I just signed up for an online Digital Photography Course!

I just signed up for an online Digital Photography Course!

When I was a Graphic Design student back in the early 90’s, one of our subjects we had to take was photography. I couldn’t have signed up for an online Digital Photography Course way back then because they didn’t exist, I think the internet was still a baby! My dad lent me his old Minolta camera for the course and I loved capturing closeups of intricate details in plants and exploring composition, contrast and visual storytelling. I also enjoyed learning about the different technical aspects such as shutter speeds and aperture settings, but unfortunately I can’t remember any of those now.

I do remember that one of the first things we had to do on the course is make our own pinhole camera out of cardboard. It’s still amazing to me that you can actually construct your own camera and take real photographs using just a shoebox! I put a bowtie on my cardboard pinhole camera so that I could say “be careful his bowtie is really a camera“. I thought I was funnier in those days than I actually was, I think.

I also remember the smell of the dark room, the anxiety of being careful to open your spools in pitch darkness, having to create contact sheets and the magic of seeing your images emerge from the developing fluid.

Sadly I don’t remember the model of my dad’s camera as, even sadder, it was stolen from the boot of my car in Johannesburg early one morning as we were about to head off on holidays down to the Berg.

Losing the camera would be one of the big reasons why I didn’t keep up manual photography and can’t remember how to use all the features on a camera. The other big reason is of course photography and cameras have changed so much since the 90’s.

A couple of years after I graduated, I was teaching Adobe Photoshop classes and in those days we scoffed at the quality of images that digital cameras were producing. Nowadays, the quality on your phone camera would be far superior to the best digital cameras back then!

Now, this past Christmas, approximately 20 years after my dad’s camera was stolen, I received a camera as a present from Athol and the kids. I was so overwhelmed with gratitude and delight that I burst into tears! My camera is a Nikon D3500* (yes I know I was thoroughly spoilt) which apparently is an excellent starter camera if you are wanting to get into digital photography. I have been taking it out and about and trying to figure out how to use all the features as best I can but I’ve finally decided it’s time to take a course.

About 4 years ago, after attending a creative writing workshop at our local library in Wexford here in Ireland, I signed up for an online Short Story Writing course through Universal Class. It was a great course, I learnt a lot and I was able to go at my own pace, although the course has to be completed within a certain time frame – which was good, I always do better with deadlines! The brilliant thing about UniversalClass is you have access to a personal tutor via e-mail who will answer questions, and, if you sign up through the library, these courses are free!

So this morning I did a search for an online photography course and signed up to Digital Photography 101! Woohoo!!

I am excited about taking this course to discover what those little numbers and symbols all over the dial and buttons actually mean. My camera now has a screen on the back where the spool used to go which to my mind is as complex looking as an aeroplane cockpit.

I also love that this hobby brings me so much joy. Last night I went for a walk in the woods with my camera and the stopping to look and observe the world around from new angles gave me a greater appreciation for the beauty that we have surrounding us. I hope to capture a small piece of this in my photographs.

I am looking forward to being able to use this hobby in my blogging business too in order to create beautiful images for my blog posts. And hopefully now my Instagram feed will soon start to demonstrate my new found skills! 😀 😀

Here are a few of my favourite shots I’ve taken since Christmas time:

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Are you even an Instagram mum if you haven’t taken a photo of your child in a rapeseed field? Apparently yes as that was me right up until yesterday! All these years we’ve been spending evenings and weekends running from one activity to the next, I haven’t stopped to smell these gorgeous fields. I had no idea what I was missing out on. It’s insane to think that there have been consecutive years when I have missed the bluebell season too when the woods are right across the road from our home! This slower pace of life definitely has its advantages. . . . #rishcountryside #rapeseed #rapeseedfield #mybabygirl #mumtribeireland #irishparentingblogger #Wexford #mylightermoments #flashesofdelight #snaphappybritmums #creatorsie #sunnysoutheast #slowliving #spiritofireland

A post shared by ₗᵢbₑᵣₜy ₕₑₙwᵢcₖ (@libertyonthelighterside) on May 16, 2020 at 7:26am PDT

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There’s one missing in the family group photo – again! Teenagers’ social lives are waaaay more enticing than going on a walk with the boring old family, so it’s becoming harder and harder to get us all together when we go anywhere. I considered putting my foot down and insisting she joined us this time, but then the prospect of dodging death-ray eyeball beams all afternoon seemed too exhausting. 🙁🙄😒 To be honest, I am a teeeeny bit relieved that there is marginally less bickering in the back of the car too. 😁 But this mother hen is always more settled when we’re all back together again. 🐓 . . . #motherofteens #parentingteens #mumblogger #myfamily #creatorsie #sunset #irelandcaptured

A post shared by ₗᵢbₑᵣₜy ₕₑₙwᵢcₖ (@libertyonthelighterside) on Jan 23, 2020 at 11:04am PST

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We’ve been blown around a bit these past few days while #stormdennis has been wreaking havoc with severe flooding in some parts of the UK. . I’m glad to see the sun shining again today (although it was short lived)…if only we could time travel towards the summer and get stuck there! . Half term is coming up this week and we’ll be having 2 extra teens in the house for 3 nights. I hope we get some fine weather so that we can get out a bit. . Do you have any nice plans? Actually scrap that question, whether you’re going skiing or to Lanzarote I don’t want to hear about it. Have fun, enjoy it, but don’t share any pictures here on Instagram! 🤣💚🙈 #maybejustabitjealous . If you capture a moment of beauty in the day or something that makes you smile, I’d love you to join me in sharing those highlights with the #mylightermoments hashtag and tag me in your posts so that I can share them! . #rosslare #rosslarestrand

