my model

I've decided to slowly learn how to use more of my camera's abilities.  I say slowly because I don't have time to go quickly!  Back in the day (you know, before we did our part to multiply & replenish the earth), I used to be able to spend hours at a time learning new things and get a lot done in a short amount of time.  Now it's ten minutes here or there, hoping it's not in the middle of the night since I won't be awake enough to retain any of the information!

So, back to the part where I said I've decided to learn more about the camera's abilities...  I've been shooting mostly in manual mode.  I find it super nice for indoor shots and avoiding the blinding flash.  The natural light can make photos look so pretty!

Such as these ones of Ella.  No diffuser or flash, just the lovely natural light.  Like how slobbery she is?  She's eating her first solids and was soooo funny about it.

 

 

Today I read on DPS about aperture priority mode.  I wanted to try it out.  I have a hard time using manual mode outside.  I think I'm backwards.  Most people comment that indoor shots are harder for them?  Outside, I find it's harder to see the photo on the screen to see if I have the settings right when compared to being inside (I do have it set so it'll blink on the screen in any areas that are over exposed...very handy when it's hard to see the screen).  Then the other day I was taking photos of Rhys and the clouds were flying on by.  One second it would be kind of cloudy.  The next all sunny.  Making for a need to change settings regularly.  Aperture priority mode seemed like it might make it easier since the camera would do some of it itself.

I asked Violet to be my model.  She wasn't sure what that meant, but I assured her I would help her.  I think she misunderstood my direction to her initially (as seen in photo below), but luckily, after a few photos like this...

we got some like this...

Then we regressed back to this (hehe):

 

Then back to this:

Aghh!  Did you scream? 

Rhys came outside to join in the fun.  Photographing Rhys is similar to photographing a ninja in stealth mode.  Like in the photo above, when I started it, she was further back (which would have made more of her face in focus!), but by the time I was focused on her (just a split second) she had chased me down. Sometimes I think her goal is to make sure she's always too close for a photo.  Either that or she'll refuse to look when I call her name.  It's all about power.  And world domination.

After calling her name several times, and her ignoring me repeatedly, she accidentally looked at me.  yay!

I quite like aperture priority mode!  It makes for faster photos than manual (at least for me!), but it lets you have more control than auto mode.  You get control over where you want your focus, and it lets you control the aperture (aka, how much it blurs)...and I love being able to control the aperture.

Oh, and the only reason I'm mentioning all the camera details is because I have several friends into photography.  Several know much more than me, but there are a few who are newer at it than me...so I share:-)  Plus, it'll help me remember for when I forget...by tomorrow.

And, here are a few other photos:

Rhys was spying on the neighbors dog through the fence (so cute!):

 Ella hanging out outside.  Her eyes looked sooooo blue outside:

And, we'll end with a little kiss: