So I am signed up to do the lovely Hallie’s Through the Lens Digital Photography 101 online classes and the first assignment has been up for a day or two now… to RTFM or ‘read the bleeping manual’ and take your best shot!
Now I have read the manual from my Nikon d70… a few times actually, but there is soooooo much information crammed into that little book. While I understand most of what I read when I read it, as soon as I put it down I promptly forget how to turn the flash off on manual mode or which button locks the auto focus. When I am in the throws of actually taking a photo I don’t think I am ever going to master the art of remembering the knowledge and actually being able to put it into action. By the time I have figured out which button changes the f-stop and remember exactly what that is and how I want to use it, the child I wanted to photograph is long gone and the sun has moved and the animal wandered away….
I don’t feel like I am ever going to be able to take in and assimilate all of the knowledge in that camera manual, so I stick safely to the auto mode even though I know I am missing out on all of the fun of actually owning a DSLR. I am going to try again though, I am going to read the manual again, play with the buttons, try to get this half empty brain of mine to take in some of the information and make it useful…. but I must admit I don’t have very high hopes!
Wish me luck - I will post my ‘best shot’ for the assignment here soon (as well as in the flick group) and if you are wanting to join in there is still time, just head on over to the blog for directions on how to sign up!
Guera says:
Oh, I am the same. I have read the manual and tried to take it all in, although unlike you a lot of the terms mean nothing to me! It’s just too tempting to stick with the auto modes and I think I’m being adventurous when I switch to portrait or macro! But, I am keen to actually try and get some info into my brain about this so I’m looking forward to the assignments. I better get going on the first one!
June 24th, 2008 at 11:48 pm
Rach says:
Oh you’re good. I don’t even know where the manual is and have been harassing Alex since Saturday. I guess the point of reading the manual is not to memorize it and all the functions now, but to have it there in the back of our minds maybe as each new assignment comes up? And kind of go, “oh yeah, I remember reading something about how to adjust something like that…” Maybe? LOL But like I said, I can’t even find my manual… :P
June 25th, 2008 at 9:39 pm
katef says:
testing.. having issues so need to see if this works
June 29th, 2008 at 10:43 pm