More Photographic Practices

This is the last public holiday for the next 2 months. June and July will be dreary long months with the next public holiday far from sight! Coupled with the hot and humid weather typical of the summer months, the next 2 months will be a test of endurance. Enough of all the complains! We should not let this day go to waste, right? What better ways to spend this day than to engage in activities that will cheer one up? *Grin*

Today has the perfect weather for some outdoor shoots. It is time I try to hone my rather amateurish photographic skills. Recently, I have come across some rather interesting articles on basic tips for taking photos. Heh heh, it's time to put those theories to test. Armed with my digital camera, I trudged down to my neighbourhood for some interesting shots.

Rule 1: Do not dispose any shots until you view them on your PC.

I could not try truly appreciate the value of this rule until today. A moth has unexpectedly flew into my house. This unwelcome visitor has become a convenient target for me to practise macro shots.

(In case you are also an amateur like me, let us learn and share photographic tips together. Photography 101: Macro shot is one that is typically employed for close-up shots with great clarity. Most digital camera will come with a 'flower' button to allow taking up to as close as 3 to 5 cm of the object.)

Anyway, I took a couple of close-up shots and failed, until the last 2 before it flew away. As I was looking at the photos from the small screen of the camera, I have felt that the first shot was too exposed. Fortunately, I have not done a hosuekeeping on the spot because when I projected the photos on the PC screen, I felt that first shot was clearer than the second.

What do you think? Which do you prefer?

Rule 2: Practice, practice and more practices

I have read alot about the importance of light sensitives and exposure. Before this, I have never think much about exposure of photos. However, the theories are dry and jsut confused me further. I have managed to gain some enlightenment today as I tried to play around with the shutter speed and aperture value for the light exposure.

Below is a shot which I have attempted to take with a higher shutter speed to bring out the blue in the skies. When a lower shutter speed is used, the skies turned out to be white.

If time permits, I must really experiment and practise more with my camera by venturing to take other objects. Meanwhile, I will also continue to read and understand more about photography. Good luck to me and thank you for sharing with me my practice shots. Feel free to give your comments. :-)