Ok, so here I am, embarking on a journey to take my 1st shot with my new DSLR. I got my camera just now, and super excited to start using it. So I referred to the quick start manual, typically comes in a easy to read 1-2 pager leaflet with equipment like this.
I knew a little or two about electronics and I knew that the battery was the first thing to ensure it's charged, so I quickly glanced through the manual whether I needed to charge it first. Some batteries come charged nowadays, but mine had to be charged. I quickly set it up, then proceeded to finish reading the leaflet. I inventoried the contents of the box and attached the strap to the camera. Then I proceeded to set aside all the unnecessary plastic pouches and boxes. I was eager to take my first shot, but had to wait for the battery to get charged. I spent a little time exploring the camera buttons and tried to figure out what they are. I could decipher half of them, but others felt alien.
I figured that I could not wing it, and had to read the users' manual. Shoot! I could not get away with it! Ain't we all like that at times? We want to do the short cut :-) But handling a DSLR isn't as easy, and you will need to know your camera in and out, to be able to maximize it. Remember the behavior that the point and shoot cameras affect us? It urges us to be lazy, to not think and just click. Well, I found myself being a bit lazy there.
Anyway, I can't do anything with the camera anyway, since I don't have power yet. So, I decided to read the manual. As I read through several pages, I start to be bored. This is just so technical. But I forced myself to go through it. Then later, the manual refers to some menu on the camera. I was eager to turn on the camera so that I can walk through while reading the manual. I am a bit of a graphic person and I would like to see the real thing versus reading some words to describe it. I still have no choice, so I skipped that section and went to the next one, which seemed more interesting and easier to read. Oh well, after the first 3-4 chapters, which is less than halfway through the manual, I couldn't take it anymore. I watched TV instead.
After a few hours, the battery is fully charged. Finally! So eager to start, I took out the battery from the charger and put it in my camera. I turned on the power button, and there it is! The screen shows a filter cleaning process is in progress. Seconds after, the camera is ready, and I aimed at the photographs on the wall and took my first shot. Well, not too bad, but it was too dark. I turned the program to Auto, and took the shot. Wasn't happy as well as I wanted a warmer color. I knew that I had to adjust the white balance. I tried to tinker with the settings but failed to do it. I've never handled a digital SLR before, and neither have I tinkered with these settings on my point and shoot, so really no idea how to adjust the settings. Ok, I admit I probably skipped that section in the manual. So I had to go back to the manual to read that part. I looked at the index page and went directly to the page that talks about white balance.
I took a couple more shots, and I now I couldn't get the lighting right. I started with Aperture Priority and Shutter Priority modes, since it was easier. I only had to adjust one setting. So I peaked into the viewfinder and tried to find the middle ground by turning the dial for the shutter speed or aperture. That part, I had at least read earlier. Ok, not bad.
After a few shots, I was tired. I figured that I had to do more reading, but it was late. So I headed to bed. The next day, I had to go to work, and when I got home, I was too tired to do any reading. The day after was a Saturday, and I realized that I had run out of time to finish the manual. I did a bit of reading the night before, and I focused on the basics. I ignored the advanced settings like ISO, White Balance, etc, for now.
Saturday came, and I had to head out to do some sightseeing in Washington DC. I haven't been back since the first time years ago, so it was nice to go around and explore. I brought out my new camera hoping to get some shots. The weather was great, so most of the shots were easy. But after a few hours, clouds start to get darker and the rain came. I found myself at the base of the Washington Monument waiting for my turn to get up to the top. The rain stopped a bit, but the clouds were dark, so I took out my DSLR and tried to capture some shots, which I failed at. I wasn't prepared to take these types of shots. I did get some shots, but my lighting was not good. I begin to feel frustrated. I was finally able to go up top and got some good shots, but I wish I had a zoom lens.
Anyway, I just focused on enjoying my Saturday out in Washington, DC. I went to see the White House as well, was able to get some average shots of the White House, and also of the squirrels running around the garden.
