Experiment with Your Camera

Here is the story behind this photo I sent to the local contest. I did not win anything, but thought you might be interested in knowing about it.

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The beauty of some places is their similarity to other well-known places. To some this photo may look like it was taken in Paris, but it was taken in Krakow, Poland. I love the depth of field in this photo. I stood in the middle of the plaza, framed my shot symmetrically, and took it. The buildings on either side seem to keep going. 

I had just gotten a Canon EOS Rebel XTi a month or two before the trip, my first manual digital camera, so I was still playing with all of the settings. I discovered a feature called “monochrome,” and decided that black and white photos in Poland would be appropriate. Turns out, I was right, and very happy with the results.

The best part about a digital camera is that you can take some pictures in color and others in black and white on the same memory chip! The challenge is that you have to remember to change the setting back. I often forgot to change the setting back – either way – and got pictures in color that I wanted in black and white and pictures in black and white that I wanted in color. I found myself taking a picture before checking the setting and realizing my mistake.

I decided to stop taking black and white photos and take only color when I learned I could remove the color from the photo later with image editing software like Photoshop. That way, I had the photo in both color and black and white. Unfortunately, you can’t go the other way around. Once the photo is taken in black and white, it’s in black and white.

I wasn’t used to carrying a bulkier camera and I had a difficult time producing clear photos. Steadying my arms was difficult since I didn’t have a tripod with me.  Even with the lens on autofocus, I still got a few fuzzy photographs.

But, mistakes can make the best pictures! Even though the photo was out of focus, I knew immediately that it was good. I like it slightly out of focus because the subjects look softer and more romantic that way. I shared the digital image with my travel mates, and they loved it. I felt proud and excited about this picture and it gave me confidence to continue experimenting with the various settings on my camera the rest of the trip. 

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Complete story from, Moments in Time Captured Forever; You Don't Need a Good Camera to Take Good Pictures. 

Prints available at: DebraRubyPhotography.com