One of the things I put on my "Before I'm 30" goals list was to learn to use manual settings on my camera. But there's one problem with this as an aspiration: when I want to take a photo, I usually want to take it NOW, straight away, while the light is perfect or the bird is poised... not after however many minutes of fiddling around and consulting textbooks and thinking about apertures.
I've been toying with the idea of doing a Project 365 since I first saw some of my blogger friends posting their results. (For anyone who's unfamiliar with the concept, the idea is to take a photo every day for a year.) This seems like a good way to get to where I want to be. Every day, I'm going to take a photograph. But here's the catch: I'm going to take it with my camera set to M. I expect the results to be dreadful, at first, but hopefully this will force me to improve, with the hope that I'll eventually get to the stage that I can pick settings without feeling like I'm faffing for an hour. Unfortunately I already missed one day, due to being fast asleep most of yesterday, but it'll be good to give myself a bit of extra structure to my practice, even if I don't manage to complete it perfectly.
11 comments:
Well, I should say your first day of picture-taking seems to have been a success! I have also wanted to do something like this, I just feel I'd abandon the project halfway through. But good on you, girl!
These photos look great and I'm sure you'll catch up on the 365 day challenge. Unfortunately, getting to know all the manual settings on my camera before the age of 30 is simply not going to happen - for the obvious reasons ;-)
Hope your first week of 2012 is good xo
I don't think you'll have a problem at all with it :)
I always think Manual is such a better option. Then 20 crappy, out of focus pictures later I switch to auto. I have faith that practice is key and you'll be a pro in no time!
I'll be interested to see how you do with this one. I always end up eyeing my camera askance when I switch to Manual!
great idea - I have just got a camera with proper manual settings and am doing a short intro course soon so am hoping I will start using manual but I love this idea if I need to push myself a bit (which I suspect I will)
great idea - I have just got a camera with proper manual settings and am doing a short intro course soon so am hoping I will start using manual but I love this idea if I need to push myself a bit (which I suspect I will)
Mmmmm, that bowl of raisins (?) I think... and chocolates looks like a winning photo to me! :)
I think these are really good! I'm a terrible photographer so I guess I'm not the person to consult, but I like them!
Wow, your photos on manual setting are fantastic. The bowl with raisins and chocolates look real enough to reach out at take one. Yum! I've used Manual for more than a year now and you do improve every time. Just carry on and you'll find you never return to auto. Happy birthday for 6 Jan! Greetings. Jo.
good luck with it! as someone who has done multiple project 365 - i'm on my 2nd run of 500 days+ http://heartinirelandphoto.blogspot.com/
i wish i had a camera with manual to use it to learn i usually just use my phone camera when i'm out!
i love doing it to have something to look back on the years i've done it!
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