Report on Nikon Training

Thank you wiolakk for pointing out that it’d be welcome if I gave a short report on how my training course, mentioned in one of my earlier posts, went on Tuesday.

In one word, it was kind of like a ‘revelation’. I’ve had my camera for over a year and a half now, but knew I wasn’t intirely familiar with its capabilities. I’ve overtaken this training to get myself more confident in my camera use, to learn/see my camera’s full potential, to meet other Nikon enthusiasts. And to my great content, the course ticked all these boxes for me. It dissected the technicalities of using a Nikon D5100, going through what all the buttons on the camera do, what the menu contains/features and controls, how photos can be improved in camera. I’ve never used the i (info) button before and now I know I will, from now on, always. Great shortcut to menu items/camera settings information! Also, I’ve learned about Metering, which for me was a big big question mark, AF basics, Picture Control, Active D Lighting, White Balance. There was a lot of information condensed in those hours (10.30am – 5pm), but these are the ones that stood out for me most.

Until now, I’ve only shot in and used JPEG. I was aware of RAW, but it was just a bit too ‘scary’ for me. From now on, following this course, I gained confidence in starting to shoot in RAW now. Because RAW provides highest possible image quality from captured data.

So hopefully, in the near future, you’ll all notice an improvement in the quality of my photos that I’m posting. 😉

But just to make sure, I have another course lined up, an online one on digital photography, that I’m going to try take in the next couple of months or so.

P.S. I’m attaching these two images I’ve taken at the training. Nothing special about them, except that these are my very first images shot in RAW & the very first time I was using Spot Metering.

Going on a Photo Training Course

I’ve signed up for a one day Nikon D5100 DSLR course taking place in London, April 9. Hopefully this will give me even more confidence in using my D5100 & to make the most of it. I’m really eager now to get knowledgeable about the technical side of DSLR photography and then in photo editing (I have the Adobe Photoshop Elements 11 version). I’m really eager now because I’m starting to figure out which photography types/genres would interest me more than others, which ones I’d be happy and keen to pursue further… So far it’s only been a hobby, and perhaps that’s what it will only remain, but let’s just say I want to get really good at my hobby -and then we’ll see what comes next…

What I figured out so far is that, I think I might like to pursue still-life/food/food documentary photography. I am sharing this with you all first time here. I appreciate your support, you following my blog, you liking my posts, you liking my photos. I’d enjoy very much your company on this journey of mine into the above mentioned genres of photography and I promise I’ll keep you up to date with what I experience, what new I learn, what mistakes I make on the way, what photos I’ll be able to produce in the meantime. And I welcome of course any suggestions, comments, advice, your thoughts on something particular or in general. It helps to know you are there…

I am finishing off now with a picture of what I made for yesterday’s lunch, at the request of my daughter: Pancakes with Jam.

The recipe for the pancakes (a batch that makes 7-10 pieces)

Ingredients: 125 g flour, 1 egg, 150 ml milk, 1 tsp sugar/powdered sugar, a pinch of salt, and oil for the preparation of it.

In a bowl, mix well 50 ml of milk with one egg and 1 tsp of sugar/powdered sugar. Then add to the mixture the flour -slowly, little by little, stirring it in well with a whisk. Follow with adding in the leftover milk and more milk/sparkling water, so that the consistency of the mixture is neither too runny nor too thick…. It might take practise. Or else rely on your instincts. Mix it well so that there are no lumps in the mixture.

Put a pan on the stove, heat it up, then add a little oil in the pan and lifting the pan up from the stove spread the oil in the pan. Now it’s ready for adding the mixture in. Using a ladle, add some of the mixture to the pan, with a rotating move spread it around in the pan. After a few seconds of cooking, loosen the sides of the pancake with a buttter knife, round and round, then slip the knife under the pancake and gently lift it up to turn it on the other side. Let both sides get a nice golden brown colour, then flip it or lift it again with the knife onto a plate. Continue the same way with the rest of the mixture. The first pancake needs the most oil in the pan, then try add less with the following ones.

Once the pancakes are ready, spread some jam or Nutella, or anything you like on them. Bon appetit! 🙂