I’ve always had a huge interest in photography. When I was younger, I loved taking pictures of pretty much anything going in my life. Pictures tell a story, and when you look at them, you can remember the feeling, remember that moment in your life, relive amazing memories in your head. There’s something so special about it. I’ve always had a goal to get a good camera so I can practice professional photography. I’ve had several point and shoot digital cameras but I finally purchased a DSLR. My boyfriend and dad have DSLRs but I wanted one I could call mine.
I purchased the Canon 60D with two lenses: EF 50mm f/1.4 and a EF 85mm f/1.8. I’m very excited to practice, and just enjoy this hobby. I haven’t had a chance to go out and take it with me to practice, but I’ve taken several shots of my dogs and around my house to practice. I have read a lot about all the different settings that are used when shooting in manual and it’s very interesting. The thing that I’m struggling with is Exposure. That’s something that I need to practice with.
That’s Scooby on the picture above, I was playing with the depth of field (aperture or f/stop) on my 85mm lens and I love that it can go up to f/1.8. It will definitely come in handy when trying to do the bokeh effect in photos. I’m hoping to be able to practice at different places next week and start posting pictures. I don’t know if I should make a separate blog for photos or to post them here, I’ll figure that out as I go.
Do you own a DSLR camera? Which one? Do you have any tips or recommendations?
If you know me, you’d know that I really love animals, especially dogs. Two days ago, I was able to do a good deed and rescue a dog. I was visiting my grandmother, and when I was driving back home I saw the cutest dog walking around and he looked so lost and nervous. There was a thunderstorm that had happened earlier, and you know how some dogs get really nervous when they hear thunder. I guessed he got so nervous that he escaped his house, because he had a collar. I called him and he came to me without hesitation and started petting him. I read the collar’s chip and the dog’s name was Wilmer and it had three phone numbers.
I immediately called the first phone number and reached the dog’s owner, who was working at the time and had no idea that his dog was running loose. He lives a couple of blocks from mine so he recognized where I lived. He told me he would call his cousin so he could pick the dog up. I waited for about two hours but really enjoyed spending time with that dog, he was extremely sweet and wanted to keep him all to myself. It felt good being able to help return it to its owner because if he kept running loose he could have gotten hurt. It’s things like this that make you feel so much better, being able to help. So glad Wilmer is back with his family, where he belongs.
This past Tuesday I completed another semester, and I was glad. Glad that it was over. These past couple of months have been really tough, both academically and emotionally (deadly combination). I’m still struggling with the math classes, which are the classes that I have left for me to get my degree. It can be disheartening, and it makes me feel like a failure when I can’t pass those classes. I’m good at everything else: history, psychology, science, programming, you name it. When it comes to math, it’s a different story, especially with my anxiety mixed in with all of it.
I’ve been learning to reduce those thoughts I get about failure through therapy, but it’s a work in progress. Even though I still have some time to go before I get my degree, I’m trying to make the best of it by taking different classes, even if they’re not related to my field. Another motivation is finally getting my portfolio up, along with some other projects, which will keep me busy and with a more optimistic outlook.
It’s all about picking yourself up, trying your best, and seeing a positive, even when it’s a ‘negative’ situation. I’m trying, and I will get better with stopping those negative thoughts.
