experimenting . . .

I have a super zoom Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-HX100 that can be used manually, but I almost always have it set on automatic. I know only a little about shutter speed, aperture (F-stop) and ISO. Unfortunately not enough to feel comfortable juggling the balance by myself for very long. Maybe someday! But none the less, I was interested when my blip friend hobbs started taking a few photos with his f2.8 prime lens and discussing it. The photos were very cool and made me want to learn more.

I wondered if I could get my non-DSLR camera to do something like he did, just for fun. When I switched the camera to manual and tried a few shots where I thought 7-8mm focal length would be -what hobbs suggested -there was nothing on the LCD about focal length. There are no numbers on my lens either. But . . . it did get me to try manual settings again! Definitely need to go back to my notes and brush up on the relationship between that triad. But when I looked at the properties of my photos after I got them out of the camera, guess what? The focal length is listed there most of the time.

This one has a focal length a 5mm, which I discovered is probably the most common focal length I use! Yes, I looked back at the properties of other photos and saw my moon shots are 144mm and other photos are various numbers in between, but 5mm is still close to the number hobbs is working with using his prime lens. The ISO here was 250, the f-stop 2.8 and the exposure was 1/30 sec.

whew! The photo is of my desk with a card sample I made a few years ago for ARTchix Studio (their image) but just found in a box. I like it and want to hang it up. I don't know about doing settings myself on a regular basis but I suppose if I would learn how to do it confidently I could have technically better photos . . . then again, I could just keep my photo taking easy! Only time will tell . . .

I learned.. . that inspiration does not come like a bolt, nor is it kinetic, energetic, striving, but it comes to us slowly and quietly and all the time, though we must regularly and every day give it a little chance to start flowing, prime it with a little solitude and idleness.
- Brenda Ueland