Photography Week: Guest Post Delia from Delia Creates

Are you excited for Photography Week?!  I am thrilled that it’s here and can’t wait to see what our guests have in store for us.  I’m very pleased to have Delia from Delia Creates here with us today.  Delia is one of my favorite bloggers out there and I can’t wait until I meet her in real life (it will happen!).  If I had to choose one word that explains how I feel when I stop by her blog, it would be peaceful.  She loves being a mother and it shows, and she just feels real to me. 

Of course the reason I asked all the guest bloggers this week to post is because I greatly admire their photography.  Delia’s photography is a huge reason why I love her blog.  Her pictures are beautiful and creative. 

So please welcome, Delia.

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Hi Lemon Squeezy Home readers!

I am so happy to be here on Christie’s blog. She is such a sweet, genuinely talented person…and a joy to guest post for. :)

I think this series is wonderful and wish it was around when I first got my camera!

So…I am going to be completely upfront. I have only been shooting with a digital SLR camera for about two and a half years. I am definitely no pro and have much to learn about photography.

But…I know what it’s like to get a camera and feel like everything about it is complete Greek.

So, today I’m going to share just a few things that helped me on my journey to getting out of Auto and mastering my dSLR better.

I don’t want to get too jargon-y.

I’ll leave that up to the real photographers that will be posting later this week.

Here are some basic things that I feel like will help you the most.

1. You may not want to hear this,

but do your homework.

Learn about your camera. Look up definitions for terms like ISO, Shutter speed, Aperture, rule of thirds, exposure and so on. Learn how your camera actually works and you will better understand how to control the outcome of your pictures.

If learning about your camera bores you to death or like me…makes you fall asleep :)

…{I’ve done that a few times reading a book on dSLRs}, break it up. Take it slow. Read an article at a time in between lots of practice, even if it is in Auto. Learn about shutter speed and then take note of what shutter speed your Auto setting uses when you take your next picture.

Besides reading this series :), I highly recommend a website that has helped me the most:

Digital Photography School. (go here)

They have a plethora of beginner articles to help you do your homework, and some fun photo forums that can help you stretch your photography capabilities. I know I could stand to go back and learn some more. They have something for everyone…from beginner to expert.

2. Practice, practice, practice. Even if it’s in Auto.

As I mentioned before, when you take a picture in Auto take time to notice what settings your camera picked and think about why. Then try switching to Manual.

Mimic the settings Auto used. Then change the settings ever so slightly. See what happens.

Eventually, you’ll find settings you like better than what Auto chooses.

Also…Try to have your camera with you as much as is practical – and use it!

According to Malcolm Gladwell, author of Outliers, you need to acquire 10,000 hours of experience at something to become great at it.

So…if you want to get great, get crackin’. :)

A good way to get consistent practice?

Set a goal to take at least one creative picture a day for a year.

I did it and posted the pictures on our family blog so I would have some accountability. Boy…it was a challenge but definitely helped me improve; and now I have a great collection of pictures from 2010 as well.

3. Embrace the candid.

So…I know this is not exactly pertinent to getting out of Auto.

But I think it’s important to improving your photography and your ability to capture memories.

Try to get comfortable just being an observer rather than thinking you always have to beg your kids/subjects to look at the camera and smile. {Not that those types of pictures don’t have their place}

Aside from the ‘capturing more fun memories component,’ this will help you

think on your feet and give you practice composing shots quickly.

He’s looking away…but it’s a real smile.

I love it so much, I’m thinking of framing it.

What a face. :)

The lighting is not wonderful, but I captured the story of this funny

memory because I made sure I had my camera out and didn’t wait for the

“Say Cheese” shot.

Focus on the little details.

Get your kids/subjects in action.

Catch the nuances of how they stand, pick their nose :), eat their

food, or pinch their eyelashes when they laugh – as my son does.

Highlight the action of the scene by blurring the movement a bit. {slow shutter speed} This is really fun to mess around with.

And don’t worry a bit that they aren’t looking up at the camera with a big toothy grin on their faces.

Lastly…and I think, the best advice I can give:

Find the beauty in what you’re doing.

Before you take a picture. Take a second to ask yourself, “What is pretty about this scene?” or even better, “What do I want to remember most about this moment?”

Then let that guide you.

Those are questions I am still striving to answer with each image myself.

As I seek to do so, I know I’m not only improving my photography, but the quality in which I capture the memories of our lives.

Those are my two…er four cents. :)

I wish you the best on your own photography journey.

Thanks for having me over Christie.

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See what I mean?  She takes beautiful pictures, and I love her tips she shared with us today.  I’m excited to start taking things more slowly and practicing more what I read, but not overwhelm myself with too much at once.  Thanks so much for your post, Delia!

Tomorrow I have to switch things up a bit.  My sister will now be posting on Wednesday because I have a guest post on another blog and a giveaway/review tomorrow.  I will still try and get my round-up done of great photography websites/tips and that will go up Tuesday as well.  I’ve had the stomach flu this weekend and so we’ll see how much I can get done.