Big Learning Curve

So I lied. I decided to go back to manual today. I figure I can learn a lot more about photography and how to control my exposure if I use the manual setting on my camera. I drove around the quaint little town of Safety Harbor today and found a park down by the water to take some pictures. A lot of learning did happen today. For starters, I relearned the fact that it is really hard to see your LCD in the blaring sunlight which in turn makes it hard to figure out how to adjust settings.

There sure is a big learning curve for photography. You can read all the books you want but things don't really come together until you get out there and start using your camera. Even then it takes a lot of practice. I have really acquired a new found respect for all those photographers out there shooting manual. I thought once you knew what changing your aperture, shutter speed, white balance, and zoom meant, that you could just figure it out from there. Nonetheless, I'll keep trying. We have so much water around here that really is beautiful, but it's too much to fit in one picture without making it too busy.

For this reason, I'm looking forward to taking more people pictures. It's easier to decide what to focus on. I'm going home to visit family for Thanksgiving so I should have a lot of agreeable subjects.

Who doesn't love palm trees?

Just so I know what time of day I was out.

Shooting toward the sun to add difficulty level.
The water reflections are fun tho.
A view of Tampa across the bay... with a purple tint.