Well I guess it’s not that “new” anymore. I’ve had it for a few months now and have done a lot of reading about photography to try and figure out all the bells and whistles. I’ve learned so much about things like aperture, shutter speed, ISO, exposure, white balance, light metering, composition, and how all those things work together to create great photos.
Here are a couple websites that I’ve found to be really helpful-
One of the great things about digital photography in particular is that I can take 183 pictures of my cat by the back door to understand ISO and low light. Or 67 pictures of my cat under the Christmas tree to learn how white balance works. I can pop the memory card right into my computer, look at the photos I took, and get immediate feedback. It’s made learning so much easier than with an actual film camera. Plus, I can then delete all the horrible pictures I’ve taken and not have the expense and clutter of a zillion poorly exposed photos.
But let’s be honest – I have no aspirations of becoming a professional photographer. My interest in photography is purely amateur. It’s a fun hobby and, most importantly for me, a great way to capture and preserve memories. So why go to all the trouble to learn all this stuff if it’s just to put it on a blog or in a scrapbook? Well (now I know this may come as a complete surprise to you), the truth is that I am a teeny bit of a perfectionist. I know, I know – it’s shocking – but it’s true. And like anything I become interested in (obsessed with), I read and practice as much as I can to try to become good at it.
And I think all that practice is starting to pay off. For instance, learning about aperture and shutter speed helped me capture hummingbirds in mid-flight. And understanding white-balance and photo syles helped me to more accurately capture the stunning colors of Autumn leaves in my neighborhood.
And in this case, reading about metering modes for stage photography help me get good photos of my daughter in her school’s production of Miracle on 34th Street.
Man, I love my new camera!!
Peace, Kelly
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