Self Portraits with Timer & Making a Shutterfly share site

Last night was our first night of class. We had over 20 people! I hope everyone learned a few new things about working their camera. I loved seeing everyone work together to share knowledge about individual cameras. Sunset came sooner than I'd expected, so we'll need to change our class time to 6:30, and if needed towards the very end, we may have to shift it again.

Since we have such a great group, when we do the portraits of one person, we'll schedule both a daytime class and an evening meeting that week. I could do a Monday or Thursday morning, but we can poll the group next time to see what works best.

Our main focus last night was to learn more about your camera's capabilities. The most important aspects, as far as our future classes go, are knowing how to lock the focus until the picture is taken, turning the flash off, and forcing the flash to fire. These are the tasks we did in class, if you'd like to try them on your own: Take a shot in each of the icon modes (face, mountains, runner, etc...); ISO: take one shot in each ISO level (like film speed); Set a center focusing point, then lock focus on the iris of your subject's eye by pushing shutter button half way and holding, recompose, then push shutter button the rest of the way; Take a continuous shot (find mode where you hold the shutter down for multiple shots); Use the timer; force the flash on a photo; turn off the flash a take a photo.

Homework: Take a self portrait using the timer, then post your favorite self-portrait to our class album "Self-Portrait with Timer." Next, set up your own Shutterfly Sharing Site (there's a link on our class page that says something like "create your own," you can have a basic one up and running in 15 minutes, but you'll find it is fun to add more to it later), then add a link to your new site on our class sharing site. Feel free to call of email if you have any questions:

NEXT WEEK

Next week we'll meet at 6:30 at Geist Park. (I'll be there at 6:00 if anyone wants to come early for some one-on-one help or review). Take 116th to Olio, turn right, turn left at 113 (Just before the bridge), follow past neighborhoods on the right to FLORIDA, turn right and the park is about 1/2 mile on the right. From the south, 104th also hits Florida, but you'll turn left onto Florida and go about 1/2 mile. If it rains, we'll meet at my house.