Post 131. Happy Fourth of July U.S.A.!

I assume most of you have stopped laughing about my dream that auto mode of my Nikon V1 would capture fireworks.  (It didn't.)  Although in the camera's defense we were about a mile from the fireworks and the telephoto lense for this camera only goes to 110 mm.  So maybe had we been right at the action my results would have been different?

But I did have success with my DSLR (Nikon D5100).  I setup and had full success using all manual settings.  Congratulations to me. 

I was even able to get the manual settings figured out on the fly with my Nikon V1, but we were just too far away for me to capture anything great with that camera. (Plus, I had only one tripod out, and I left my DSLR there.)

These certainly aren't prize winners, but they're winners to me.  I am sure my settings were not perfect, but I captured things that looked like actual fireworks - which I was unable to do last year at this time.  (Although I do owe thanks to Katrina Kennedy and her blog that gave me the bravery and starting manual settings to try it.)  I did tweak the ISO differently that she suggested, and my lens doesn't have an infinity symbol on it so I had to find focus with trial and error.  But still - success.  Since the fireworks show where I live was so short, I did not have time to play with varying the ISO.  Maybe next year. 

This photo-shoot was a great way to end my first 365 day photographic challenge for myself.   I started from complete beginner ending with success at setting manual settings.  (Although I did not start  a full year ago with the blog, and I did not post 365 times - although I did post more than 365 photos.  Also, let's be honest, I'm still not at the point where I can really use manual terribly well, but still it was definite progress.)

What I want to do now is combine photography with some added creativity. My blog will be changing some, although I do not know exactly how quite yet.  I want to focus on capturing stronger photos, photos that I might want to hang on my wall as art.  Photos that speak to me, photos that help me visualize poems that I find meaningful.

(I was reminded that I cannot just post full poems online, so that is the reason why the vision for my blog is struggling a bit.  But I'll figure it out.)  My goal for myself is also only to post once or twice a week, which I know is low for the blogging world.  But an easy way to not have to check repeatedly and be disappointed at the lack of posts is either to 'follow' me by putting your email into the bar on the blog page.  (All that does is send you an email when I post.)  Or you can be part of google +, I send my photos there when I post as well.

I am also going to work on keeping a art journal, where I can have hard copies of my photos and be more creative that way.  (Although if anyone knows of a way to have blog entries printed, send me a comment, I would love to have a printed record of this past year.)

See on,
Julee