Early last month I got to thinking that it would be really nice if I knew more about how to use my camera on something other than its automatic settings. I mean, I’ve had it for two years now. Otherwise, I may as well have stuck with my old point and shoot camera that I could stick in my pocket. So I contacted a local friend who is a professional photographer, among her many talents, and she kindly offered to spend an afternoon showing me some of the basics of how to use the thing, and particularly how to understand, at least the principles, behind things like aperture, f-stops, depth of field and other such flashy terms.
So I’ve been using the camera on its manual setting for the last month – hopefully it shows in an improvement of some of the food photography, though I know it may be hard to tell in pictures that have been reduced down to the size needed for the blog. But even small improvements are a plus, no? I also got out of the house a bit and took some photo days, just going somewhere and using the camera, experimenting with the settings, all that sort of stuff. Here are some of my favorites from April:
I find that your food images definitively improved. I like that the colors are cleaner and there is no yellowish toning any longer.
Keep up the great work!
Thanks!
I love that dragonfly, Dan. The pigeon, too (reminds me of New York). How lucky to have a friend who can teach you more about your camera. Don’t forget to experiment with water flowing over rocks or something. At a slow enough exposure the water becomes a velvet mist. Or something.