Overall, my photos weren't that bad, given that it was my first time to use my new camera, and also that I wasn't able to read the manual in full. But of course, it was opportunity wasted. I could have gotten some good shots had I known how to use the camera. I knew what type of shots I wanted, but I just didn't how to work the camera to create those shots. Oh well!
I'm sure we all had situations like that at one point or another. Half-baked learning is such a waste. You spent hours reading up, but really, this is time wasted, as nothing got absorbed. I was lucky that I knew how to take pictures so I could wing a couple of things. I probably got only 50% of my shots right, and none of them really stood out as great shots.
Learning requires commitment, nothing is easy, and you can't always take short cuts. You see this when you were in school before, and you see this also in any type of learning that you do. And even if you're doing something that you're extremely passionate about, you will need to find the motivate to push you ahead. You will find excitement, but you will also find frustration and discouragement. That's all part of the journey. From time to time, I still do a bit of this half-baked learning, but now that I am aware of the consequences, I try to find inspiration so that I get excited about it again, and this really pushes my motivation level up. Learning then becomes more interesting.
Showing posts with label learning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label learning. Show all posts
January 28, 2011
January 27, 2011
Challenge: How To Ask The Right Questions
I am one of those people who love details. In choosing the camera model or lens to buy, I would usually go through a comparison and selection process. I would gather all the features and put side by side, then I would identify then categorize these features into must haves or nice to haves based on my own requirements and preferences. Call me OC (obsessive compulsive), but yes, this has helped me over the years to select the right thing for me, and I've never regret selecting it. The internet has been a great resource. And in today's world, you can also find great reviews from people who are in the same boat as you. But be careful, cause not all reviews will match your situation. So don't be too quick to just rely on a review, even the ones that appear in guides inside professional magazines or websites. For me, I look at features first and foremost, then I only use the reviews to validate my choice. My suggestion: don't be lazy. It does pay off to do the research, and more importantly, be sure to be clear about your requirements and preferences.
On another instant, I've also used the internet, esp Google search to find and know more about a technique recommended by a critic. For instance, one of the reviews to my photos suggested for me to review the "golden rule." I encountered the Rule of Thirds before, but I wasn't really familiar with the Golden Rule. Or another review suggested for me to do "focus stacking." Although he explained that it refers to making the near and far in focus, I wasn't sure how to do it. Apparently, I found out that it involves some post-shot processing. There are so much resources out there, it's a shame not to use them. And if you get stuck, then ask people for help. At least they know that you've done your research first. And even if you don't know where or what to search, that's one of the questions you can ask help for, rather than appearing lazy and just outright asking questions that could otherwise be answered easily somewhere else.
Then lastly, review the basics. Even if you've been shooting for years, it's always good to go back to the basics and find clues to your questions. A lot of times, I've managed to answer a question on my own, by simply going back and reviewing my user's manual, or basic photography book.
Don't get me wrong, a lot of people will be happy to help and answer your questions, especially in the forums, but when a question gets asked too many times, people get tired of it. Helping yourself is essential, and you'll see, it will attract the right level of help from others too.
On another instant, I've also used the internet, esp Google search to find and know more about a technique recommended by a critic. For instance, one of the reviews to my photos suggested for me to review the "golden rule." I encountered the Rule of Thirds before, but I wasn't really familiar with the Golden Rule. Or another review suggested for me to do "focus stacking." Although he explained that it refers to making the near and far in focus, I wasn't sure how to do it. Apparently, I found out that it involves some post-shot processing. There are so much resources out there, it's a shame not to use them. And if you get stuck, then ask people for help. At least they know that you've done your research first. And even if you don't know where or what to search, that's one of the questions you can ask help for, rather than appearing lazy and just outright asking questions that could otherwise be answered easily somewhere else.
