Finally sitting down to learn my DSLR
I’ve had my Canon Digital SLR since last year sometime, and while I’ve logged a a few fair hundreds of baby photos in that time, I’ve done it all using the “fully auto” settings on the camera. I haven’t even broke past “P” as they say.
Until today! I just wrapped up day one of a course at Bellevue Community College’s Continuing Ed program (which is a wonderful way to explore new hobbies) entitled: SLR Camera Operation and Photographic Composition. The description:
Learn how your camera works & new ways of seeing to enable you to create beautiful photographs that you will be proud to display and share . Learn how to use the shutter, aperture, & meter to create YOUR image; understand which ISO sensor setting or film to use; learn to use the flash, lenses and filters to fine-tune your image. Each class includes hands-on photography designed to improve your skills and intensify your sense of seeing, composition, & self-expression.
So two full Saturday’s of diving into my camera for the first time. I am a class learner when it comes to hands on skills, meaning I learn much faster when someone is around to talk me through it and demonstrate it on the spot. So this is ideal for me, and day one has proven it well worth the money.
For the first time I’m starting to “get” how shutter speed, apeture/f-stop, ISO, focal length, and all the rest interelate. It’s fantastic to finally go shoot a few dozen photos on full manual, and really explore the creative side of composing a shot vs. my old way of just point and pray.
Next up – lots of self-study with a focus on 3 things: geometric shapes (lines, angles, circles in nature, etc); macro shots (as I love them, and have a nice lense that fits the style); vacation photos in Hawaii, as that trip is about to hit! Then back in the classrooom next month for more on composition.
Reminds me, our instructure described photography as “writing with light” which I feel is a perfectly poetic outlook.
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Congrats on learning to use your camera to its full potential. Cameras are amazing tools for creativity, but you need to understand them to open up the possibilities. Good luck and I hope to see some of your shots soon.
Thanks for the comment Tom. I’ve always wanted to look at my camera as more than a tool (to document my baby growing up, for example), but as a bit of an artists brush. My inner creative side is a tad restrained in my current job, so now that I know a bit more about how to actually use the camera, we’ll see what and how I can paint! :)
Let me rephrase. To me a paint brush is a tool that helps your create. My camera is my paint brush.