A Breakthrough!

On Sunday, the last day of my Christmas vacation, I decided to take a break in a lazy day and take a winter's walk.


And I took my camera.

Why would this be unusual?

You see, at the Painted Creek, or at my mom's stable, or at work, or at gatherings of family and friends, I love to take photos. I'm like the paparazzi. Put me in public, where someone I don't know might see me taking a picture- and I get overly self-conscious.

{click on pictures to enlarge details}

Does this happen to any of you?


I don't know what I am worried about. After all, I see other people out with cameras around their neck all of the time. Nobody stares at them oddly, not even me. If anything, before I got my Nikon, I would just stare at their camera with envy.


Maybe I'm afraid someone will catch me taking pictures of the red berry plant on their sidewalk. Stop it right there, little missy! Those are my red berries! I have pruned the plant and watered it myself for the whole of their existence! Halt your photography- or I am calling the authorities!


Okay. Really, I made it the whole walk and nobody said a word about me taking pictures of their shrubbery. But every time a car drove by, I'd stop and pretend I was looking at my monitor. Yep. I might have a problem.


An exciting goal I set for myself in 2010 is get better acquainted with my camera's manual functions. On this walk, I set my camera to "A". Not as in "automatic." A as in "aperture priority."

A year ago, if someone said the words "aperture priority" to me, I would have asked, what language is that?


Chuckle chuckle. No, really. I'm not an expert so I will quote my manual "large apertures (low f-numbers- I know, it's confusing) soften background details." Well the manual didn't really say it's confusing, I added that. But it should! For the longest time, I had to keep it written on an index card in my camera bag so that I can remember that a smaller number is a larger aperture.

So, you can see that my assignment was to zoom in on a detail, then, get that background to fade out, or, depending on the lighting, some bokeh. I like to describe bokeh as those round blobs of light behind whatever you are shooting. Oh, I just love being technical. Round blobs of light. There is a lot more to it than that, but you can learn more on a photography site than you can here!



One small issue I have with my 55-200mm lens is that it does not have vibration reduction and I have a hard time holding still while taking zoomed in pictures. I mean, I try, try, try to hold still, but my body moves. I even try holding my breath! It still seems like I have a hard time getting a really good focused shot.


Along this stroll, I found many samples of winter's bareness along the streets. Pitch-encrusted pine cones, red berries, leafless trees, moss on rocks (a dime-a-dozen 'round here)....

stark branches....

Christmas trees stripped of their festive splendor and chucked to the curb......


That always makes me kind of sad. The holidays are really over.

I felt very proud of myself after my walk. I did it! I took pictures in public and it was.....

not scary.


To reward myself and warm up a bit, I fixed a bowl of split pea with ham and bacon soup. From a can. Campbell's, to be exact. I love it garnished with a huge pile of Saltine crackers and a little pepper. I ate this a lot as a kid, and recently picked up the habit again. Mmmm, mmmm good!

If anyone knows where I can find a good homemade split pea with ham and bacon recipe, let me know! I just might have the courage to try it.


I can't wait to go out and take more pictures in public! Do you think people will mind if I zoom in on their faces?

Nah. Better not press my luck.

I am going to continue to challenge myself in the realm of photography. I am not ready for full Manual setting just yet....maybe that can be my 2011 goal. Small steps, that is my mantra.


p.s. I have an announcement coming up in the next week or two that has to do with my love of photography. Stay tuned!!