Library Tutorial

I packed a notebook, a magazine, a novel and an I-Pad and went to the library Friday afternoon.  I love our library.  It used to be an elementary school, and has soothing green walls and huge Palladian windows to let in tons of natural light.  Every once in a while I treat myself and camp out there for hours.  This time I snagged a table in a sunny spot and decided to write in my notebook about whatever popped in my head until I’d completed three pages.

  

By page two, I found myself writing about photography.  Earlier in the day, I’d taken my camera off its trusty auto setting, and tried a few of shots of Meeting Pond before running into work.  A few came out okay, a couple came out too dark, but in that three minute burst I learned a little more about my camera.  

 As I’ve said before, I’m not schooled in the technology behind taking pictures, and there, in the library, I decided it was time to learn more.  Out came the I-pad, and I turned to a photography site I discovered last week, and gave myself a lesson in apertures, depth of field and film speed.  I wrote everything down I learned, (bringing me to three pages) and then, since I had my camera in the car, I went out to test what I absorbed. 

My favorite cemetery/photography spot is only a few streets away which is where I discovered that while  my research tutored me in basic principles and settings behind taking a good picture, I have a long way to go to understand the exact buttons to push to make my particular camera perform.  Time to get out the owner’s manual, but I liked this shot.

T'is the Season

I drove the long way home after an appointment last week.  Since Thanksgiving was so late this year folks, including us, seem to have jumped right into Christmas.  I figured I’d see a few light displays.  It was foggy, even drizzling a bit, and yet, for me the stars were aligned.  Number one I had the camera.  Number two, there was no wind.  I arrived at the harbor to low tide but a still reflection.  A half a mile away, Meeting Pond mirrored the lights on the town common. Last year my husband gave me a mini-tripod I keep in my car and I set it up on the cement.  It’s a good thing it was dark, because I looked like a contortionist, squatting down to [squirrel] level, squinting at the viewfinder.  

I read something recently.  Celebrating each day leading up to the holiday puts less pressure on the day itself.  Oh yeah.  Christmas isn’t just a day, it’s a season. . 

I’m in for that.