Then lastly, review the basics. Even if you've been shooting for years, it's always good to go back to the basics and find clues to your questions. A lot of times, I've managed to answer a question on my own, by simply going back and reviewing my user's manual, or basic photography book.
Don't get me wrong, a lot of people will be happy to help and answer your questions, especially in the forums, but when a question gets asked too many times, people get tired of it. Helping yourself is essential, and you'll see, it will attract the right level of help from others too.
So What Brought Me Into Photography
Many will assume that I got into photography because of the bandwagon. Over the last few years, there grew a sleuth of amateur photographers. Everybody you know owns a DSLR and calls themselves a photographer. Or everybody has a point or shoot or a phone camera at the very least and captures everything from a bathroom sign to the leftover sandwich she ate.
Well, my passion for photography emerged from my early years. My dad was the type of dad to took pictures and videos of his kids, thousands of them. I am one of the fortunate kids who have albums and albums of pictures. My eldest brother had the luxury of being the first kid, and thus excited parents who documented every part of his life. And when it was my turn, color photography became popular and thus the gadget mania emerged once again. So at an early age, I appreciated the value of photographs, as it brings many memories as well as provide me an alternative to know about my childhood when I was too young to remember.
Then as I grew up, my brother introduced me to the world of photography, as he himself was an avid hobbyist. I was so amazed at his equipment back then, and I can remember him blacking out the bathroom so that he can develop his pictures there. Imagine the time of film, you can still enjoy the magic of developing films into printed pictures. I joined the camera club in high school. I was so happy to borrow my dad's old Canon camera so that I could practice my shots. Back then, having a camera was a luxury. I focused on black and white photography back then and also learned the process of developing films. Black and white developing was cheaper at that time too, compared to color developing.
Well, the hobby was expensive and thus, I was not able to continue it. So, for years, I would use a point and click and for every shot, you'd be pressured to get it right as film and developing costs money. So each incorrect or blurred shot is money wasted. It's a big contrast to today's digital cameras where you can keep on shooting. And if you make a mistake, you can delete and reuse the memory storage for the next shot.
After college and graduate school, I bought my own camera, which is now digital. Imagine my first point and shoot was actually a very good quality web cam from Intel. I was into computers at that time, and being in the US for my graduate school, I had access to the best gadgets out there. I remember taking a trip with friends to Bohol and using my web camera. That was the first digital photo album I had.
Then as DSLR prices went down and models stabilized, I finally decided to get one. It was really nice to hold a real camera again, with all the manual settings just like my dad's old Canon camera. Every photograph you take becomes your own creation, as you play a very important part in the quality of the resulting photo. Somehow, I see photography as an art now, compared to where I would just capture and document the sights I see. Suddenly, a photograph is about the feeling, the mood, the experience, and less about the sight. And maybe, I do have a creative bone in me, and it's yearning to be seen, haha.
On my trips, I begin to find my point and click insufficient. I get frustrated at the shots I take and I felt they didn't do justice to the place and didn't capture the full picture, which I mentioned before includes the experience.
So here I am, learning about photography once again, and yearning to take better and better photos each time. Honestly, I wondered how I had forgotten about the basic concepts of shutter speed and aperture, and about lighting and composition. I guess the world of point and clicks just made us lazy, we never had to think before we made a shot. So anyway, I had to start from scratch.
Well, my passion for photography emerged from my early years. My dad was the type of dad to took pictures and videos of his kids, thousands of them. I am one of the fortunate kids who have albums and albums of pictures. My eldest brother had the luxury of being the first kid, and thus excited parents who documented every part of his life. And when it was my turn, color photography became popular and thus the gadget mania emerged once again. So at an early age, I appreciated the value of photographs, as it brings many memories as well as provide me an alternative to know about my childhood when I was too young to remember.