A post shared by ₗᵢbₑᵣₜy ₕₑₙwᵢcₖ (@libertyonthelighterside) on Feb 16, 2020 at 5:07am PST

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Yesterday was our one day of sunshine this half term. Well that was nice. However, I was determined to take the kids for a walk today so even though it was cold and howling a gale I took them up Forth Mountain. If course there were a couple of them who forgot to bring hats or gloves. I thought it would be a quick walk but two hours later… There’s a new path up but the route back was unclear and took a little bit longer than I had promised them (only another hour) as we ended up walking a long way through the back lanes of Barntown. Things didn’t start well with the kids squabbling and wanting to eat the snacks immediately. But the longer the walk, the nicer and happier they became! The last half an hour of trekking was accompanied by a loud Disney Repertoire, I hope the local residents don’t mind. It seems to me that the secret to happy teens is to make them walk just long enough for the initial complaints to wear off but not too long before they begin again. . . . #halfterm #Wexford #wexfordblogger #ireland_passion #ireland_daily #irelandsancienteast #irelandcalling #momentsinmothering #lifecloseup #motherhoodunplugged #motherhoodunited #inbeautyandchaos #instamoms #mommyandme #motherhoodrising #motherhoodintheraw #motherhoodrising #documentyourdays #watchthemgrow #ohheymama #motherhoodintheraw #humansofjoy #kidlife #our_everyday_moments #gentleparenting #momswhoblog #motherofteens

A post shared by ₗᵢbₑᵣₜy ₕₑₙwᵢcₖ (@libertyonthelighterside) on Feb 21, 2020 at 11:29am PST

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Easter break is over, the sun is out again after its two day absence, the daisies have made a reappearance on the lawn and we’re back to homeschooling. 🏠 I wrote an interview style blog post today asking each of my kids in turn how they feel about homeschool and lockdown in general. It was interesting hearing their views, how they differ from one another and even us as adults. I have found that I only really know how to help my kids deal with what ever is troubling them once I understand what the trouble really is. And they aren’t always bothered by the same things we are. Maybe some of the questions could be helpful for you to use in asking your own teens and tweens to help you gauge what they are feeling in this uncertain time. One thing is for certain, they look to us parents to help them navigate their way through. Link to the post is in my bio. Thanks for reading. Xx . . . #quaranteens #creatorsie #quarantween #modernparenting #mumblogger #irishparentingblogger #mblog #ireland_insta #wexfordblogger #memoirsofmotherhood #snaphappybritmums

A post shared by ₗᵢbₑᵣₜy ₕₑₙwᵢcₖ (@libertyonthelighterside) on Apr 20, 2020 at 2:12pm PDT

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Happiness is a patch of daisies. . . . #daisies #saturdayshenanigans #saturdayquotes #mumtribeireland #momentsofdelight #motherhoodrising #gardenlover #butterfly #orisitamoth?

A post shared by ₗᵢbₑᵣₜy ₕₑₙwᵢcₖ (@libertyonthelighterside) on May 2, 2020 at 1:15pm PDT

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They say that beauty is in the details! 😯 It always amazes me what pops up in the untended corners of our garden! And I have never seen a spider like this before, it’s prettier than I initially thought after I looked closer. Our garden is a little wild around the edges and plants grow by themselves in most places. Because we live in Ireland, plants that love damp conditions thrive here. These Arum lilies must have been planted by the previous owner as they popped up in the flower bed in our first summer here 15 years ago and keep returning every year with no care from me. I do love them though! (Maybe the spider not so much but he has a pretty home so I’ll leave him there). . . . #randomgardener #arumlily #itsinthedetails #details #spider #inmygardentoday #inmygarden #creatorsie #mumblogger #nurturenature #nurtureyoursoul #selfcare #midlifemum #mylightermoments #irishgarden #irishgardening #instaireland #ireland_passion #irelanddaily #wexford

A post shared by ₗᵢbₑᵣₜy ₕₑₙwᵢcₖ (@libertyonthelighterside) on Jun 14, 2020 at 10:42am PDT

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We found the summer down in Kilmore Quay this afternoon! It’s good to be out and about, and especially wonderful to be able to stand beside a big blue sea. Social distancing measures are evident everywhere though, it’s something we have to get used to now although it’s not easy. There seem to be different rules for different places so it’s all a bit confusing. To mask or not to mask, that seems to be the current question here. . . . #Kilmore #kilmorequay #visitwexford #visitireland #instaireland #irelanddaily #ireland_passion #spreadbloggerlove #networkbloggers #creatorsie #momentsinmothering #lifecloseup #motherhoodunplugged #motherhoodunited #inbeautyandchaos #instamums #mommyandme #mumtribeireland #ipbig #coolmumclub #clickinmoms #childhoodunplugged #motherhoodalive #documentyourdays #watchthemgrow #motherhoodintheraw #humansofjoy #makeportraits #our_everyday_moments #mumswhoblog

A post shared by ₗᵢbₑᵣₜy ₕₑₙwᵢcₖ (@libertyonthelighterside) on Jul 1, 2020 at 9:48am PDT

Are you on Instagram too? If so let’s connect there!

So no doubt I will let you know how I get on with the course, hopefully between the rain and the kids I’ll be able to complete it.

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