From Auto to Manual. . . Part 1

The poll results are in, and it was a close race! 55% of you opted for all my ramblings to remain on 1 blog. . . and I aim to please. So now there is NO telling what you’ll read about here. I promise to keep it clean, but that’s about all I can promise.

So, I’ve had this camera since last Thanksgiving, but am just now getting to know him/her (I haven’t decided which gender I prefer! ). I invested the time, initially, to read the manual, but it was like reading a foreign language that I did not speak! I was intimidated and frustrated, so I set the manual aside and decided that I would just have a really fancy, important-looking point and shoot. After contemplating that idea for 7 months or so, I decided that I was being a big, fat phony, not to mention that I was tired of not getting the kind of shots I wanted from my amazing camera. As Miz Booshay says “. . . it is just a machine and I will have to use my pretty little head” in order to rectify this situation. So, I took out the manual again, but I also began to search the web for someone, ANYONE who spoke plain English when it came to photography!

Enter Pioneer Woman. Those of you who know me well have no doubt heard me mention her in recent weeks. I want to grow up and BE her. If you (live on a deserted island or under a very large rock somewhere and) have never heard of her go here to see what I am talking about. I began reading her posts about photography and thankfully, she a) speaks English and b) uses a Nikon camera (not that Canon cameras are evil, they just aren’t EXACTLY like mine so sometimes the wording/illustrations/menus etc. aren’t the same). Since I am a newbie at the whole game of photography, I am taking baby steps.

The first and most obvious step was to take the camera out of AUTO mode and start to play around with the dials and buttons and menus that make my Nikon so pretty! Don’t get me wrong. . . you can get a lot of great shots by using your camera with all of the settings figured out for you (on auto). . . but you don’t have a whole lot of control and you have to take a bazillion pictures to get 2 or 3 good ones, as opposed to taking only several million when you DO have more control. Here are a few examples of my first attempts at semi-manual control of my camera. (Meaning: all I am changing here is the aperture. If you don’t know what that means and want to read an explanation that makes sense, at least to me, go here.) Now, for what you have all been waiting for: a glimpse at the photos!

I couldn’t tell much difference here (and what I was wanting was a sharper focus on the subject – Woodrow – and a blurrier background – also known bokeh) so here is example no. 2.

THERE – see how the truck is REALLY focused and V is just a tad blurry and the fence is downright fuzzy?! That is what I was going for! Wooo hooo! More on this later – I’m tired of typing – but I just couldn’t wait to show you this picture of V and his trucks. . . not only do I love it, but I actually got the camera to do what I wanted him/her to do ON PURPOSE!

Finding My Focus. . .

After a year chock full of change, and almost 2 and a half years of blissful (read crazy, busy) motherhood, I have recently found several interests that I can call my VERY own. I've recently taken up running (more on that later), I have been experimenting in the kitchen with recipes that differ from the same 10-15 that I have been using since I said "I Do", and I have been getting to know my Nikon VERY well.

I originally intended to track my relationship with my camera and my journey to the back of my pantry with another blog, since this one has basically been all about Vaughn since I started it a year or so ago. I even went so far as to set up another blog, but I have yet to post an entry. That is where you, my faithful readership - all 7 or 8 of you - come in. I am taking a poll. Should I start another blog - that I'll have to maintain and update (and that you will, of course, feel obligated to visit and comment on once in a while) or should I broaden the scope of this blog to include documentation of my failures and successes both in the kitchen and behind the camera? Any thoughts? Feel free to comment here as well as voting!

Cowboy Boots and Bathing Suits

A couple of weekends ago, our across-the-street neighbors had a 1st birthday party for their little girl.  They have a pool and Vaughn was very excited about going to the party, although, as you can see below, he had is OWN ideas about appropriate fashion for a pool party!

As you can also see from the picture, he was practicing his dance moves before we headed out!

Cow Appreciation Day

July 10th was (un)officially Cow Appreciation Day, thanks to Chick-fil-a.  All you had to do was dress up like a cow and you got free food.

Vaughn and I participated willingly!  We love Chick-fil-a, and FREE Chick-fil-a is even better!

Meeting the cows was just a bonus.  Vaughn wanted to take them home with us!

LiveJournal Tags: Chick-fil-a,Cow Appreciation Day

4th of July Festivities

Technorati Tags: Grinny and Hitee,golf,4th of July

Lots of fun was had by ALL over the 4th of July.  We spent the long weekend at Grinny and Hitee’s.  There was an abundance of great food, good fellowship, and plenty of beautiful “thunderworks” (that’s what Vaughn calls fireworks) but THE highlight of our trip – at least according to my son – was the day we ALL played golf.  (I use the term ALL loosely).  Hitee and Jason played 18 holes, Grinny played 9 holes, Vaughn drove the cart, ate M&M’s, “whacked” the ball, banged his clubs on the ground, chased the birds, threw the golf balls around, tee’d up a few balls, drank lots of Fresca, and actually took a few pretty good swings with Daddy’s clubs (and LOTS of Daddy’s help!).  I was, of course, behind the camera (for the most part) to document it all! 

 

V says, “Daddy, I’m ready to go golfin’!”

Mommy and me ALWAYS wear our hats outside!

Joke’s on them!  They are letting me drive the golf cart!

I am his caddy, and he is my coach. . . what a great pair!

V says, “Grinny, you are an AMAZING golfer.”       

Daddy says, “Here’s a tip for you, V. . . “

Ok, so I think I get it. . . I’m gonna give it a *WHACK* and we’ll see what happens!"

I call this one “Quiet Reflection”

My boy and his Hitee. . . .priceless!

After all that golfing. . . .I need to take a rest. . . .on my brand new pillowcases. . . . courtesy of GRINNY!!  Thanks Grinny!  I LOVE  ‘EM!

It’s Official. . . He’s smarter than me!

Day before yesterday the following conversation ensued:

V:  “Mommy, I want Ronald McDonald’s for lunch!”

Me:  “Mmmmm, that sounds good, but we are busy here at home (vacuuming, dusting, etc. . . .LOTS of fun for 2 year old little boys!) and we don’t really have money for lunch at McDonald’s today.”

V:  thoughtfully ponders what I have just said and responds with:  “Yes you do, Mommy!  I’ll show you!”

Me:  My curiosity is piqued to say the least!  I can’t WAIT to see where this is headed!  Vaughn takes my hand and leads me directly to the change jar in Jason’s office!

V:  “ SEE MOMMY!?!?  You DO have money for Ronald McDonald’s!!”

I’ll let the pictures tell the rest of the story!