I have always wanted to record great memories and create artistic pictures through the eye of a lens – I tried painting but produced juvenile, even childlike results. About five years ago just before leaving for a vacation to the UK, literally the morning of the day we were leaving, I got into conversation with my IT contractor and discovered he had the same passion. I also discovered that he was now doing something about it and to that end had bought a Canon 70D starter kit from Costco.
So added to my luggage, still in its box went such a kit. So now I was a photographer, or at least I thought I was! I actually took some nice shots. But using a DSLR as a point and shoot produces a point and shoot picture. That’s what Program Mode is. But how do you use the others?
I soon learned there was a very important step to take on embarking into this consuming pastime. Cameras come with manuals, printed and on line. Manuals that the maker paid a fortune to develop so that people like me could read them and learn how it all works. What a surprise!
On my return I decided to seek help, and through our local University of North Florida I enrolled in a series of classes, and from those, coupled with the manual began to work in Aperture and Shutter modes, and then progressed to Manual. It is a matter of personal choice but I now shoot almost 100% in Manual mode.
Over these past years I have changed equipment believing that was the answer to taking great photographs. I must say it has made it easier, provided some additional features that have helped, and when I am out shooting I sometimes have people say “Wow, those cameras must take great pictures!” Sure they do, but only if the eye behind the lens sees the shot. Today’s phones do as good a job as my initial camera. Having great gear means I have no excuses to blow it, and while I will not post the blowups, you know they were there.
I’m no expert or renowned photographer, but my photography has come a long way, and still has a long way to go,. I hope that by sharing my work I can inspire anyone in the early stages of this art to stick with it. Sure there will be disappointments, but there will always be great joy in that one great shot. As my instructor in those basic lessons said, “It doesn’t matter whether other people like your shot. You took it for you and that’s the most important thing”
I hope you enjoy the galleries, and my blog together with it’s pictures. Feel free to contact me any time – it’s always fun to talk pictures.
Donald J Dymer (“Don”)