♥ what i learned at bootcamp.

on saturday, i attended camera ready- a day long, fun-filled boot camp

 hosted by two fabulous camera aficionados: kate drew miller 

& ashley weeks cart.

the bootcamp included: 

learning how to use my very new (& very daunting!) nikon d5100, 

spending a sunny day in a warm studio with some like-minded ladies,

a delicious lunch, and of course- lots of picture taking. 

here are some things i learned:

in order to take your photography to the next level, you should learn to stop

relying on automatic settings, and instead learn to shoot on manual mode.

in manual mode you can control aperture, shutter speed & ISO.

the aperture setting has to do with controlling the amount of light you let into the camera

through the lens, and also controlling your depth of field and what you want to focus

on when taking a picture. do you want to be close up or do you want a wider shot?

the ISO is the digital equivalent of a regular camera's film speed.

it has alot to do with the darkness of your photos and once you learn

to master which setting to put it on, it can definitely become your friend-

helping you to the pull out any light that is in the room and take

a beautiful shot.

shutter speed gives you the ability to freeze moments, 

and whether you are in an environment with very low lighting or 

you are soaked in sunshine- you can play around with it

for an effective picture. 

and here are a few more tidbits:

work with the lens you have- and learn to use it!

once you have learned the rules- don't be afraid to break them!

let your photographs tell a story. place people & props appropriately.

never, under any circumstances, should you use your camera's flash. ick.

got a camera you need to get to know better?

click here to check out the future camera ready bootcamps!