So you want to learn to use your digital camera?

People ask me all the time what different settings mean on their cameras, and end up asking for a brief tutorial on how to use more of their camera's features. I don't mind doing this of course, since one of my goals in life is to promote beautiful photography. And because I feel real satisfaction when someone else is happy with their own photos. However, it takes more than just a quick run-down of camera features to help most people actually figure out how to use those features.

Here's my proposal: every day I take my camera out and go on brief photo-shoots in the city and neighboring areas. Join me one day of your choosing, and I will go over a few basics to help you better use your camera. Then we can both go out on a photo-shoot together. My favorite part is taking the images home and looking at them on the computer and seeing what we can do to make the images stronger or take note of any consistently recurring problems in our photos so that we can correct them. To me, this is where the greatest part of the learning takes place.

Worried about time? Don't. We can set a time limit that will fit your schedule. Let me know if you're interested. Katie, a good friend whom I first met while shooting her engagement pictures, and I will be going on a shoot tonight. Feel free to join in!

From time to time I'll post tips on how to better make use of your digital or film camera, but if you want to learn more than a blog post can teach you, join me for one (or more) of my "daily wanderings." It will be nothing but photo-fun for the both of us.

Sunsets

Sitting on the front lawn yesterday, as daylight began to dwindle, I found myself infused with a surge of nostalgia. Sunsets were one of the original reasons why I picked up my dad's old Olympus in the first place back when I was thirteen, catalyzing a fascination with light and color that has continued thirteen years later. Last night, I again found myself photographing the sunset. Tucked in with the pictures of last night's sunset are two pictures I took when I was down in the Yucatán.









And a few more I took just the other day: (posted July 25, 2009)

Jaunt to Bahamas

I love traveling; I love taking photographs. Yet every time I'm in a different country I find myself facing a familiar internal battle: is a vacation with heavy digital camera in tote really a vacation? Photography should never get in the way of life, and vacations are more than just the photographs you take. I've taken my Canon with me to Mexico, the Bahamas, and all across the United States, and have almost come to the decision to shoot purely film in my travels. But this is a topic for a different post. Here are a few of the photographs I captured on my recent visit to Nassau, Bahamas.

Cruise ships pulling into modern-day Nassau Harbor.

Fort Montagu: where merchant ships once put into harbor and where pirate ships once abounded.

My favorite meal of the trip began with this refreshing twist on an old favorite: ginger lemonade.

A glimpse of my shrimp curry before I gobbled it up.

Jordan and Brittany

Jordan and Brittany wanted pictures with simple backgrounds and an overall monochromatic color scheme. Lucky for them, they got engaged in the winter. Also in their favor was our close proximity to the Sundance ski resort and the snowy loveliness of Provo Canyon.

Venture to Laguna Beach

Charlotte and Jonah Barnes

Playful and sunny . . . the atmosphere of the entire day of Charlotte and Jonah's wedding. Friends and family came in from out of town for the Salt Lake wedding. Enjoy the following sample of my work from their day.

The matron of honor steals the spotlight.