Wheeling Whaup's Year with her Camera (A Year with My Camera - Sandra)

I've always loved taking photos since I got a shot of Mum's Brownie camera when I was small. I thought this was a kind of magic. I think I learnt to think before pressing the shutter and knew about looking for where the sun was  and shadows but little else. I progressed to my own Brownie and then up the levels where did pick up a bit on fast films/slow films but apertures shutter speeds and so on remained unknown. I did try developing my own films in late teens and by time I was in university I had progressed to semi automatic. All these basically point and shoot as I look back. Somehow I progressed by recording travels with various point and shoot slides and colour prints but never thought deeply about how you could achieve different results. That does not mean to say that I did not have some superb results - I did, but they were a large element of luck.

Then along came digital and point and shoot became so so easy and any complete fiasco could be zapped so no-one knew. I had taken out library books but they were so 'techy' I lost interest pretty fast. I did try an odd course of a day, but the tech speak really got me. When I got my first Lumix with a zoom, new horizons opened and I realised that this wee machine was a wee miracle. By now the camera was for recording travels and time for recording was limited as moved on with group. A light weight wee miracle filled the bill precisely. With a great zoom I could capture some photos of birds which delighted me and with macro could record wild flowers for later identification, but was increasingly aware that I could achieve other things, but courses were all talking stops. etc that turned me cold. I had seen the book A Year with My Camera when looking for 'guide books' and kept coming back to it. I checked out the website and was more intrigued as this looked like like a dooable thing for me. Well I signed up. got my email. joined the facebook group, got the books and disciplined myself to not dive in, and got the planner at which point I nearly panicked. Those 30 photos! What on earth did some of those mean? Extreme edit? Eh? Abstract? Self portrait - I hate getting photo taken and  selfies left me cold. I have never used the self timer on my cameras - yet, texture - what? Then I saw some of what others were posting and started to think. I've got some which cover that. So I have been going through my photos and I do have some already but all are basically on auto which is wonder gizmo and which to me is essential for group travel. But I do want to get control.

So week 1 assignment taking a photo on auto of white paper and black paper to see what the camera does. White paper was no problem but the only black I could lay my hands on was shiny and textured. I was pretty certain that the texture and matt had to be more or less equal to give a scientific type result, so after a bit of thought came up with a white t shirt and a black one. I had the equipment, but the light in the north of Scotland just now is none too brilliant and we had entered a spell of dark cloud covered sky with what we call smirr. Would the weather play ball? Well suddenly we had a sunny blink and as fast as possible set up grabbed the shots, grabbed mobile and tablet too and six photos. I was flabbergasted at the grey results. I understand what the camera sees!

Week 2 email in today. Next challenge as to where you get control of the apertures on my camera? Where do I set up the shooting session which requires bright conditions? What will be the subject?  Camera manual looked out and weather forecasts checked. Mmmm Subject still not determined. Location still to be determined.

But on delivering things around the village today, I spotted likely looking subjects for the 30 day so.....

I am going to learn how to use my camera see......

Week 2 cont, Well I dug out my camera manual and found the bit which said apertures. I also discovered all sorts of other things I never knew were there. It seems this camera can sing, dance, turn somersaults and virtually everything else you can think off. A gnarled ring appears to  control this selection but it is rather fine and my fingers suddenly seem very large and clumsy. I need to find the lowest number f stop and at the other end the highest number. This is going to be rather a delicate manoevre and into the bargain, I still have not a clue on the subject which must be set up in the place with the brightest spot outside. So now I think I need to find the tripod to eliminate camera shake, as well as find subject for this exercise. Then there is the question of light - bright light - and the forecast is dodgy again.

So practice using that delicate wheel to find the stops available.
find tripod,
decide on subject to show the aim,
watch for best bright location in garden.
pray for a decent spell to get photos.

But then there is that #make 30 photos challenge to add to as well.  The auto facility is really appealing and will be until I can control that wee wheel. That is what I hope to achieve in one year. I am not expecting to be a wizard in 2 weeks