Nothing like a 101

My journey to photography was a little odd.
The  years was an on/off interest to learn the basic and the control panels.
I was never fully interested, I just listen but I truly appreciate great looking photos.
My husband whose addicted to taking pictures of our kids constantly request my assistance to hold that off camera flash, set up the tripod, hold the reflector and occasionally do some make-up.

My interest in photography was way back girl scouting days. I would often go camping with my patrol. I would always nudge my mother to lend me her camera. Those days, it wasn't easy bringing one. The film is expensive and you never get to preview if the photos are okay. Often, my mother would allow me to bring it on regional camping....like the one I attended in Marinduque.

Our camping was set on that holyweek of 1991 or 1992. We were also attending the famous Moriones festival of Marinduque. I was amazed by the places of Boac, Gasan, and then the Fantasy Elephant Island. Is it still there? I wonder. I had pictures of those places....probably buried by several typhoon that I have experienced in Camsur. But there is one picture that I am trying to find out where it is now.....the picture of the man who portrayed Jesus Christ. Up to this day, his image is still vivid in my imagination. I was awed when I captured his face in pain at the cross and backdrop is the bluish summer sky of Marinduque. Everytime I come home to Camsur, I always searched for that photo. Maybe it was gone!

Sometime 2008 or 2009 my interest in camera was reacquainted when I was in the company of Maam Angie and Eye. Initially, they taught me how to use the light meter of my point and shoot to secure a good exposure. "Just make it zero!" (Of course they were referring while on manual mode, tweaking either aperture or shutter speed). Then make sure the composition is okay! Oh how well I remember those words of wisdom. Then the rest is history.

Fast forward....2011
On the ordinary days of weekend or weeknights...
My husband and I would  challenge ourselves with single light source photography.
Be it high key, low key, semi low key. It doesn't matter. It is often a mind boggling discussion of recent books of interest such as off camera flash, on cam, light and science hahaha alright not that nerdy!

I realized I have graduated from the "Auto" mode of my camera.
I guess it began when I sold my point and shoot and get stucked with D40.
Now I never use auto mode or scenes.
I use the built-in or off cam flash and the camera parameter to tweak it to give me an optimum exposure or images.
I still do not wish to upgrade....I am slow in tinkering the camera buttons and panels.
As an apprentice...there is much to learn....food, i haven't done fireworks and that famous bulb setting, panning shots and of course the wide angle landscape.

Here are few of my attempts to portrait or photo experiments (as I call it).

This was taken sometime June, while Luzon is swept by terrible typhoon "Frank".
According to news there were "possible" flooding in some area including our village hehehe. So while the house looks okay. I put on a quick make-up and a quick set-up for the lights. Thanks God we were spared.

I literally took this picture via remote trigger at the
setting of F4, 1/125, ISO400,50mm (fixed lens)
Single light source from our Flash SB-80DX (yes intended for the analog SLR)
we used umbrella, half open (with the black clothe on it). 

My husband took this one with practically the same setting as above.
I think we achieved only semi low key. Ahhh! I hate the shadows
under my chin....that's what you get for single light source.

 And then sometime July I guess. I finally had a chance to photograph my dada loves. When I posted below pictures in my facebook. I find it so funny to receive a message from our common friend saying that he looked like Jason Kidd, the NBA player. So I posted Jason Kidd photo alongside his....and got very few agreements hahaha.

The camera setting is F5.6, 1/80, ISO400,70 mm (fixed lens)
on-camera flash but uses the bounce flash technique
same flash  "jurrasic" SB-80DX (amazingly serves same
purpose as SB-600) 

Our daughter caught his attention while i was still on
the viewfinder. All i do is to click the shutter  using similar setting

The following shots were over the weekend. I was trying to do high key. My willing subjects were playful. Considering were frolicking around a small corner white wall. This time I used a fully opened umbrella, I removed the black clothe. There's a reflector on my left. The setting is common: f8, 1/70, ISO400,50 mm (fixed lens).

This is really funny! I was crawling in front of them trying to perk up
my son. I have to cut Dada because the farther wall on his back is red.

I love this shot very candid, but notice the shadows.  

To document that toothless grin! Did you see the catch light?

By the way, the camera used for above photos were from my husband not my D40. Lately I realized having buttons for the aperture is good unlike my D40 hmf!

P.S. I have extra copy of off camera flash in case you are interested to purchase it just PM me.