{snapshot} stars and snippets

Yes, I got my camera out this week. Many times. Go me. At home, on a walk, for an afternoon of music at the park.

Even the Mr got in on the action with a shot of the early morning light {something me the night owl is unlikely to catch}.

And I had a lightbulb moment when I was home with the boys one afternoon and they asked if they could go and play with some bubble mixture they had found. I sent them outside without thinking until that little lightbulb went off {you could probably have almost seen it over my head} and I thought “photo opportunity”. The sun and the weather didn’t co-operate as much as they were promising but I still managed to get some shots. And it’s the habit that counts!

My other big plan was to try out some night photography ~ from the comfort of my suburban deck. The day was as clear as clear, not a cloud in the sky. And I already knew there would be no moon so it was the perfect chance to try out some night time shots and get a bit of a handle on how it all works. I grabbed Phil Hart’s Shooting Stars e-book (aff link), spotted on this post at Digital Photography School {where you can also pop over and see what the really fantastic shots look like}. The book was really helpful in working out settings and positioning.

But in the interests of documenting the process and honesty, I’ve shared my feeble {in comparison} attempts here. Don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled they worked at all. Now I know what to do and how it works, I’m going to take the proper time to head out somewhere away from the lights and with a clearer view so I can do it properly.

Now it will be a test of my patience for another evening to do get out there again.

I think the important take-away is the fact I have probably learnt five more things about photography and my camera just from this experiment. Always learning.

1. Pretty in pink, 2. Riot of colour, 3. Happy birthday mutt, 4. Lunchgram

And here’s a few iPhone snaps from the week. I’ve had a lot of fun with my phone and its apps this week. Hopefully I can keep that up, too.

So, the five things I learnt about photography this week:

Don’t rush ~ particularly true when using my iPhone.
How to use the bulb mode on the new camera.
Finally found how to switch to the remote setting {previously a case of hitting buttons until I got it}
How much light is really in the night sky ~ and to adjust camera settings accordingly. ie. Step out of the comfort zone
Processing in RAW

Have you had any lightbulb moments this week?