manual

So many of you have inquired about my camera lately...it's funny how that question comes in waves!  I posted about it HERE last May. I have a Canon Rebel XSi and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!!!

After Christmas, I decided that I really should learn how to shoot in Manual {aka M} instead of just in Automatic {aka the little green box}.  Through several photographers and classes, I am proud to say that I shoot in manual about 98% of the time now!! Honestly, I never thought I'd get here!  It was a slow process, to say the least, but I made it!  I had two main problems:  fear and time.

FEAR:  I was so afraid that I was going to "miss the moment" becaues I didn't have my camera on the right setting.  I just wanted to play it safe and keep it on Auto so I would be sure to get an okay picture of the moment...even though I really wanted a "money shot"!

TIME:  I didn't think I had the time to learn something new. 

So what did I do?  Well I got over my fear and I made photography a priority!  Sometimes you just have to tell yourself to get over it...and that's what I did!  I also comitted to blogging more, so I would make myself take more pictures.  Since there aren't big moments or events that happen everyday, it forced me to photograph small things throughout our daily life, whether it was what we had for dinner or the 100th time Addi wanted to blow bubbles...just our daily happenings.  I also made an effort to ask for help!  I talked to a photographer friend {who was SO helpful!!}, I enrolled in a few classes and I did research on a ton of blogs!  Between all three of those resources, I have learned so, so much!  No one explained it perfectly, but as I heard things repeated to me over and over and in different ways, I finally had my lightbulb moment!  It just clicked!  I am by no means an expert on this topic.  I think just like so many things, you can always learn something new and perfect your skills.  My husband practices and plays golf ALL THE TIME and now I practice and take pictures ALL THE TIME. 

My advice to you is if you are really interested in improving your images, then make it a priority!  The most important thing is to have fun with it!!! If you're not enjoying it, then what's the point?  Practice, practice, practice and then practice some more!  You'll be surprised how by just playing around with settings, you will learn so much!  I hope this helps inspire some of you to take the risk and swich over to the big M from the little green box!