home

Everyone takes photos....but what images do I want to conjure?
I know I love detail, pattern, rhythm and balance but what are my artistic leanings and what types of images do I want to take? When I am more sure of the direction I want to take I am sure it will help inform me of the type of camera I will want and the technical specifications that I will demand of it.


Photography 101

I enrolled in Photography 101 to understand the manual controls of a camera to be able to influence the outcomes of a photograph without being dependant on automatic settings.  There is also the need to stimulate and massage my own sensibilities to discover how to extend them to make better photographs.

I understand the basic principles of achieving good depth of field by setting a small aperture and having a slow speed in relation to the amount of available light.  Then include sensor speed and it all becomes quite complex.  Light and shade are such fickle things.  In the interests of keeping my beginnings into learning to photograph well I decided to begin by looking at the work of those photographers whose work I admire and that has endured.  Enrolling in the Photography 101 class at the Tasmanian College of the Arts, Hunter Street has been a good first step on the path to understanding where my bent lies.

My Lecturer,Dr. Ruth Frost, presents information very logically and clearly with good notes for reference.  I feel that I have learnt a lot in 5 weeks.

The camera
In the absence of not having my own camera I decided to use my partner's camera. While Mark has a good eye and has taken some very fine photographs, he is challenged by specifications and turns off at reading manuals. He has learned some of the technical features of his camera by programming it to automatic!  It did not seem sensible to buy another camera when there was already an asset in the house that required  mastering.

I am not a manual reader either, but the photography course at TCofA has forced me to read it to learn how to drive it!  ...but there are a lot of technical features that I am never likely to grasp.  I am just starting to get a feel for controlling  aperture, shutter speed and ISO controls.

The camera I am using is a Nikon D7000 f5.6 - f32.  The lens on the camera is a Nikkor 18mm - 105mm 1:3.5-5.6 ED 

http://www.photographyblog.com/reviews/nikon_afs_dx_nikkor_18_105mm_f_35_56_g_ed_vr_review/