A Year With My Camera {DSLR ~ ISO & Black & White}

Continuing with no. 32 on my 40 things to do before 40 list - use my DSLR properly - today I have been following Emma's tutorials; exploring ISO and Black & White.

Building on the skills from previous weeks, which looked at aperture and shutter speed, I explored adding ISO into the mix to see how higher and lower settings effected the camera's sensitivity to light.

We headed out to Lacock and took a walk out of the village where I found plenty of things to snap with crucial time to fiddle with the settings on my camera. Walking past the ford I couldn't resist playing with the shutter speed but also thought about the ISO settings.

Shutter speed with ISO as backup:

1sec / ISO100

1/1250sec / ISO6400

These primroses for sale caught my eye for a quick aperture shot.

f4.5 / ISO100

The friendly horse was a good subject to work with too. With his head easily being able to fill the frame I wanted some background too but with a small depth of field; the aperture f stops have actually stuck in my head!

f5.6 / ISO100

I had a mental block for the next focus of the day - Black & White.
I knew my camera had a monochrome setting but couldn't find it so instead I took some pictures with the idea of black and white in my head, then, once home, I turned to the trusted PicMonkey.
I always like applying black and white to historical artefacts and brickwork so the old bicycle outside the village bakery was a perfect subject for me.

f4.5 / 1/160secs / ISO100

PicMonkey Black and White filter + an increase in contrast.

PicMonkey Black and White focal feature

 PicMonkey Black and White focal feature + an increase in contrast

One of my many dream houses in the area is currently undergoing renovation and walking past I quickly snapped it not thinking about the settings on the camera but visualising it as a black and white piece.

f16 / 1/400secs / ISO 6400

PicMonkey Black and White filter

PicMonkey Black and White filter + increase in contrast

I have since found the monochrome function on the camera so will venture out again and explore using it alongside the other elements that I have built up over the last few weeks.
My confidence in my DSLR is growing bit by bit and I'm starting to look at things differently rather than with an automatic setting point and shoot mentality.
However, I'm still finding it easier to just grab the mobile phone camera and an effort is needed to take the DSLR out in the first place - definitely not a bit of kit to just slip in the back pocket!

x x x

The B&W Photography Project no. 13

Dandelion clock

Tick tock tick tock.
Time passes by in the blink of an eye.
The fragile dandelion clock stands in a field stretching out towards the setting sun.
Waiting for its moment to fly.

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The B&W Photography Project no. 12

The Ridgeway

 

It was cold and dull, yet beautiful, up on The Ridgeway at Avebury.

The grey sky loomed down with no hint of sunshine.

A runner passed by battling the uneven terrain.

Walkers and their dogs were aplenty - the latter all well behaved giving the boy little to worry about.

A picnic was consumed with freezing pink fingers.

And a bar of chocolate helped to fuel our walk back to the village.

 

 

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The B&W Photography Project no. 11

Magnolia

 

Yesterday was a bleak wet and windy day but we caught a break in the weather for a stroll around the National Trust gardens at The Courts.
The magnolia was starting to bloom, its creamy pink petals providing a delicate splash of brightness when captured in black and white.

x x x

 

The B&W Photography Project no. 10

Brewery Door

 

The beautifully crafted door to the old brewery at Lacock sits heavily on its hinges.
Its cold handle hangs still.
The craftsmanship, defying the years, called to me to be captured in black and white; highlighting the wood grain, the metal studs, and the history it holds.

 

x x x

The B&W Photography Project no. 9

Wedding Roses

Delicately they sit beneath a shroud of dust,
Fragile heads hanging on to withered stems.
The vibrant colours now faded but all in all,
Still going strong after all these years.



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The B&W Photography Project no. 8

Brewery Wall

 

The old brewery at Lacock Abbey holds many surprises.

As the sun shone through the lead paned window, casting shadows on the walls, etchings from the past made themselves clear; names, dates, symbols to ward of witchcraft.

These walls hold history within them.

These walls hold history upon them.

 

 

x x x





5 day B&W photo challenge - Day 5

Heart

Sitting quietly, from the corner of my eye I spotted a light. My metal heart, swinging in a draft, caught the Spring sunshine shining through the window.
A capture of love, light and happiness - Spring is on its way...

I have been nominated, by the lovely Katie, to participate in the 5 day B&W photo challenge, as follows...

1. Post a black and white photo each day for five days.
2. Invite another blogger photo taker to take part each day.

Today I nominate Mascara and Mud.

x x x

 

5 day B&W photo challenge - Day 4

Bauble

Who says baubles are just for Christmas?
My mother in law has this one hanging outside her back door.
Just perfect for a reflective selfie...

