Beginner's Luck

I have a new toy: a Nikon D5300 camera. I am excited to say the least to learn a new hobby-- the craft of taking good, "wall-worthy" photos. With anything new I undertake, I have been wishing and researching for a while now. . .almost a year. I've wanted a camera. I have wanted to be that mom that has great shots of her children. I have wanted to be the one to share good pictures with others so that they too can delight in the image.

It really came to a head this summer when Tammi got a new camera for her work at Seafarer as the "Bunk1 Photographer." I saw her go through the process of taking pictures, experimenting, and learning the art of a good photo. I was envious that she was in a job where she took countless of photos every day and had the time to learn. I knew I could do this too. And so I ponied up some cash and got a used camera off of Craig's List.

In my first day of playing with the camera, these are some of the photos I took. I impressed myself

cause, in my mind, these are pretty darn good. And this is the automatic settings, Is it really this easy? Or can I write these pictures up to beginner's luck?

I've bought a couple of books so that I can eventually get off of automatic mode. Aperture, shutter speed, exposure compensation, ISO. I am already so confused. And after just a few days I am discovering that my comfort zone in photography is a little green label marked "auto." Auto knows better than me at this point how to take pictures. But, soon I hope to show Auto a thing or two about taking photos. I will not hang my hat on beginners luck. I don't want to be that mom that has an expensive toy with unrealized potential and joy. I will be a photographer.