I was explaining my specific issues with my current camera to my dad, who responded with, “That really doesn’t make sense. Did you look it up?”
Umm… well, no, I hadn’t. I’d played with the menus on the camera, I’d pressed all the buttons, I’d explored everything I thought I could explore, but I hadn’t actually asked my specific questions of the internet. Turns out that the Nikon CoolPix software has three lists of Menu options, not just two. In my defense, the second list offers only one option, Firmware, followed by a bunch of blank space — who would assume that there was another list beyond that one?
But discovering that I could turn off the sound and the auto-focus (which I think is what causes the delay that always loses the shot) made me resolve to experiment with my current camera and learn more about photography before considering buying a new one.
I’m finding it a little bit of a frustrating process, though. The camera feels like a mysterious black box over which I have no control. I take ten shots and hope one of them will be interesting. The above flower existed on the camera as red blur, red blur, red blur, red blur, red blur, fuzzy flower, fuzzy flower, fuzzy flower and then — aha! Actual flower. Still not quite in focus, though, but at least an interesting picture. The oranges are blobs of color in six shots and then almost right.
And I want to find a web site that will teach me what I’m doing, but I don’t want to immerse myself in photography. I don’t want a blog that sends me 35 posts a week on the latest and greatest, I just want a steady drip of basic information. I’m definitely going to have to keep hunting for that, because I’m sure it’s out there somewhere.
The basic strategy of “take lots of photos,” though, is probably a good one. I don’t know how many times I’ve tried to take a picture that captures the feel of Spanish moss on trees over the past two years — hundreds, maybe? They never come out right. But the above, which was actually intended as a picture of the moon, almost gets it. If only I knew how I did it. 🙂
This week has been one of efficient stuff for me: a dentist visit, new tires for the van, installing my screen door (YAY!), lots of work on taxes, some prescription botheration. Not, unfortunately, many words written, but I’m not beating myself up about that. Not too much, anyway. One of my favorite new things done was to install a white board on the wall. It’s got three things written on it so far, notes to myself that I can see while I write:
- If you’re having fun, so will the reader.
- Rule 1: Sit! Rule 2: Stay!!
- PLAY THE GAME!
This week they didn’t inspire me, but I’m hoping they will next week. Or maybe even later today, right after I find the photography blog that’s going to help me understand how to take good photos with the camera I have.
Youtube search on your canera model may get you videos that help your learning? And new white board? Did you do the cover-the-hole-below-the-Jensen mod?
I did! I did it roughly, to see how I like it for a while — the white board is just a square of white-board foam, no edges, with velcro holding it in place. So far I love it though. I may wind up getting a thin piece of wood and covering it with chalkboard paper, then using a hinge on the top to open and close it, because I think a chalkboard would be even nicer and my foam is definitely not going to last for too long. But that will probably b once I make it to CA — I’m just about ready to get going. As for youtube, thanks for the suggestion. I may give it a try, but I generally lack the patience to learn from video. I’m not good at sitting and watching things.
I’m not sure if you’ll remember Chris Murray (https://chrismurrayphotography.com/) but he is awfully good with a camera and my favorite thing about his craft is that he does not use the newest camera or update the tech every year. I think he’s working with a camera from five or six years ago, maybe more and getting shots that are spectacular. Next time you’re in CNY I’m sure I could arrange an hour for you two to get together. He teaches this sort of thing all the time and for me, a person talking and working beside me is worth three months of YouTube videos.
Your shots, by the way, are hundreds of miles ahead of anything I could hope to do.
I don’t remember Chris but I will add his blog to my RSS feed. He has some incredible shots, and also some beautiful words. I really like his post from September 22.
I have the same problem. I have a Nikon Coolpix camera–16.0 Megapixels and 20x zoom. If I zoom too much and try to back it off a bit, the lens goes fuzzy and then as I’m trying to recorrect, whatever I’m shooting at disappears and I lose the shot. I subscribed to one of the lists exactly like you described and ultimately began deleting before finally unsubscribing. I don’t want to be a professional, just good…dependably good. 😉
Exactly what I’m looking for! I don’t need to know all the details, I just want my good photos to be more than lucky.