My comfort zone with daily photography is in "Program" Mode. It is kind of a cheat way to take photographs, as the camera does it's automatically selects Aperture and Shutter Speed, without triggering the flash. It's the most semi-automatic mode on the higher end digital SLR cameras, like my Nikon D300.
I often reading articles on how to better use my camera and to drill into my thick skull the little lessons and nuances about not just creating a "correct" exposure, but in creating consistent results of "artistic" exposure. Sometimes it seems a fine line, and often is! What my tastes are for a particular shot might not match another photographer's mood for a particular scene.
Thursday evening, I took my camera out in our suburban backyard and tried to find some creative lighting to make some ordinary objects appear a little more special. I shot in manual mode and captured multiple shots, each at different exposures. It's amazing how much of a different feel each image can portray with a little more or less light. I find that some of my favorite photos actually have a light source in the background, although carefully positioned so that my photos are not over-exposed.
It takes some practice to find the best objects to meter light from (using the built in light meter) so that you obtain a "natural appearing" dynamic range. Even with all the advances in camera technology, cameras still can only process a portion of the dynamic shadow and highlight ranges that humans see with the naked eye. It takes some artful-dodging to capture the best range for each shot. :)
Enough of my technical banter, here are
a few pictures from my backyard ramble to go along with my blog ramble tonight! :)
