Learning, Learning

I recently decided it was time to stop feeling frusterated and WISHING I knew how to use my camera better. Time to stop talking and start doing! I resolved to take steps (even baby ones) toward making it happen.

So...a couple months ago, with a determined spirit, I switched away from the automatic modes of my camera (evil green square and 18% gray - you know what I'm talking about Andi!) to brave the scary world of the creative modes. Hello TV, AV, and M! Hello blurry, over/underexposed pictures. (Sigh. Let me tell you, I had a lot of photos to delete! I am so thankful that I am in a digital age and the learning curve is free.) I began to randomly experiment with the knobs and dials on the camera. What would happen if I rotate this wheel? What number does it change on the camera and what does that mean to the picture I snap? Slowly, I began to grasp the cause and effect of adjustments I made and began to get less junk pictures.

Well, that was all well and good. It was progress. But not enough for me. I had an idea of how to change things, but I didn't know how to technically label what I was changing; nor did I know if there was a smarter way to get the desired results. Plus, I knew my camera had a lot more potential that I hadn't even begun to unlock. I had to be brave, go out of my comfort zone...and find a class. I'm proud to say I did. (If you know me, then you know this was a big step for me.)

To date, I have taken one class and attended one seminar. I cannot believe the world it has opened up to me. Mentally, I feel like I am understanding SO much more! I feel like I have enough of a base that I can read photography blogs or articles and be able to grasp what they are teaching. I am certainly not done learning yet, but now I am hungry for opportunities to practice. To apply the things I've learned and see how they physically affect my pictures.

So I hope you'll journey with me. My blog will continue to be rambling and random, but I'd like to include more of my photography side as well, since it's such a big part of me. My heart lies in photographing people, but I will happily take photos of anything I can lock my view-finder on in order to increase my ability :) Please check in here and on my flickr stream often to see new postings, and leave me comments or critiques. Tell me what you like or what you think I could do better. Your feedback is always welcome!