It’s no secret that I’ve been wanting to learn better photography tips. My brothers and my daughter are all naturals when it comes to cameras. Me? Notsomuch. But I definitely want to learn.
I have a great camera. You’ve seen it, right? My Kodak Z990 EasyShare Max camera. It is, I’m told, classified as a point-and-click camera. Honestly… I don’t even really know what that means other than “easy to use”. I know (I believe) it’s not an SLR, which stands for Single Lens Reflex. I’m not really sure what that means. But I think it’s more complicated than Point-and-Click.
The first photo I took with my camera was of Lizzie. I’m so in love with this photo, this cat, that I’ve featured it often on my media sites.
I couldn’t believe the clarity and fine detail available… and this was straight out of the box! I hadn’t even read the manual yet! Look at the individual whiskers, the authentic tones of the blanket, and yes, even the reflection of my desert yard in her eye! Simply amazing!
Of course, I started playing with the camera. Learned a few tricks. It helped that I’d bought the exact same model for Dot last summer (which is how I knew I wanted one of my own). As time went on, I found myself asking her for advice. But mostly, just trusting the Point-and-Click mentality. No muss. No fuss.
But something’s missing. I look at photography blogs and I’m amazed at the way they capture what they photograph. The lighting is different. The backgrounds are softer. There’s so much more than just Point-and-Click-and-Be-Done.
My food photos need to be brighter. Better. More appealing. Let’s face it, if my food photos were the ones in The Unemployment Cookbook, there’s a good chance my sales might not be as great as they are. I made a passing comment when talking to one of my brothers last week. His work involves an immense amount of professional photography. I said, “Why do my photos come out orange-y?” He asked what my filter settings were. That’s when I paused. He suggested I review the Manual. That’s when I gulped.
Did I even have a Manual? I mean, yeah. A little start-up booklet came with the camera. But a Manual? Like, something to read and explain and help me get better use out of my easy-to-use Point-and-Click-and-Fuggetaboutit Camera?
A Manual?
It dawned on me, then, that perhaps there’s more to my camera, pardon the pun, than meets the eye. And perhaps, I can be a better Photo Blogger once I learn how to better use my camera.
Let’s face it. I love both of these photos of Fred the Tomato. They were taken about 20 seconds apart, and I made no filter changes. I can’t tell you why one is true color and the other is tinted. But I know I love them both.
So tonight I downloaded the PDF Manual for my camera. The first eight pages were the get-to-know-your-camera stuff. You know. The If-You-Didn’t-Know-This-Is-A-Camera-You’re-An-Idiot stuff. But then I turned the page. And something happened. I read something I didn’t quite understand. Not that I’m an idiot. I’m just not a great photographer. Yet.
And I realized that reading the Manual might actually be beneficial. To me. To my Blog. To my future publications.
And that made me happy. The potential to be better. To provide better services to my readers. And to fully know what I’m doing.
Can you picture that?
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
I am with you on this… I don’t know much about cameras either. I just know I like to take pictures. I would love to take a proper class in photography at some point.
That picture of Lizzie is lovely. It reminds me of my old cat who passed away, Millie. She looked just like that.
Have lots of fun with your camera!
Alma recently posted..Stop and Spin
I do know there’s an entirely new world of photography waiting for me now. I can’t wait to explore… and share it!
Absolutely love the cat! I love all cats! What a great idea- to read the manual! I’m expecting even greater photos from you now! P.S. My daughter takes all the photos for my blog!
Sylvia Phillips recently posted..{This Moment}
Well tell your daughter she does great work! And yes… when all else fails, read the directions!
Molly Jo recently posted..Picture This!
I use a point and shoot too. These photos are great! I have fun playing with my camera and snapping a lot but I need to read my manual too!
Ann recently posted..The Very Social Triangle
Ann, can’t wait to see what you think of tomorrow (Saturday(‘s posts. Lots of photos. I’m realizing it’s also presentation. Bigger photos do make for better photos!
Good for you reading the manual! I bought a really nice point and shoot camera a few years ago that also had the ability to do some higher tech stuff, but I have rarely spent time with the manual. This post is a great reminder that I could and should if I want to learn how to take better photos. Thanks for sharing your experience and inspiring me to dig up mine or find it online to download.
Kathy recently posted..NaBloPoMo: The Ripple Effect
I’ve barely started reading the manual, and it’s already making a difference! I love learning.
Molly Jo recently posted..Certificate of Completion: Wilton Basic Cake Decorating Course