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Sunrise, the day after the Mayan’s predicted the end of the world…
So here we are, 13 days into 2013… and I’m ready to start another new year step. And you’re welcome to join me. Photography has been my love since I first used a camera as a kid… but, like most things that are “just for me”, it’s been on the bottom of my long list of things to do for years.
Until now… I’m armed with a great photography book (“Nikon d7000 From Snapshots to Great Shots” by John Batdorf ) and I’m going to work my way through the exercises until I’m back up to speed and beyond! Each week, I’ll post the lesson for the following week, so if you want to practice along with me – please do! (You’re welcome to link to your photos. Sadly, wordpress won’t let you post them in the comments directly.)
I’m aiming for a chapter a week – even though I already know there will be times when I need more than one week to complete a chapter. It’s not about perfection, it’s about doing my best and taking turtle steps towards my goal. (<– Hint: This sentence contains a few more new habits I’m trying to learn this year.)
Ready? It’s the end of the (old) world and in with the new! Dust off your camera manual or your favorite photo book, here we go with our first assignment!
Chapter 1:
a) Select your image quality and set the ISO to auto
b) White Balance: Go outside in daylight and shoot using different white balance settings. Then repeat the exercise inside with tungsten and fluorescent light sources. Review the effect on your pictures.
c) Practice using the different focus modes on your camera, including manual mode.
d) Always use proper camera grip when shooting. (Here’s a DPS article to explain it: http://digital-photography-school.com/5-simple-secrets-to-sharper-photos )
Last but not least, if you don’t have a camera manual you can usually find them online and download them for free. And, if you don’t have a good camera book (or even if you do) I highly recommend this free online photography resource: Digital Photography School http://digital-photography-school.com/
Happy shooting!
I don’t understand a word of those instructions, and still… I. Am. So. In.
Ha! That reminds me — you guys can ask me questions and I’ll do my best to answer them (or at least find the answer). Not because I’m an expert, but because it’s a great way for me to learn and because I love how I feel when a picture turns out how I want; everyone should know that kind of happy. 🙂
Okay, taking a guess at your questions:
Image quality — in the digital world, think size of your image. See if your camera has a setting for image size. The larger the image size, the more detail captured, so the higher the quality.
ISO — this is still referred to as “film speed” even though (nearly) no one’s using actual film. It means how sensitive your “film”/camera sensor is to light. If you’re shooting in a dark situation, you’ll need higher sensitivity (aka a higher ISO number – like 1000) in order to get enough light to capture the image. If your manual doesn’t mention an ISO setting, congratulations – you’re already on auto mode. More about ISO here: http://digital-photography-school.com/moving-toward-manual-settings-understanding-iso-a-beginners-guide
White balance: You’re trying to match the camera settings to the type of light you’re shooting in, because light has different colors and temperatures – like warm or cool. Candlelight is warm; we all look better in candlelight. (It’s just a matter of time before there’s a candlelight app we can all use to make us look better real time. :-D) If your manual doesn’t mention “white balance” look for different light modes – like daylight, twilight, cloudy, sunny, etc – and do the assignment with that.
Anything else? 🙂
Nope! You know me so well. Thank you! xo
Me too j! The way Jill explains it sounds so enticing, makes me want to go grab my camera…oh wait, I signed up for the armchair photographer :^)
Jill, absolutely love the sunrise photo and I am looking forward to enjoying more of them in the coming weeks.
Come play, Christie! You’re welcome any time – it’ll be fun!
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