Then as I grew up, my brother introduced me to the world of photography, as he himself was an avid hobbyist. I was so amazed at his equipment back then, and I can remember him blacking out the bathroom so that he can develop his pictures there. Imagine the time of film, you can still enjoy the magic of developing films into printed pictures. I joined the camera club in high school. I was so happy to borrow my dad's old Canon camera so that I could practice my shots. Back then, having a camera was a luxury. I focused on black and white photography back then and also learned the process of developing films. Black and white developing was cheaper at that time too, compared to color developing.
Well, the hobby was expensive and thus, I was not able to continue it. So, for years, I would use a point and click and for every shot, you'd be pressured to get it right as film and developing costs money. So each incorrect or blurred shot is money wasted. It's a big contrast to today's digital cameras where you can keep on shooting. And if you make a mistake, you can delete and reuse the memory storage for the next shot.
After college and graduate school, I bought my own camera, which is now digital. Imagine my first point and shoot was actually a very good quality web cam from Intel. I was into computers at that time, and being in the US for my graduate school, I had access to the best gadgets out there. I remember taking a trip with friends to Bohol and using my web camera. That was the first digital photo album I had.
Then as DSLR prices went down and models stabilized, I finally decided to get one. It was really nice to hold a real camera again, with all the manual settings just like my dad's old Canon camera. Every photograph you take becomes your own creation, as you play a very important part in the quality of the resulting photo. Somehow, I see photography as an art now, compared to where I would just capture and document the sights I see. Suddenly, a photograph is about the feeling, the mood, the experience, and less about the sight. And maybe, I do have a creative bone in me, and it's yearning to be seen, haha.
On my trips, I begin to find my point and click insufficient. I get frustrated at the shots I take and I felt they didn't do justice to the place and didn't capture the full picture, which I mentioned before includes the experience.
So here I am, learning about photography once again, and yearning to take better and better photos each time. Honestly, I wondered how I had forgotten about the basic concepts of shutter speed and aperture, and about lighting and composition. I guess the world of point and clicks just made us lazy, we never had to think before we made a shot. So anyway, I had to start from scratch.
History Behind This Project
Blogs are a very popular way of life now, everybody seems to be into blogging these days, about anything out under the sun. Most common topics of course are about food and travel. Now everybody can become a food critique or a travel writer, even if they do not possess the expertise to do so. But then again, blogs are exactly that, and these are not like the formal articles that used to go through a gazillion reviews, editing and approvals to get published. Blogs simply contain the writer's opinions and thoughts.
I love to write. Even as a child, I would write poems and short stories. I would write letters and also keep a journal. Back then, it was referred to as a diary. So what should I blog about? I do not want to be another food or travel blogger in the vast sea of bloggers out there, although I do admit I keep a personal journal as well as a travel blog of all the places I have visited. I thought to blog about something that I love to do, so that I get inspired and can keep up with the regimen. I love to eat and I enjoy trying out different types of food, but I don't feel like I can contribute something to the public which isn't already known to many. Besides, it's a bad idea for keeping healthy and losing weight :-)
So what else? I thought about travel and photography, which are two of my strongest passion. Again, so many travel blogs out there, and so many photoblogs too. I'm sure I can think of something different, something that not a lot of people have done yet. Then one day, a movie called "Julie and Julia" inspired me to revisit blogging. The movie was about a young girl on a project to blog her experiences as she cooked every recipe from the famous Julia Child's recipe book, more than 500 of them in 365 days. What's interesting is that it writes about both the positive and negative experiences, including the struggles that she has undergone as she follows through a recipe book. I love the time she had to learn to kill a live lobster, something you won't see in a cookbook nor a food blog. So I thought, what a wonderful idea, it's not about any pretentious critiques and/or reviews that has unfortunately resulted from the frenzy of blogging and marketing people taking advantage of this channel; but it goes back to the original intent of a blog, which is to provide an outlet for the writer to journal the experiences as he/she goes through the journey of cooking all the recipes from a famous chef and learning from it.
