Thanks so much for those lovely comments coming in about my photos! I’m not sure who to thank – Tim Coulson for showing me how to get my camera off auto for good. Olympus for the OM-D which is just taking the loveliest photos or my dad for lending me his 50mm lens that I’m using all the time. Hmmmmmm.
Let’s start with using manual on your camera. It was only a few months ago that I started taking photos in manual for the first time. Until then I was either auto or macro for photos. Using a better lens on macro helped but using manual lets you adjust the light (as well as other things) and has just made a huge difference for me. When I learnt about the light meter it was a light bulb moment. I saw the light………….meter (ha ha). Now I’m still working on shutter speed and aperture but man oh man I’ve got that light meter working in my favour.
I had been using the Olympus E-620 for a few years which is a great DSLR….but after Tim’s course I wanted something new. My Dad kept telling me about the OM-D and I was like no, can you look up Nikon or Olympus for me. He was like OK I will but really why don’t you just try my OM-D and I was like no then ok and then he just came over with it and lent it to me for a few weeks with all his lenses. And I was impressed and then I was sad when I had to pack it up and give it back. I started to miss having that little camera coming around with me so I decided that was the one that I’d buy.
And then I put that message out to the universe (well I announced on Facebook that I had decided which camera to buy) and the universe got back to me and Olympus kindly lent me the OM-D for the next year. Thank you universe (and Olympus).
And I’m loving the camera and the picture quality. One of the things I love best is that when I adjust the light meter it adjusts it in the screen display as I’m doing it which makes it soooo easy to get the light right first time or so. I also love how easy it is to use and how light and potable it is. I walked around the craft show for half a day with it on and it didn’t get in the way or get too heavy. It’s easy to pop in your handbag and just keep on you at all times.
And then the other thing I’ve been using lately is a 50mm lens which gives me those nice soft backgrounds when I take photos. It has a 1.8 aperture and I just love using it. Thanks to my Dad for lending it to me. Cameras generally come with a lens or two but I’m loving this one….and I guess my Dad will want it back at some time.
And that’s that, hope it answers a few questions for you. One of the things about taking photos in manual is that there is so much to learn and I’ve just scratched the surface but I’m enjoying it. And practising means I’m also taking lots of photos of the little stuff that is going on around at our house and keeping it forever. Awwww.
Corrie, it is soooo much fun dabbling in photography. It is my greatest joy, besides my kids and the best thing is you can combine the two! Now I just need to convince you to start on Project Life, which is a scrapbooking (easier) option to record the everyday moments….maybe you have seen it. I am still struggling to find the time to complete even that but the main thing it has taught me is to record the very everyday lovely moments in family life and for that I will be forever grateful as I have some really beautiful memories of facial expressions, mess, holding hands, mess, baby toes and yet more mess! You will never regret spending five minutes to drop everything and record that moment forever! Enjoy playing and thanks for introducing me to Tim’s beautiful site.
Have a great day!
Kim
oh kim I have project life here! Yes I really do! Bought it at the craft show and just need to get my butt into gear and start using it! Do you have your photos developed at a shop and then put it in the sheets or do you do it at home! need to get that sorted
picked out the heather bailey cards and can’t wait to get started
Corrie:)
Corrie – have a look at Elise Joy (Elise Blaha: enJoy it) – she is all about Project Life and offers some great inspiration. She prints her photos at home …
OK that is what I need to hear! thank you Peta!!!!!! off to look
OMG…..wish you were giving away a camera!!!!!
It’s in the works don’t you worry! It’s coming
Glad your loving the OM-D. They are amazing. Ive just started using the EP-5 after a month of nothing but iphone, and am in love. Now gotta get off my ass and take it off auto!
How do you manage manual when your chasing the kids? Mine can sense distraction at 100yrds and as soon as I start looking to meter or adjust the ap shes off like a rocket (usually towards something dangerous – river, bridge, road, horse) I tend to shoot on P quite a bit as its forgiving when I mess up (which is often).
I can’t decide between the 45mm 1.8 or the 60mm 2.8 macro. Think the speed of the 45mm might have it …
Oh I tend to sit down and wait for them to come around me. I had a real loss of a session at the twins preschool afternoon tea, I got one photo which was best of a bad bunch because I was still learning indoors, light meter, moving subjects and it was a disaster. I just take loads of photos now and use the best ones!
go the 1.8 because the smaller the number the better:)
Great post Corrie… my first ‘proper’ camera (ie, I was 18 and bought it for myself) was a manual SLR. I loved it. Then when the digital revolution hit I went straight to a point and shoot camera and that’s all I’ve used since (and my iphone). I don’t know why but I feel so intimidated by a digital SLR. So I haven’t got one yet. The other barrier is that there are so many options out there and I’m super nervous about spending so much on one without knowing whether I’ll be happy with the features. First world problem, right?! Thanks for sharing your experience with the Olympus… I might just beg and plead and put one on my Christmas list!
oh do put it on the list! the great thing is when you have little ones you can easily pop it in your handbag and not need 50 million bags and camera bags get heavy so it’s a real winner.
Thanks Corrie for blogging about your photography, I showed hubbie your photos the other day and he was so impressed he even looked up the specs for the olympus online – WIN! Great marketing tool by Olympus putting the camera in your hands! Happy snapping.
hahaha I’ll have to pass that on! that’s fabulous. it sure is a great little camera
Hi Corrie,
I am super keen to get a new camera- my Canon DSLR is starting to get too big to cart around, so my iPhone takes most of the pictures. With 3 little girls and so many ‘kodak moments’ I am looking into getting a new camera- the OM-D has been recommended by several people. Is it easy to fit into your handbag along with all the other ‘stuff’? I have a nifty fifty for my current camera and LOVE it, especially for capturing faces of loved ones. Do you carry around extra lenses with you or stick with one for the day when you go somewhere? Clearly carrying around lenses starts to reduce the ‘compact’ nature of this terrific camera. Help! I need a new camera, my birthday is in a month and I’d love some ideas from people other than those trying to sell me the camera!
Oh it’s so easy to fit in your handbag. Mine sits in the top and comes out with me most days. I was given one of these wrap kind of covers which folds up over the camera and ties up so it’s protected but I still just pop it at the top of my bag
If I’m going out somewhere like an event or preschool thing and I want to take pictures further away then I have a wide zoom lens which I also take but generally it’s just the 50mm as it takes such great photos.
I’m really loving this one and definitely light and easy to carry around. I have it on a leather strap too so it looks nice as well:)
oops and this is the cover http://www.olympus.com.au/Products/Accessories/PEN-Cases-and-Straps/CS-35.aspx
Thanks Corrie. I had a look at/play with the Olympus yesterday. The ‘salesman’ was informing me that there is no 50mm for the OM-D and that it’s equivalent is a 45. Is that what you’re using? What wide zoom lens do you have? He was using big photography words and could tell I wasn’t understanding everything he said, so I was really put off! Just because I don’t understand the lingo, doesn’t mean I don’t know what I like. Silly man, I probably would have bought it then and there if he’d toned down his attitude! They don’t sell any Olympus bags either, so I would be interested to hear what bags and extra accessories you love to use.
oh yes it’s the 45mm! silly me! will have to go and change, the lenses are slightly different numbers because of the four thirds technology (I think)!!!!! let me get a laymans terms:) I’ll double check the wide lens I’m using as that is my dads which takes fabulous photos too.
I was given a leather strap which I’m loving and a wrap blanket thing which wraps up your camera and ties up so you can pop it in your handbag or bag safely. I have a link in the comments on this post:)