NEW Camera Challenge

July 22, 2015 • Leave a Comment

I officially declare july NEW CAMERA MONTH

my LUMIX, ever so generously gifted to me this past oct was collecting dust. i completely allowed the camera to overwhelm me. a snap shot here, another there, a bewildered something later on. i was not going to learn how to use this camera with that sort of attitude.

the few times i did take it out with me prior to this month were good to me...like this set of images taken around the new city i live near now.

or the time i took shots of this enthusiastic young dancer

one thing i had to get used to was wearing this camera around my neck. my other camera, a point and shoot always nestled nicely in my hand, or purse for that matter.

i couldn't remember how to empty my image card. a detail that is important to me. some never empty them. I like to. my not remembering how frustrated me. I couldn't get the focus right. still can't. I could not for the life of me figure out the timer. turns out the manual i had only went up to page 50, the how to use the timer part was on page 87. excuse me?

thank goodness for the internet and mentors who help me source answers along the way.

I pulled a sampling of images today just to sort what i have learned so far.

first timer image. woot. that's ms odessa kissing me, the camera liked her paws. she seems to find her way into my self-portrait work too!

i have to get use to shooting everyday things with my new camera. it's bigger, heavier, although not heavy, and it's not as intuitive. it is however a very good camera. i just have to learn how to make it my good camera.

i love the plane shot. it's not perfect and that's what i adore most about it.

i discovered the vibrant setting. vs standard. a filter so it seems that makes the colors pop. something i can do in lightroom. settings like these on the camera i think play havoc with the color red and white. i do like the vibrancy though.

i think this flower shot really came together well

the lens on the camera has a very limited zoom capacity. i am getting use to the idea of capturing something with the intent to crop later. not sure if that's a good thing or not. it feels like cheating. i also can't help but wonder what that does to image quality. all of these are heavily cropped.

once, out on a date - i wanted to capture my honey with his hand in his pocket. on an auto setting i could not get it no matter what i did. i thought auto could do all. i shifted it to a setting titled "retro" and it nailed it! using that setting in other circumstances, like these sunflowers, gave it a 70's sortof look. a filter of sorts. I like it!

i miss my macro lens, and since i am still struggling with how this camera decides to focus on things. i definitely see what my tendencies are towards a hyper need to be close to something, and / or a passive approach to scenarios that a zoom lens helps with.

these are not quite close or sharp enough. what do other photographers do? switch lenses?? seems like a real pain. don't get me wrong, i am not complaining. i am learning and comparing. my point and shoot offered quite a bit all in one little camera. it's all i know!

right now much of what i do with this camera is using the automatic setting. often it's what i would use in an indoor setting. i can't quite figure out why this banquette shot is soooo very golden in hue - fixable by shifting it to black and white in lightroom helps, sortof, but i don't really like it.

this shot of ms odessa - is also an odd gold color. that picture was take with pure sunlight. did i have it on the wrong setting?? was it the reflection of the wall paint? someone said i was supposed to observe the white balance setting. never had to do that before. i will play and see.