 

I have been nominated, by the lovely Katie, to participate in the 5 day B&W photo challenge, as follows...

1. Post a black and white photo each day for five days.
2. Invite another blogger photo taker to take part each day.

 

Today I nominate someone to get behind her camera more, the lovely Over A Cuppa.

 

x x x



The B&W Photography Project no. 7

Canal

Narrow boats, slowly chugging.

Moored up, woodburners smoking.

Water calm, imagery reflecting.

The sights and sounds of the canal.

A simple life.

 

Read more about the canal and see the colour image here.

 

 

x x x

5 day B&W photo challenge - Day 3

Muddy puddles.

Today we took a walk along the Kennet & Avon canal, one of our favourite local spots.
The muddy path and puddles reflected the light well with the camera set to monochrome...

 

I have been nominated, by the lovely Katie, to participate in the 5 day B&W photo challenge, as follows...

1. Post a black and white photo each day for five days.
2. Invite another blogger photo taker to take part each day.

 

Today I nominate the lady, who got me a little bit addicted to daily snapping, The Boy and Me.

 

x x x



5 day B&W photo challenge - Day 2

Agnes had laid some eggs!
If you're not too familiar with the pets in my garden, Agnes is one of our chooks.
They have all been off lay, with Agnes always being the most temperamental of the three, but slowly the eggs are coming back.
Still not sure if they outweigh the havoc they have caused in the garden though.

I have been nominated, by the lovely Katie, to participate in the 5 day B&W photo challenge, as follows...

1. Post a black and white photo each day for five days.
2. Invite another blogger photo taker to take part each day.

I know wouldliketobeayummymummy.com loves her photography so I've invited her to join in - no pressure though!

x x x

5 day B&W photo challenge - Day 1

My camera is becoming permanently attached to my arm so much so that the children now question me if we go out without it!
I have gone a bit photo crazy lately but am loving experimenting and learning more and more each time I use my 'proper' camera - although the mobile phone is still well loved and well used.
As a lover of monochrome photography I have happily been nominated, by the lovely Katie, to participate in the 5 day B&W photo challenge.

So, Thursday, let's get started with Day 1...

Tonight I came in from work to find the boy knee deep in Star Wars Lego.
I always love the colours when the Lego is strewn across the floor and wanted to see how it looked in black and white.
I've always had a soft spot for Ewan McGregor's Obi Wan Kenobi so was happy to get down on the floor with him...

So, the challenge.
1. Post a black and white photo each day for five days.
2. Invite another blogger photo taker to take part each day.

I'm inviting TheLoveBump who has great taste in camera straps and likes to get behind the lens.

x x x

The B&W Photography Project no. 6

Door.

Driving out of Bath last week we found ourselves sat in traffic alongside this doorway.
Not your typical Bath Georgian exterior.
The slightly ajar door made me question what lay on the other side?

The original colour image is on Instagram here.

 

x x x

The B&W Photography Project no. 5

Window

 

Walking around Lacock village last weekend I actually took a moment to stop and look at the houses.
I tend to avoid doing this too much as I feel a bit sorry for the residents inside.
However, this window was slightly higher up away from eye level and all I could see were flowers on the windowsill.
Hoping that no inhabitants were looking out I took a quick snap for my Project 365 - the original image is here.

 

The ivy, framing the window, cast a shadow across the glass and the reflections made me instantly think - black and white.

 

x x x

The B&W Photography Project no. 4

Dead tree

 

Last Sunday we blew away the cobwebs on The Mendips.

Jutting out of the landscape we spotted this rather striking, yet sad looking, tree; branches ravaged, bark peeling, stark and cold.

Reaching out for help?

Definitely crying out to be captured in monochrome.

 

The original image can be found here.

 

 





The B&W Photography Project no.3

Offices

Earlier this week I went for a sneaky coffee and tea with the, 'working from home today', husband.
After, we went for a little walk exploring the backstreets.
There were little pockets of industrial units and we found a little bit of history hidden away from the road.

The crumbling old red brick walls and sash windows made me smile.
Buildings just aren't built like that anymore.
The shadowy entrance and changes in brick colour leapt out at me to be captured in monochrome.
You can see the colour version here.

x x x

The B&W Photography Project no.2

Landrover Defender

Last weekend the BIL came to see us.
He brought with him his new toy.
I've always loved the look of a Landrover Defender and the menacing frontage jumped out at me to be captured in black and white.
I think the monochrome suits it.

x x x

The B&W Photography Project

Today was such a beautiful, crisp sunny day it seemed strange to fiddle with the colours in the photos taken on our walk around the local village. However, whilst uploading to Instagram, I played around with the filters and black and white worked so well with the shadows.
Therefore, here's my first contribution to the B & W Photography Project...

 

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