Rush Hour: Ignorance is Bliss

So, I took the girls out for a little Mommy photo shoot yesterday. It was our second day of the three day weekend without Daddy.

Saturday he went to a wedding (I couldn't go, unless I wanted to leave our kids home alone, I was tempted...I was tempted), and Sunday he had to work.

I did not want to sit in the house, I did not want to go to the park (you all know how crowded those parks get on ~~holiday~~ weekends), and it's hard to be in public by myself with my kids (because they are crazy, which in turn makes me in crazy, which then makes me look crazy because I tell them I'm about to lose it ~~very loudly almost screaming~~ very calmly in the middle of the store if they don't stop it right now.

It's hard to be a Mom. So instead of losing it in public, I started by losing it in private when we decided we'd do a photo shoot and we were in hair and makeup.

Oh that Madi, it's hard enough just keeping her still for a pony tail, let alone an "updo". Um, quotes are for, I have no idea what I'm doing when it comes to hair and that's the best "updo" I could do :)

We finally got out of the house, and in the car, and plop, plop, it started raining. Ha, just my luck. It wasn't too bad though, so we got to our location and started our shoot.

Not 30 seconds in, Madi is on the ground, in the dirt, in full on tears. Well, there goes her "makeup" (we did a little blush and lip gloss), and there goes Mommy's patience. She didn't like her shoes. Thank God I had another pair in the car because ~~I don't clean that thing out as often as I should and I have an entire wardrobe for both the girls at any given time~~ I'm just prepared like that.

I think you know a while back that my friend Becky took me out and gave me a few pointers, and showed me around my camera, remember? I traded for cake? Ha, well, that was last year. I learned about Shutter Speed, Aperture, and ISO. And it finally clicked. And I bought my first "fancy" lens.

It taught me a bit more. But that is about the extent of my knowledge.

It's been okay. I think my pictures have gotten better.

And then, I picked up a book. And started reading. And I learned about things like White Balance. And shooting in RAW.

I was nervous going out to take pictures of the girls for some reason. I didn't know what lens I wanted to use. I really wanted to use my 35mm because it takes such cool, artistic pictures. But you have to be right up on top of your subject to do that, which my kids hate.

So then I thought I should use my zoom. I heart my zoom. He's my bestie.

So I did a little of both.

And I think it worked out.

But the more I learn about the camera, the more I freak out. And hope that I'm doing it the "right" way.

It was much easier when I shot on automatic, and just looked for an artistic shot.

And bipped along saying, "hey, look at me, I have a fancy camera, but I don't know how to use it. So I keep in on automatic, with no flash, because it doesn't matter what I do, it takes the pictures for me."

That was the best. Because the camera does take the pictures for you. A lot of the time, I still just put it on that setting and edit them after the fact. Because it's a great camera, and it takes great pictures.

Oop, it's raining, like right now, outside. So cool. I love weather like this.

Anyway back to the post. Um, I'm enjoying learning more and teaching myself what my camera does. But worrying about all the settings seriously freaks me out.

Because I don't want to miss a great photo opportunity because I'm turning my dial and adjusting crazy crap.

See, after Becky taught me a couple of things, I thought, hey, I've got that 'M' on my camera. I can handle Manual. Oh man, but I can't, lol. It's so bad!

So I normally keep it on 'A'. For Aperture. And I adjust it because I know what it's going to do when I adjust it. And my camera automatically changes the shutter speed for me. All I have to do is worry about my ISO (which I almost always forget to change when I go outside after I've been inside). And now my White Balance, which honestly, I think I could care less about.

I shoot in RAW now (like I've shot in RAW once so that makes me an expert), so I can completely adjust the way my pictures look once they are on my computer. It's totally like cheating.

I'd recommend it.

But, the problem with shooting in RAW is that it takes up way more space on your memory card. Usually shooting in JPEG, I could get like 900 pics on my memory card. Well, in RAW, cut it in half. It's like 425, and I was done.

And I didn't bring another card because I'm dumb. And forgot about that.

See, it was much easier when I didn't know all this stuff.

I'm considering closing that book and never reading the rest. See, I'm only on page 20. I had soaked in so much information that I had to put it down.

It gave me a headache.

There is so much to learn, it's like you need to go to school to learn it all.

And I'm not a big fan of school, well not anymore at least.

If you are wondering why I took so many pictures of Madi's back, it's because she wouldn't cooperate. At least not like her big sis who thought posing for every picture was what I wanted. With her arm in the air (where she got that I have no idea).

The kid thinks she's a model. Which is fun and hard at the same time. She doesn't want to pose the way the "director" wants her to. She does her own thing. She's such a diva.

That picture above, yeah, it melts my heart. You don't have to know that Madi wanted Riley to get far, far away from her after about 4 takes of this. But I'll tell you anyway...Madi wanted Riley to get far, far away from her after about 4 takes of this. ;)

Oh look, another picture of Madi's back. Ha, who would have thought there would be another one of those?

So anyway, I think I have a love/hate relationship with my camera right now.

It totally intimidates me. But I want to learn all at the same time.

I think I might pick my book back up again.

After all, it was a Christmas gift from Christmas 2 years ago from my cousin.

Isn't that picture above of Riley gorgeous? Okay, that's all I'll say.

But yeah, I owe it to my cousin to read that book, don't you think?

I think if I just try to do one thing at a time, and practice. I'll be okay.

And even if it completely confuses me and I end up shooting in automatic again, that will be okay. Because I love the editing just as much as I love taking the pictures.

Because like an idiot, I'm trying to learn about my Photoshop Elements program at the same time I'm trying to learn about my camera.

Isn't Madi Angelic looking?