I got a new camera for Christmas! It is a Canon 600D SLR. I was exceedingly happy to receive it, it was a complete surprise and also something I really wanted. I had talked about it all year but I didn’t think I’d actually get one! It’s not brand new, but whoever owned it before must have really looked after it because it’s so lovely and spanky.
So I’ve been playing around with it. At this stage I still haven’t plucked up the courage to read the manual. I’m using the excuse that it’ll be full of gobbledegook that I don’t get. I know nothing. I have managed to turn it on and Husband has pointed out what a couple of the dials and buttons do (he did a photography module at university). When I first got it I didn’t even know how to put the lense cap on and I still don’t know what “aperture” means.
I’ve been playing with the manual settings because the auto function flashes at everything. I’ll find out how to switch that off. What a twonk, sounds pathetic. Before the end of the year I will be a super expert and then I’ll stamp down on my current self in great shame and anger.
I find the lighting confusing too, I know the dial which lets more light in or reduces it and that’s helped for some of the macro shots I’ve tried. The two pictures above were taken about an hour apart. By the time I’d taken the second picture, the sun had started to come round to the front of the house and whilst neither of the photos are any where near perfect, you can see the the sun makes it have a nice glow. Anyway I shan’t discuss it more for fear of sounding like a fool. Practice practice blah blah.
So I went round the house taking pictures of things (whilst Toddler was at his very first pre-school session!). The Ladybird books are on the other side of the house so I twiddled the dial to let in more light but the picture is still not crispy, as I’d hoped. I can’t work out how to get it done right. Is it the light or my trouble with the focus? Or something else? Er, I dunno. Yet.
Another place in the house. Lego. Lots of Lego.
The first weekend of the year was spent playing with all the Lego. Eldest boy and Daddy found some X-Wing instructions online and spent hours and hours building a hotchpotch Star Wars starfighter! I know with absolute certainty that Eldest is very pleased with it. I know this because it is still intact. No Lego builds ever stay together for this long.
Anyway, that is what I got up to yesterday. Onwards and upwards and all that. Will try not to tread on any camera peeps toes. 😛
Love your Lego pictures. I wish I had a decent camera although they do look scary!
Yep, it definitely scares me. All the buttons, dials and learning what it all means. Ugh, I wish I knew already. My biggest fear is dropping it!
This made me smile – I was a wedding photographer until last year when the heavy equipment had done irreparable damage to my neck. Years ago, when I was first learning, I couldn’t get my head around ‘apertures’ or ‘F-stops’ either but, trust me, you HAVE to understand them before you can go any further- they’re the basis of everything you want to do. Great pictures so far though!
Consider me told! This is just the beginning and I will be very proud of myself once I’ve got it fixed in my head. However, when you haven’t yet learned the basics it can seem overwhelming and a little daunting. I’m looking forward to seeing how I get on. And, crikey, I can see how it damaged your neck! My hands didn’t even like holding it for too long.
I used to carry two pro cameras, both with heavy lenses, and a camera bag full with paraphernalia – my neck will probably never recover! Running a sewing school is much less physical:)
Jeez, that’s a lot of heavy stuff. You’ll do your back a mischief bent over a sewing machine or something! Hopefully not though.
Hmmmm, that doesn’t bode well for me!
These look pretty good to me. But if you are looking at them in more detai, on a bigger screen then you can probably see all of the imperfections.
Perhaps when we meet up at the end of the month, we’ll chat about the main things to look out for.
Also, I would dedinitely recommend taking everything in RAW, if you aren’t already. I forgot to say it over Christmas. You have a lot more control over your photos and will eventually find it easier to get the sharper images you want.
I will look up what RAW means and let you know if I’m doing that?! Yeah, they look better on my phone than the computer but I want to get to understand what I’m doing rather than just hoping for the best. Do we have a date set for meeting? Can’t do the last w/e in Jan but other than that….
I’m totes jelly bean. I want a camera sooo much but I am a poor brain mongo. Can I have yours?
No! It is all MINE!!
How exciting! The results look good so far! 🙂
Thank you! I know I need to open that manual thiugh!…
I got a nice camera last Christmas and I still tend to use the auto mode!! I still need to get the manual out too! 🙂
Woohoo – what fun! I’ve had my camera for a couple of years now and still haven’t read the manual (oops!!). Should really do that – might improve my pics!
They look good without having read the manual but it’d make me feel better to understand what I’m doing!! I’ll try to convince myself that learning will be fun…