Camera 101

So, I promised a post about The Other Side of the Story of our great weekend but today, I did something really special and I need to tell you about that first.  Today, for the first time since I entered the world of digital photography, I took a photography class.  A good friend, knowing that this is a hobby of mine, gave me info about a one day class for beginners.  I talked it over with Chris and we decided it would be a good investment.  So I showed up with bells on, ready to finally learn how to use my camera.  Interestingly, the teacher uses the same camera I do, a Nikon D5000, so I got very detailed instructions on how to operate my particular camera.  I got advice on my next lens purchase, something I will get once I practice enough with the equipment I already have.

I honestly feel like a new woman.  I now know the basics of how my camera really works.  Given the number of photos I take, I cannot believe it has taken me this long to get up the gumption to take a photo on a manual setting but I have always been afraid of missing an irrecoverable shot of our girls.  Today our instructor told us over and over that it doesn't matter what we shoot, it's how we shoot it and I get his point but for me, it's all about the what and the who.  I don't take photos to hang them in an art museum. I take them for my girls.  I take them because this is our life.  The moments I capture are probably the ones that will be remembered, the ones that will go down in the history of our family.  Whether it matters to anyone else on earth, it matters to me and I want to do it well.

So, I am excited about what I learned today.  I was told that I should never shoot on automatic again and while I can make no promises, I can tell you that I have already practiced quite a bit.  The following is a my little gallery from today.  Enjoy.

 A bit too much light but she's darn adorable anyway.  No?

 Even more so.  We all think with her new do, she looks just like Madeline

 Not enough light

Better