Me and Photography...

I've never been what could be considered a photographer. Actually, until I had kids, I wasn't even much of a picture taker.

But recently...I've been exploring my camera. Ever since I started reading Pioneer Woman and discovered her blog of tutorials on Photoshop and photography in general, I've gotten more and more interested. However, for the most part, I don't have the time or the inclination to sit down and really READ my manual. (I blame my past, I was an MCSE, after all, and a computer hardware girl beside...we don't READ to set up things unless it's to teach a class or pass a test...and we CERTAINLY don't look at the manual FIRST.)

But I have been learning in short bursts. Taking one thing and looking it up. Mucking about a bit. Then back to auto-point-and-shoot. Then some picture will catch my eye...or a new tutorial...and I'll take 3 minutes to see what my manual says about THAT. Then off I go again.

This makes for TONS of pictures that don't FIT anywhere...like this set from the other day...First I took it on auto...then flipped it to manual because I wanted to see the ripples...then after changing the shutter speed (ISO) and time value finally got close to what I was looking for. Of course, I'm not showing you the 6 other pictures I took as I got to where I wanted. PTL for digital photography technology, eh?



Or these two shots that simply show the difference between auto and manual/vivid...I was actually surprised at the difference...it's pretty subtle...but it's there...



Or my tiny foray into macro-photography...where else would I ever use this picture?



I stood in my kitchen the other day while the girls dyed paper towels and played with ISO (shutter speed...I think...it would have been film-speed on my old camera)...I discovered how much closer to the same light you are seeing without using a flash that you can get with this button. For instance, the first two are too light (used the flash) and too dark (no flash)respectively...The last two looked the same in the camera as what I was seeing with my eyes (I was standing with the bright window behind me and I think it was set at 400)...




I'm started to ENJOY taking pictures a little more. I'm starting to notice pictures out in the world that would be fun to take if only I could control my camera a little better. I'm even having better luck with first time straight out of the camera shots that actually LOOK like what I'm seeing...



Now if only I could figure out Photoshop. Oh how I miss my friend, The Camera King, who is always available by phone but of course knows FAR more than I know to ask him. Oh how I WISH that I'd studied less TCP/IP and more Photoshop...Guy, Gina, Dan...sorry I missed your classes...

Oh well...it'll be 2095 before I get all the way through this manual...but at least I found a place for a few of these extra pictures. PHEW!

See ya around...