You may have noticed that my photos have improved as of late. This is thanks to my new Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II which I love almost as much as my children.

I know a lot of you guys think I am a good photographer, but I’m really not. I don’t understand how to use real cameras and have no patience for instruction booklets. I didn’t really start taking good pictures until I joined Instagram and started taking all my photos on my iPhone which is obviously much more user-friendly.

I’ve owned other cameras in the past and appreciated the better quality of the photos, but I never liked using them as much as my phone. They were cumbersome and I felt like I didn’t get as creative with my shots.

This new Olympus is the first time I am really into using a real camera (partly because it so intuitive and I didn’t need to read the instructions to figure it out) and find myself grabbing it whenever the event is important for me to capture right. I used it to photograph Harlow’s birthday party, Mazzy’s birthday party (post coming soon!) and a recent trip to Gansevoort Market.

Look at the gorgeous quality of this photo of the girls.

Every year, we go to Rockefeller Center to look at the Christmas Tree, watch the ice skaters and catch the light show on the side of the Sak’s Fifth Avenue building, since there is really nothing more exciting for a little kid in Manhattan during Christmas.

Each year, Mazzy is in awe over the spectacle like it’s the first time she’s seen it.

I understand. I feel the same way.

The plan was to take Mazzy after school and meet Mike and Harlow by the tree. Mazzy really wanted to go ice skating but I told her 1) the line was way too long and 2) Harlow can’t ice skate so we’d have to go ice skating another time without her.

But then, Mike called and said Harlow wasn’t feeling well and he thought he should keep her home. This opened the door for Mazzy to beg me to take her skating again.

The line ropes around the rink and I always assumed it is about a two hour wait— totally outside the realm of possibility with a whiny 5 year-old, but Mazzy “really really really” wanted to do it, so I said okay, with the caveat that the second she started whining about the wait, we were calling it quits.

Mazzy agreed and then exhibited a patience I have never seen from her before in my life.

Turns out, the line moves much faster than I expected (two hours was actually 20 minutes) and before I knew it, we were renting skates and on the rink.

This was Mazzy’s first time skating with one blade and she was shaky but did great. 

She was determined to get it right and never complained when she fell— she just got right back up and kept trying.

We’ve been coming to Rockefeller Center on Christmas for years but I never had the experience of being on the rink with the tree right above us and all the lights and people surrounding us. It’s pretty amazing and it did not go unappreciated by either of us.

When the light show started on the Sak’s 5th Avenue (right across from the tree, still in view from the rink) that was the icing on the cake.

Look at Mazzy’s face.

My new Olympus perfectly captured the moment. It’s worth noting that Ruth took all the pictures of Mazzy and I together. It was her first time using the camera, but it just seems to take great shots every time. Even when it’s dark or there is motion, it still delivers a crisp image.

Did I mention the slew of costumed characters that swarmed Mazzy on the way out of the rink?

Don’t fall for it! They all want cold hard cash.

The Olympus OM-D E-M10 MARK II camera has an old school look which feels super modern and the quality of the display screen is great, so you know what you are getting just like you do on an iPhone screen. The camera also has an amazing “click” when you press the button that every single person commented on when they tried it. Something about that click is super satisfying. The other thing I like, which I found out by mistake, is the camera automatically focuses and takes a pic when you tap the display screen. I would use this function whenever I was playing around with the settings and got lost. And lastly, you can continue clicking the camera even if it hasn’t resolved the previous photo yet, which is super helpful with little kids who are constantly moving.

Okay, I think it’s pretty clear that I really like this thing, right? It would make an awesome holiday gift for someone really special. In fact, I’m giving away an Olympus camera today!

Giveaway:  Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II camera

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You must be a Mommy Shorts daily or weekly subscriber to enter. Then just “like” this post and leave a comment below telling me about your holiday plans.

I’ll also be giving one away on Instagram (@mommyshorts) so keep a look out.

Winner will be announced on Christmas Day, so you can enjoy it for the New Year!

Winner Update:

Congrats to Susan Cush! Please contact pam@mommyshorts.com to claim your prize.

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This post was sponsored by Olympus, but my obsession with my new camera is my own.