The guy at Black's was very helpful. I told him I wasn't ready for an SLR, so he first showed me a point-and-shoot model in the $399 range. I asked what the next step down would be...and the price went way down to $209 (on sale for $139). He assured me that the macro quality was excellent, and that in fact he had used it to take wedding photos, including the essential close-up of the rings.
The display model had a dead battery, so he took a camera out of a box, inserted the battery, and let me try it out. Looked good to me (my tendency to overanalyze doesn't seem to apply when it comes to making purchases) and minutes later I was the proud owner of a Canon PowerShot Elph 100HS.
You will now be treated to a selection of close-up shots taken around my home which all represent me in one way or another. I will spare you any commentary, as they are pretty self-explanatory, and allow you to just enjoy my first attempt at macro photography. (Clearly I need to work on lighting and backgrounds, but cut me some slack.)
