Pictures and a little more...

I just wanted to share a little more of my picture taking journey.  So when you guys get tired of these posts just click away or complain! *LOL*  I might listen...I might not...no promises.  Some of this is for me and some of this is because it's just so dang funny!

Sunday afternoon I realized that it was sunny and there was enough natural light in the living room in front of the fireplace to take a few pics.  So I quickly ran upstairs, put some curls in my hair, a little make-up on my face and carted everything to the living room to try out the camera.

Things I learned...

1. This is going to take a lot longer than when my daughter took my pictures because getting the right shot takes a lot of trial and error.
2. Learning where to set up the camera to get pictures that are not just head shots is important.
3. Don't shake the camera, even on the tripod, because then the camera takes photos that are out of focus.
4. I'm fat up close - gotta remember to get those pictures ALOT further back and the tripod set up higher! 
5. Haven't yet mastered taking a photo without all the extra background noise - thank goodness for being able to crop and adjust the exposure!
6. I need more than two poses - it gets boring quickly.
7. Smile like I'm smiling at someone instead of the camera - those shots look more natural.
8. Patience, patience, patience. You take a shot. Wait the ten seconds. Go back and check the picture. Lousy shot start all over again.
9. I will get better with time.  Just need to keep doing this over and over and over again.

Wanna see some of the poor shooting...out of focus was the worse offender...

Clear as a bell right?!

Dark and WTH am I wearing?

Dark, too much furniture in the shot.

Sure, I don't need to include my head in that shot!

Way too much stuff in the shot and do I know another pose?

Also WTH is going on with my pants?  It looks like the winds blowing!

The main thing I learned last weekend ~ this is going to take time especially since there is no one to tell me when I've got a hair in the wrong place, to stand up straight, to make me laugh, make sure my clothing is straight, etc. But I finally feel like I'm making progress and no longer HATE the camera! Marce so glad that you didn't take me up when I offered to give it to you!!! *LOL* Finally I didn't use the point and shoot at all last weekend and I'm so proud of myself for that.

Since I'm making progress there probably won't be too many more posts about learning to use my camera.  I may ask a question here and there but I can tell you the whining is done.  Plus I found folders on Pinterest that lead me to sites that I'm going to try and use along with YouTube.  I.feel.accomplished *LOL*.

It's a long weekend - 3 day holiday, so beside lunch with my daughter today, I will be ensconced in the sewing cave making my sewing machines hum and my iron hiss!

...as always more later!

I have the best friends...

Several of my friends have known about the events happening in my life during the last couple of months of 2013.  I haven't bemoaned the facts, just shared them. So one of my friends decided to do something to help me out. Maybe she was tired of me moaning about my camera...maybe she thought I was exaggerating my handicap but she volunteered to help me "learn" more about it.  The only thing is that I had to come to NYC during the weekend to do so.

We picked a date a couple of weeks ago.  Who knew that the day was going to turn out to be yucky. Seriously yucky...an icy rain...yes I-C-E, fogginess and darkness at 2 in the afternoon...but since tomorrow isn't going to be any better, we decided to just go ahead and meet up today.  She even generously suggested that she would shoot my last two makes.  Now that's a friend, isn't it.

You want to know who this amazingly wonderful person is, dontcha?!  It's my girl Marce, who authors the blog, Oonaballoona from Kalkatroona.  We ended up in my office since it was convenient to her home base, it was well-lit and it was out of the rain.

Taken with my point and shoot w/o the flash

So I did learn a few things about my camera...and I quote:

"Flash - is the devil!"

What does this mean to a woman who thought she was safe using the automatic setting on my camera?  Uggghhh, I'm in trouble.  Because my automatic setting automatically flashes.  What to do, what to do?

There is a setting on my camera that is no flash...but it uses the automatic settings.  Who knew?  So using it was one of Marce's first suggestions.

Then she reset my picture sizes.  Hey I did it based upon what I knew from my point and shoot.  So she reset the picture sizes to get the best quality picture but not extra large photos downloading to my computer.

I learned a few other things about my camera which she loved so at one point I even offered to give it to her...but she was polite and refused! *LOL*  Here are the things I can remember:

• I can check the focus of the picture by zooming in and out.
• If you take photos on P - the flash doesn't flash - because you know the flash is the devil.
• White out washes out the background and my face in photos - it's to be avoided.
• My camera is amazing because it takes awesome photos even in places that aren't well lit - yeah right! Maybe in the hands of a master! *LOL*
• I shouldn't have to focus the camera - on P, no flash and automatic, the lens will adjust itself.
• Oh I need lens cleaner for my lens...gotta figure out where to buy some of that!  No paper towels, no rags, no towels should be used on my lens.
• But mostly importantly - I should play with my camera and keep playing until I learn some things about it. *roll eyes*

My next assignment is to set up the remote & tripod and try taking a few photos that way.  Okay dokey we'll see how that goes.  I think I'm gonna miss my point and shoot...*sigh*

Some of the last photos you'll see from the "Point and Shoot"...

"The Changing Room"

Marcy and the camera...

...as always more later!