I’ve been having a lot of fun getting to know the amazing early Christmas present I received from Andy a few weeks ago.

Shooting in manual mode is definitely intimidating, but after subscribing to ShootFlyShoot.com, I’m feeling so much more comfortable.

That site is seriously awesome.  The two guys who put together the videos are really great teachers and they’re also fun and relatable.  I totally recommend their classes to anyone who wants to understand how to use their DSLR camera.

I kind of wish it was spring or summer so that I’ve have access to amazing outdoor light, but I’m making myself play around with taking pictures inside right now in hopes that I’ll really build my skill set before summer.

I’m nowhere near where I want to be, but I thought it would be fun to post a few of the pictures I’ve recently taken in manual mode so that I have a documented starting point to look back on when I’m hopefully taking amazing pictures in the future :)

Looking through the pictures I have on my external hard drive, I noticed that I have a TON of pictures of Grace’s first year.  I have been decent about snapping pictures of Avery this year, but I often take pictures of both girls, so I thought it would be fun to snap a few shots of Avery by herself.

Here they are…

It’s just a start, but I’ve had fun playing with the camera settings and trying to capture pictures of my littlest.  Practice makes perfect, so my goal is to bring my camera out at least every day to snap a few pictures.  Hopefully I will feel more comfortable shooting in manual by spring, and then I have my sights set on a 50mm lens to really take things up a notch.

Do you have a DSLR camera?  Have you ventured into manual mode?  Have any good websites or blog posts that have helped you learn how to use your camera?

Do tell!