Learning Manual Mode on my DSLR

Each Monday, I discuss my Scrap Happy project based on Gretchen Rubin’s The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun.

So, have you figured out what you are passionate about yet?

I already told you that I am not going to write a novel this month, but what can I do to pursue scrapbooking as a passion in a new-to-me way?

The last task mentioned for pursuing a passion is mastering a new technology. I see this as related to the other tasks as well. I have owned a DSLR since November of 2008. I received it as an early Christmas gift because I needed a faster camera to capture my infant daughter’s fast movements. I only ever used auto-mode until this year. I have been slowly trying to learn manual mode on my camera. To me, this is mastering a new technology. I have worked really hard at using manual mode. When we went on vacation, I switched back to auto-mode. It was much easier to get many of my photographs in auto-mode. Traveling with a toddler, means that sometimes you have to use one hand to take your photo and the only way to do that is to opt for auto.

I’ve decided that I will take a photograph using manual mode everyday during September. I’ve also decided that I should study two of my digital photography books I bought or were given earlier this year and have mainly been ignored:



So photography will be my daily practice instead of novel writing.

In order to follow through with this project, I will need to make time. I will find at least 15 minutes every day in September to devote to manual mode on my camera.

Finally, I will forget about results. I might not master manual mode on my camera by the end of September, but believe I will be a lot more confident in using manual mode. Hopefully, you will see an improvement in my photography skills here on the blog.

Next, Monday, I’ll let you know how my progress has been in mastering manual mode on my camera.

What is a new scrapbooking-related technology you would like to master?Comment below or join the conversation on facebook or twitter.

If you want to read more about Scrap Happy project based on Gretchen Rubin’s The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun or my Scrap Happy Project, check out the other posts in the Scrap Happy series.

Are you doing a happiness project? Are you doing a scrap happy project? What’s stopping you? Join me today!

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Stephanie