Basic Photography

Before going to school and while I had a Kodak point and shoot (before my son took it for a swim!), I figured out that photography is what I love. In school, I discovered that photography is more than something to do or love, really it is who I am. It seemed to come so naturally to me through my 35 mm Minolta camera. It was amazing to see my negatives develop and then to watch an image as it appeared in the dark room. There is something so magical about it that makes you hold your breath as you watch the final copy appear knowing that you had complete control over the appearance of the image you've just created.

I also really enjoyed slides because of the vibrant colors. They were more like the colors you'd see if you were there in person. But as they moved on to a printed image some of the vibrance would be lost, so they were not my favorite. I also believe the fact that I am a control freak had something to do with why they were not my favorite. There is a little less control over the image.....you have to get right the first time, there was no room for fudging.

So given all the wonderful and amazing things you can do (read = control) with a digital camera I was fairly impatient to get my Nikon D60. It is my first professional digital camera. I have read the manual and do not understand over half of it! At first, I could only seem to get an image to appear when I had the camera set to Auto or F-Stop* or Shutter Speed* (*where I would set one and the camera would automatically adjust the other).

I have played and played and played with it. Taking black image after black image on sunny f-16 days. Finally, I am starting to get some images to appear on the screen! I have to get all my books and notes from school out and find all the standard f-stops and shutter speeds and how to combine them for a good image. Once I remember that, I can start making some images I can be proud of. Then, I'll just be looking to purchase photoshop so I can edit my images before sending them off for printing.

I am anxious to really figure out how to create a phenomenal image with my camera (even without photoshop). I still have a lot to learn about taking such a picture. I know that lighting will be a great thing for me understand. And, although I do not want to take portraits, it will be a useful skill to learn. I also need to learn much about filters! So so much more to learn. I miss school and hate that we had to move away. Where I am now has one school that could possibly be an option for learning. But it will not provide the kind quality education I was getting.

Now, I am eagerly waiting for the day to arrive when my husband says, "We're moving back!" In the meantime, if any of you photographers have knowledge and/or advice you would be willing to share with me I will appreciate it very much....and practice it, too! Coherent advice, especially, on the use and functions of my camera would be appreciated. And any image ideas, if you're willing to share, would be awesome. At school we had assignments, and I work very well that way. Picking an idea of an image or set of images is generally a better way for me to go than just shooting whatever randomness is around. Although I do that, too, for practice with my camera, I am usually less personally involved in these images and they generally are not my best work.