all about Hannah. She competed in the sectional tournament for tennis. The tournament started on her birthday and ended the next day and she is SECTION CHAMP! So proud of her and how she carries herself and how nice she is to all of her opponents and coaches. The coach’s wife told me that a player from another school told her how nice Hannah is and how the other girls across the section appreciate how nice she is). I would consider that a shameless brag except it’s truly how Hannah was born…….16 years ago! AACK!

Happy Birthday to Hannah! This birthday is especially sweet since Hannah’s back home with us after spending 2 years at a performing arts high school. She counted the hours that she spent on a bus over those two years and it equals about 1 1/2 months of her life. I say it’s more like 3 months since I only counted waking hours. Either way, it was a lot of time and we both appreciate how much more of it she has now.

This kid continues to blow me away with her confidence, her resourcefulness, her sweetness and her maturity. She’s still fun and joyful as ever.

I think I’ve bragged about her plenty in this space. If you don’t remember, you can read about her here, here, here and here.

They say a picture paints a thousand words, if that’s true, this girl has painted billions. Photography has turned into her primary passion thanks to my mom who gave her her first camera as a birthday gift. I was too practical to get one for her since I already had a point-and-shoot. Shame on me. I’ll leave you with some of her recent projects and photos.