My new camera is wonderful. I love it…the way it feels, the reassuring heft, the quality of the photos. The colors are glorious, landscapes good and clear, and focus…well, focus is not my strong suite. I used to blame it on my eyesight, on the camera itself, pesky f-stops and shutter speeds, and my own tendency to shake. But now the brutal truth of photography is shining brightly in my face in four large words: read the manual stupid!
Actually I’m not stupid, just impatient. The simpler the camera the less there is to know of techniques and tricks of the trade. Point-n-shoot….way to go. Except that I want to learn how to be a real photographer, not just a picture-taker. Fully recognizant of the need to study the basics and memorize a few simple tips such as keeping the camera battery charged…and checking to see that there is an SD card in place.
Even as I write there is an imminent barn-collapse in the works across the road, where they are tearing down a big old greenhouse operation and are in the end-time of demolishing a big 100-year old barn and some assorted out buildings. The greenhouse structures are already gone. I do have photos of the destruction and clean-up.
Both of my camera batteries are charging. Really. My new Sony DSC-HX80 needed to be charged, and so did my little blue Sony which I like to keep fired up for back-up…and besides, it doesn’t require much thinking.
So hopefully the little orange charging lights will turn to green before the barn becomes a pile of rubble.
The latter may be a really big deal, as the front edge of the barn is maybe 20 feet from the edge of the road pavement. It has been there for a century, before there was much of a road. The operation will probably need a police car, maybe a fire truck…and a flag-person-crew to direct traffic.
… stay tuned.
B
SOMETIMES 