Experimenting

I bought a new camera this week. I didn't mean to. But we were in Adelaide in a camera shop where Steve was getting rid of a film camera and some lenses. My current camera is getting old and the zoom function seems to have stopped functioning. I guess getting a new camera may have been in the back of my mind. I thought I might get a second-hand one, but I'm a sucker for new things!!! So when I was shown a brand-new model of a Panasonic Lumix - the brand I currently have -  I was hooked. It is much smaller and lighter. It's actually termed a 'travel camera' because of its size, so perfect for me. With a card and camera case thrown in, a deal was made and the camera was mine.

So I have been experimenting. First up, trying to make sense of the instruction manual. A few things are quite different to what I've been used to. It was all very frustrating as the terminology was not explained and the symbols used made no sense. So I decided to learn by doing which, really, is the way to go. We set off to explore a country road not far from home, where I would experiment with focus, zooming, light and shade and check the general sharpness of each photo. I must explain that I'm a point-and-shoot expert: I set the camera on Intelligence Plus mode ( a marvellously named function) and off I go pointing at whatever takes my fancy. While the camera does everything from bursts (filming fast action), focus stacking and making motion pictures,  I'm happy with using the basic operations for taking interesting, creative photos.

So how did the camera perform? Here are some of my shots. First up some wide-angle views.

This photo says 'Australia' to me.

So far, so good. The camera is easy to handle. What about a close-up?

And closer.

Ok. Not bad.

We continued walking, with me searching for opportunities for more experimenting. How would the camera handle a darker item?

 What about light and dark?

Steve is always telling me to look closely and find something different, such as a burst of colour among neutral colours. Here goes.

And then I saw the sheep. Yay!

Two more shots using my zoom lens.

I could just see the ocean in the far distance.

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The following day I took the camera into town and visited a market, the railway station, and the foreshore, all fodder for my camera.   

I always love this whale tail fountain.

And tried for a different shot, which I 'doctored' with extra colour when I got home.

The railway station proved a rich hunting ground, especially with the objects from a foregone era placed on the platform for atmosphere. 

And finally, to the bay. This sculpture celebrates the Indigenous inhabitants of Encounter Bay alongside explorers Matthew Flinders and Nicolas Baudin (whose 1802 encounter in these waters provided the name).

The bridge connecting the mainland to Granite Island.

And lastly - camel rides on the foreshore.

I'm delighted with my new camera. It's easy to use for what I want it to do. Next time I'll try the landscape function and dabble in some flash photography.

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