The Photography Den

Phew, this Learning Curve is blumming steep!

So, here the ride begins:  I found a short, basic, and inexpensive online course on Groupon which was offered by Shaw Academy (www.shawacademy.com) and advertised for Beginners.  As I’m currently living with Anxiety and Depression, an online course felt safe…If I embarrassed myself, no-one would need to know and more importantly they couldn’t see my bright red, shamed face.  There are 2 lessons each week, each lesson lasts an hour and is very accessible.  That said, 1 hour per lesson was enough for me as each one is packed with information and after the 1st one, I was hooked and so pleased that I had taken up this very well priced way of learning.  I learnt about the different camera types and soon realised that my lovely Lumix camera is a point and shoot type and that ideally what is known as a DSLR is more appropriate to a serious photographer (and yes, I now think of myself as a serious photographer …thankyou Manual Mode/Shaw Academy).  I researched the heck out of DSLRs this week and found one which most camera techie/reviewer sites told me was one of the best budget/beginner ones.  They are still quite expensive in terms of my current budget and so I set my mind to doing the best I can with my Lumix until finances and my health change.

Lesson 2 under my belt and I now had enough information to start to mess about with the ‘Exposure Triangle’ and I clumsily practised using different Aperture and Shutter Settings.  I took to my garden and took random shots of anything - none of which I was happy with as I couldn’t get the exposure right (listen to me!).  I couldn’t find out how to change the 3rd element of my Exposure Triangle, the ISO setting and really didn’t want to share on the Shaw Academy Blog my picture from this week.  I decided on the day before my 3rd lesson (Week 2), to turn to my trusted friend Ms Google and found out how to amend my Camera’s ISO.  It’s a bit clumsy as you have to go into a different area of the settings from the Aperture and Shutter Speed, but at least it can be done.  I was so pleased as this means that I can make my little point and shoot camera fully Manual.

I decide to take my camera out with me; my partner and I were taking our dogs (Alfie & Jeff) out on a walk on a local Nature Reserve, so I was determined to take a pic which I could use on the S/A Blog as part of my Week 1 learning.  As we park the car, I notice a sweet vintage car and decide to try out my newly emerging Manual Skills on this, prior to our planned walk.  I do and they’re not good - I’m not happy but hope I might get a shot of the dogs which is better, whilst also practising a few action shots of them running.  As we make our way down the track to the open reserve, I notice a fallen tree, which is decaying 'nicely’ so I whip the camera from around my neck, turn it on and read, “not enough battery power”!  In my eagerness to learn and try throughout the week, I haven’t charged my battery once…a steep learning curve indeedy!

After charging my battery and taking another look at my course notes, I turn to my own garden and endeavour to shoot anything with the aim of trying to get my Exposure Triangle somewhere near what I think it should be.   I’m not too fussed over what I photograph as my intention is to gain skills in the tricky Manual Mode that is a tightrope.  A total of 17 shots later and I have an image I am happy-ish to share in the hope that feedback will be as kind as can be, but fully constructive as I really, really, really want to improve.


My chosen shot is ‘Life from Death’ which isn’t great in terms of composition, but that wasn’t my aim. I now have a baseline for my learning.

Amateur striving to use Manual Mode.

What is it that fuels you? For me, it’s my Photography Den. I love photography, it’s one of the few times I can forget everything, I am actually in my own world when I am searching for a good picture, or am taking a shot.  I see potential shots everywhere.  It’s like being in a sort of cocoon - a Den; hence the name I have assigned to this Blog.  It’s now time to take it a bit more seriously.

Like many people I know, I hate how I appear in photographs.  Perhaps this has driven me to become a picture-taker rather than a picture-subject.?  Whatever brought me to the love of clicking the shutter button, I am so very grateful.  I absolutely adore pointing my camera and really enjoy shooting decay, elements of architecture, things I find funny and the juxtaposition of natural and manufactured items.

However, I have always used basic cameras and currently use my iPhone and my Panasonic Lumix DMC-TX60 in Automatic Mode only as I don’t know how to use it in Manual.  I know enough to understand that other than choosing what I think makes an appealing image, I am not fully using my camera in terms of anything approaching a creative way.  It seems to me that I will value my images and therefore enjoy photography much more if I award myself creative control.  

All photographs on my blog are taken by me using Manual Mode on my Lumix.

The Photography Den is truly my own little passion project, gaining more and more traction each day. Read on and enjoy! (?)