This week has been an interesting one! My grandma is here visiting from Arizona, so we've been doing a lot more than normal. I also decided to start reading through
The Unexpected Everyday and trying my hand at the challenges within it to start using manual mode on my camera. Obviously that's been my goal all along, but I've been scared to try especially with the thought of messing up chances to get pictures I really want. So, it's taken me this long in this 365 project to actually step out and give it a try. I'm pleased to say my camera has remained in manual mode for the majority of this month so far! (I did take it off to get some family pictures with G'ma as I didn't want to try to figure it out with those.) The first four pictures are from the last of September, with the final three being the beginning of my October challenge (keeping up with the book and the 30 days of prompts they give).
I missed Sunday, so this from our trip to the zoo on Monday. I forget what these are called, but they are so pretty!
Bethany and her kids and all mine went down to Zoo Atlanta with mom and G'ma. We had a great time!
On Tuesday it was raining (again) and so we went to see a neat - and free - Lego exhibit at North Point Mall. They had ten large displays plus a few extra smaller ones and a build and play area. This was the Lego model of the White House (a close up of part of it anyway).
Shelby being silly waiting for Clayton to read the Bible with her.
SS 1/125 | f/5.0 | ISO 3200
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Tip 01: Focal Point
Prompt: Change your focal point to focus solely on your child's feet.
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Okay.....here goes the beginning of manual mode pictures. For those of you that have been doing this longer and want to offer some advice, I'll gladly take any you can give me! This was taken indoors on a rainy day. I actually did this prompt the same day as prompt two (as you'll be able to tell), trying to redo the one I didn't really like that I took the day before. Both days were rainy, but I waited too late in the evening the first day for it to turn out even remotely well.
SS 1/125 | f/5.6 | ISO 6400
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Tip 02: Catchlights
Prompt: Capture your child in their favorite dress-up costume or playing pretend.
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While Cheyenne is in her costume, you can't really tell in this picture. And if those are considered catchlights in her eyes, I don't honestly know. Plus I completely blew this out with a far too high ISO (which thankfully Bethany shared with me that a high ISO, while allowing more light, will also produce too much grain). I'm still not sure what caused the funky coloring. The lighting in my house is poor - even more so on a rainy day, but I don't know what exactly I could have changed.
SS 1/125 | f/16.0 | ISO 6400
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Tip 03: Rule of Thirds
Prompt: Capture the things your child does early in the morning.
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This was one tip I actually already knew about. I know this isn't the best of pictures to show it, but I was trying to follow the prompt too, on yet another rainy day, and I ended up using the flash as well. That must be how my aperture got so high, because I know I didn't set it at that! But then I'm still completely new to all this, so I don't know much about how it all works together. Anyway, I couldn't get the lighting right for Shelby's bottom bunk bed, hence the flash. She was in the process of making her bed and I asked her to get dressed first so I could take a picture. She wanted me to take one like that though - covered up with Pinkie Pie!
