Part One - Photography Challenge

Since you have all been asking for this - here it is! 

I am going to say from the very beginning, this whole series is based on my own experience. I am, by no means, a professional, nor have I been on any photography courses. 

My whole DSLR camera experience started one and a half years ago. My husband bought me my first 'big girl' camera for my birthday and I was totally over whelmed by all the dials and settings and things like ISO and aperture and shutter speed!!!! I was clueless and had no idea where to start. If you have just received a camera for Christmas - lucky you :) - and feel the same way I did - GREAT - This series is just for you! Or even if you just need tips and tricks on home-shoot set ups or back drops - keep checking back! 'Cause I plan to cover it all :) - I know just how frustrating it all can be and I hope that you can get as much joy out of your camera as I get out of mine!

SO this is what you can look forward to over the next few weeks...

And this being the first in the series, I would like to introduce you to my camera: the Nikon D7000

Gorgeous hey!

I am super impressed with this camera! It has 39 focus points which is bliss! And it handles low lighting situations so well! I wont give you any tech specs - you may nod off to sleep before I get to the good stuff, but this is such a nice camera. If you are considering a DSLR, I would really recommend this one. Its perfect for beginners as it is in the price range of entry level cameras but has the quality and control of the more professional cameras!

Anyhoo - enough about my camera - let's talk about yours! 

Taking good pictures is a combo of things: how well you know your camera, how much you understand about the camera settings (and stuff like that), your lighting, your subject & setting and your ability to compose a good lookin' picture! And the truth is - most of those things are TOTALLY in your control! In fact the only one that could be a problem is your creativity in composure - but the more you do it, the better you will become. For example:

This 'improvement' took 1.5 years. Yes. That is the sad news! The good news is that if you follow this series *hopefully* you can learn from my trial-and-error-process and speed up your journey to good photos. Having said that - I have to add - the fun is in the journey, so buckle up and enjoy it!

The very first thing I did was read my manual from cover to cover. Boring - I know, but it was probably the best thing I could have ever done! I went from not knowing anything to being able to use my camera. I suggest you do the same. Go and dig out your manual, grab your camera and sit in a comfy chair for the afternoon and get cosy with your camera. I promise it will be worth it. You may find as you go through it - some things are in geek-talk, don't panic, just pick up your camera and see the 'real life' thing they are trying to explain. And if even after picking up your camera you  have no idea what point the manual is trying to get across - don't yell and throw the manual across the room, just move on to the next thing. After you have been through it once it is time to practice!!! 

Practice makes perfect, it will also make sense. Sense of all the camera-geek talk. The more you use your camera, the more you will understand your camera. I spent the first few weeks of getting to know my camera the old school way - on the manual setting. I read and re read that section in my manual until I felt confident enough to start snapping away. It was a little frustrating at first, but once I got the hang of it I totally understood exposure and shutter speed - vital aspects of photography. And then I literally snapped away at everything that I could! I was so happy to have a sweet little model to practice motion shots on and of course I had lots of baking to play around with. 

You should do the same! Really!

So what do you think of this? A photography challenge! 30 days of photos. Come on - it will be fun! 

Use this as a guide to spark your imagination. I would love to see what you come up with, so please post your photos on instagram or twitter with the #P4Fpink or day #P4Ffruit etc, or to facebook and tag me in! Or just leave a link in the comments! I cant wait! Plus - I will get to know you, 'cause i can follow all your photos - bonus for me!

To download this as a handy print out to stick in your camera bag - go here.

If you want to do this only when the series ends - feel free to do that - or jump right in!

Can't wait to see your photos! 

See you next week for Photography for Foodies Part 2 - Lenses