A Picture is Worth A Thousand Words

I did not learn to speak French or Spanish fluently.  I have not become the next great American writer...yet.  So, now I am learning to not become the next Ansel Adams!  Yes...I am taking a photography class.  Another one of my efforts to not let my brain turn to putty.  The good news is...I love it!  The bad news is...I have a lot to learn.  Maybe that is good news too.

TJ gave me a new camera for Christmas, small enough to travel easily but big enough to take decent pictures.  This camera has many settings and options and the only setting I used for the first month was the Auto setting.  I decided I really should learn to use the camera to its full capacity.  Why own a camera that does tricks and never do any tricks?  I am finding out that my little camera can do many tricks!  This makes me very happy!  Now I want to go somewhere other than my neighborhood or my backyard after my classes and practice my new found knowledge each week.  I find myself thinking of my usual photo taking opportunities (grandchildren, sunsets, bonfires, etc.) in my class and how I can utilize my new found skills.  "If only I had known this or that when I was here or there!"  but alas, I am just here....in my house....surrounded by stuff I see every day.  No majestic sunsets, no cattails on fire in the night sky, no waterfalls....just the house I see every day in a neighborhood surrounded by freeways.  Not exactly the stuff that makes a camera jump for joy.

I am sooo looking forward to my next excursion when I can pull out my camera and take control of my aperture or shutter speed and take beautiful photographs.  I have always been a photograph lover and now this class is empowering me.  Watch out everyone!  So far, I have learned....

 to go from this....

to this!

or this...

to this!

not impressed yet?  Come on!  Depth of field....blurred background.... detailed background!  It's my best suburban effort.

I'll try another...

Frozen water

water in motion

All of this with the turn of a button.  Being able to take these pictures makes me want to go sit on a bridge above the traffic just to get one of those pictures of the car lights streaming down the highway.  These are things I have always wanted to do but never knew how to do and my class is teaching me the great mysteries.  Beware blog readers....the pictures on this blog may improve. (Lord willing!)