Moving Out Of Auto Mode

So these pics are not shinning examples of awesome photography but they are a step in that direction. I have liked photography for some time and am continually enamored by the sheer brilliance that some photographers seem to possess. I had a moment in college when I thought about joining the photography department to then one day take interior photos of the homes of the rich and famous. I was reading a lot in Architectural Digest at the time. But I decided that switching majors one semester away from graduating was probably not the smartest idea.

I bought my first SLR camera a couple of years ago. There was such a difference in picture quality from my point and shot camera that I felt no need to venture away from auto mode. Why mess up a better than average turn out?

One day I was looking at some photos online of a popular photographer and I wondered what made her photographs so awesome. Was it that she was uber talented and had gifts beyond the average?...Maybe. Or was it that she had the best, most expensive camera and lens that money could buy?...Maybe. Or was it that she was an expert in photoshop?...Maybe.

And then it dawned on me.....she may have had all those things but most of all she probably knows her camera in and out and has learned to shoot whenever, however, whatever.

LEARNED being the KEY word here.

So I may not be her one day but maybe if I learn my camera in and out and how to take photographs whenever, however and whatever I can come pretty close.

The first step:

Take the Get out of Auto Mode Pledge:

I, state your name, commit to learning how to shoot out of auto mode. This means from this day forward I will never have my dial turned to auto. I will fully embrace manual mode and all that it can offer. I will learn how to manipulate the shutter speed and aperture.

Okay enough silliness.

My aspiring photographer friend found this cool wall to take pics in front of. My kids where less than thrilled to be dragged around all morning posing as my models, but who else am I going to get? They'll also work for donuts which makes them cheap labor.