Friday, July 31, 2009

My Camera May Just Be Smarter Than Me

A friend of mine called me earlier in the summer and inquired if I would be interested in taking a photography class.

Absolutely!

I have owned my precious Nikon for over a year and I must admit that I rarely shoot unless I am in the auto mode.

You can pick your jaw up off the floor.

And stop rolling your eyes.

I know it is really unconscionable to think I have a nice SLR camera and I am not taking full advantage of all it has to offer.

I know about white balance.

I have read about apertures.

I have heard about ISO's.

But I don't get it.

So I signed up for an intro class.

And after my second class last night I am thrilled to report that I STILL DON'T GET IT!!!

I took great notes.

I listened intently.

I reviewed what I learned on the way home.

Then I spent the day at the pool with the kiddos and my Nikon.

I started thinking about white balance.

And apertures.

And ISO's.

By the time I figured out what I wanted my settings to be...the moment was lost.

And most of my photos were of the splashes left behind when my more than frustrated kids swam away from me.

At one point...Cole had a mask and snorkel on.

He looked adorable.

It was THE perfect moment.

It was taking me so long to make a decision the mask started to fog up.

And Cole took it off, gasping for breath.

Really?

Was it too much to ask for him to hold his breath, short of turning blue, so I could get the perfect shot?

Hopefully my next class will address that.

15 comments:

Laura Marchant said...

Seriously I am the same way! You lose the moment if it isn't on green, lol.

duchess said...

We seriously are twins separated at birth.
I love my camera but for the life of me can't get into all of that stuff. I did manage to figure out that I need to increase my ISO #'s when shooting gymnastics pictures. That's all I've got.
My friend, Jodie is always trying to teach me & I just don't have the patience to work on it.

Well, keep me posted on the 2nd class & I'll listen to what you learned & keep shooting in my usual mode.
I'm really easy.

Unknown said...

Nothing like taking a "Photography For Dummies" class and still not being able to master the basic steps. I ended up skipping the last three sessions of my class because I felt like such a loser. It was humiliating and on top of that my kids would say,"gez, mom we gave you a class how come you take such bad pictures!"

Krystyn @ Really, Are You Serious? said...

i'm so with you..i get it all, but i don't have the time to actually change the setting and still get the picture.

Jodie said...

Hello, this is Duchess' friend Jodie. I'm a camera geek. I get it, use it and can teach it. I do understand that it takes awhile for it to all sink in. It took me about 2 years of serious practice to be really comfortable with all the when's, why's and how's of cameras. Don't get discouraged. Practice and learn and learn some more and use auto mode during the important moments and the manual modes for practice! Good luck!

Kristen said...

That is sooooo me! I just keep moving the dial from close up to kids, to automatic. I think I could use a class!! :)

Unknown said...

I would like a nice camera but I feel the SAME. EXACT. WAY. I hope it gets better for you through your class! : )

amanda said...

i have the camera and the how to book and still have no clue.

someday friend. someday.

Christie said...

Please log onto Amazon and order the book, "Understanding Exposure" by Bryan Peterson. It will CHANGE EVERYTHING for you. He writes so you can understand clearly how to shoot in manual. You'll never go back, I promise.

Please? For my sake? PLEAAASSEE! It actually hurts a little to think of all the good pictures you could be getting.

Susan said...

Oh my friend...sorry for your frustration.
I agree with many others, as you are learning, use the auto modes when you really need to get the shots and switch to manual modes when it is less critical and you can take the time to think about all those terms. I felt exactly like you in the beginning, but eventually it just clicks and becomes much easier and faster.
Have fun with your class!

Anonymous said...

You take amazing pics anyhow so I would have never guessed you didn't know that much about your camera!!!
Are there any more classes or are you done??
:)

Jen said...

Our point and shoot is dying a slow death and I mentioned to my husband that we should get an SLR. He just laughed at me.

I know that I would need a lot of classes before I could ever figure it out because all that aperture talk makes me feel dizzy.

stephanie howard said...

Lol, I am glad to know that although you do own this wonderful camera that you really don't know how to run it! That is one of the very reasons I don't have a fancy camera... it would take to much time and frustration in my life at this moment to learn how to run it.

stephanie howard said...

Lol, I am glad to know that although you do own this wonderful camera that you really don't know how to run it! That is one of the very reasons I don't have a fancy camera... it would take to much time and frustration in my life at this moment to learn how to run it.

Grammy Staffy said...

Wendi you are such a great blog writer. I love your blog style. You crack me up. Both your sense of humor and your writing style make for a great blog.

I am just dropping by to say hello and let you know that I am thinking of you. I wish that I could help you with your photograpy, but as you know from looking at the pictures on my blog I am no expert. Good luck.
((hugs))) Grammy