I then built from this idea and decided that I can still blog about photography, and I don't need to be a professional expert, but rather I can be a student learning the ropes, which most of my readers will be. Most photography blogs present tips and techniques as well as present to you a sleuth of resources on how to take better photographs. Other photoblogs feature their best work. And most photography books teach you how to's and provide expert techniques on how to improve your photographs. But I often thought after going through these, "Ok, I know how to improve, but can you give me an example of a bad one so that I can learn from it?" Few of these teach you about the common mistakes and how to learn from these. Ideally, I would want to put two pictures side by side (a bad one and a good one) and and then explain the how to, the what to do, and most importantly, what not to do. I love the books where they show you how to improve your composition and present two photographs so that you see the difference.
I'm an amateur photographer and every time I take a shot, I make mistakes. I'm sure all photographers do, even the experienced ones. From these mistakes, I find the motivation to learn how to correct these and further improve my shots. There are just so many valuable lessons out there that is worth sharing with other photographers. Wouldn't that make life simpler and as a whole, allow us to take better shots faster?
I don't seek to become a professional photographer, but I seek to take great photographs even as a hobby photographer.
So, as I write about my experiences; hopefully, in the process, I can share my journey with other similar beginners and amateurs like me, or even benefit the experienced ones too.
I love to write. Even as a child, I would write poems and short stories. I would write letters and also keep a journal. Back then, it was referred to as a diary. So what should I blog about? I do not want to be another food or travel blogger in the vast sea of bloggers out there, although I do admit I keep a personal journal as well as a travel blog of all the places I have visited. I thought to blog about something that I love to do, so that I get inspired and can keep up with the regimen. I love to eat and I enjoy trying out different types of food, but I don't feel like I can contribute something to the public which isn't already known to many. Besides, it's a bad idea for keeping healthy and losing weight :-)
So what else? I thought about travel and photography, which are two of my strongest passion. Again, so many travel blogs out there, and so many photoblogs too. I'm sure I can think of something different, something that not a lot of people have done yet. Then one day, a movie called "Julie and Julia" inspired me to revisit blogging. The movie was about a young girl on a project to blog her experiences as she cooked every recipe from the famous Julia Child's recipe book, more than 500 of them in 365 days. What's interesting is that it writes about both the positive and negative experiences, including the struggles that she has undergone as she follows through a recipe book. I love the time she had to learn to kill a live lobster, something you won't see in a cookbook nor a food blog. So I thought, what a wonderful idea, it's not about any pretentious critiques and/or reviews that has unfortunately resulted from the frenzy of blogging and marketing people taking advantage of this channel; but it goes back to the original intent of a blog, which is to provide an outlet for the writer to journal the experiences as he/she goes through the journey of cooking all the recipes from a famous chef and learning from it.
I then built from this idea and decided that I can still blog about photography, and I don't need to be a professional expert, but rather I can be a student learning the ropes, which most of my readers will be. Most photography blogs present tips and techniques as well as present to you a sleuth of resources on how to take better photographs. Other photoblogs feature their best work. And most photography books teach you how to's and provide expert techniques on how to improve your photographs. But I often thought after going through these, "Ok, I know how to improve, but can you give me an example of a bad one so that I can learn from it?" Few of these teach you about the common mistakes and how to learn from these. Ideally, I would want to put two pictures side by side (a bad one and a good one) and and then explain the how to, the what to do, and most importantly, what not to do. I love the books where they show you how to improve your composition and present two photographs so that you see the difference.
I'm an amateur photographer and every time I take a shot, I make mistakes. I'm sure all photographers do, even the experienced ones. From these mistakes, I find the motivation to learn how to correct these and further improve my shots. There are just so many valuable lessons out there that is worth sharing with other photographers. Wouldn't that make life simpler and as a whole, allow us to take better shots faster?
I don't seek to become a professional photographer, but I seek to take great photographs even as a hobby photographer.
So, as I write about my experiences; hopefully, in the process, I can share my journey with other similar beginners and amateurs like me, or even benefit the experienced ones too.
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