LumbermanSVO: Also, while shooting that band in Montana a couple weeks ago, I quickly discovered that the only way to deal with the rapidly changing light was to switch over to Manual mode instead of my normal Av comfort zone. This experience finally made me a believer in the Manual Mode Lifestyle! It really was easier, and faster, to shoot in manual than it was in Av.
Phrasikleia: Welcome to the club.
Doylem: Using my camera in manual mode tends to put me in the right frame of mind for photography. It feels like Im unhitching myself from all that technology (as represented by my Nikon D200, still a technological marvel to me...), allowing me to tune into the scene - whats out there - rather than fixating on the camera, which, at the moment the shutter opens, is really just a window on the world. I enjoy making small adjustments (shutter speeds, usually) as the light changes. I know that PP can do marvels, in terms of rescuing a shot thats not exposed quite right; nevertheless, its fun to try and get it right in camera. More than fun, it keeps me on a learning curve. Its a good discipline.
I can respond to changes in light quite quickly, because I limit myself to a small range of choices. If I started faffing around with all those exposure modes, and exposure compensation dials, etc, I would miss the shot...and get very frustrated. I dont want to make photography any harder than it already is; I want to make it
easier. So it
floooooooows...
The direct relationship between apertures and shutter speeds (and now, in the digital age, ISO, which in the days of film used to be changed with every film, not every shot) is something that takes a little learning... like learning those half dozen basic chords on a guitar. But, once learned and understood, the world of photography opens out. But when we relinquish control of our equipment, our view narrows. Were off that learning curve...
Although I will never claim to be on the same plane as Ms. P or Doylem, I'm glad Montana played a role in your moving out of your comfort zone and into the realm of manual mode. I exam every EXIF data on their pictures in hopes that their skills at capturing the beauty of light will some how jump through the keyboard of my laptop and into me.
I am still trying to nail exposure correctly and find myself chimping like crazy and changing shutter speeds, etc. I just entered the world of histograms. I'm still on the front end of the learning curve on that one! Anyway, photography has always been a journey for those who get seduced and captured by that temptress. I, for one, am enjoying the ride and the images displayed on this site by the many talented people who share their photos, skills and knowledge with all of us.
