of ISO, P&S, SLRs and all that photography jargons... Reflection #8, 2008

Last week, I stumbled upon a website created for artists (or those trying and aspiring to be one - that's where i fall in the category of things!)

You know about it already (at least those who've read my blog about trying to be an artist). The thing is I really can't get it out of my mind. So whenever my eyes would fall on a "subject", I get this mental image of how it would have looked like if I had a camera and was able to freeze that moment. I think I told all those who are willing to listen (or those who had no choice but to listen) of my "newly acquired" passion in photography. I so wanted to take this as a new hobby! So I told everyone I knew and it's great to know i have a lot of supportive friends because most of them became as excited as I am! :)

Anyway, so while I'm saving to buy a real camera (now I know they are referred to as SLRs), I'm like a hungry student thirsting for anything related to photography. Thanks to the deviantART website, I came across an article that lists a series of internet links that tells a lot about basic photography.

So for the last two days I've been reading online articles, enough to know the following:
1. P&S or point and shoot is how they referred to the compact digicams that everybody seem to have nowadays
2. SLRs or Single Lens Reflex is what they call the bulky cameras that I refer to as the "real camera")
3. I learned that most of the SLRs doesn't have live-viewing while taking a photo because they have a different mechanism than the P&S ones. But the first digital camera to ever use the LCD in taking a picture is the Olympus E-10 (naks, i sound smart... :p)
4. I finally found out what ISO is for! It's actual word meaning escapes me as I type this blog but so I learned it is actually connected with the light sensitivity. So have you taken those pictures in the dark and of course you use a flash and when you review the image, all you see are your subjects washed in white light and the background is pitch black? Whew! We should have adjusted the ISO then to 400 or whatever is the highest your digicam can get.
5. Did you know that in 2004, Kodak stopped producing film cameras?! (I didn't know!)
6. Photographers would rather refer to pictures as "images" or "photos"

There's just too much to take in! So they have jargons like "noise", "shutter lag", "depth of field", "rules of third"... and who knows all the other jargons I haven't encountered yet!

I just want to share that this is making me really excited. And the best part about all this?

I seem to have the approval from the lover of my soul! So this morning, as I sat waiting for the service to begin, I flipped thru the CCF Chronicle for some announcements and guess what my eyes saw?

The CCF Photography Ministry is offering a
FREE Basic Photoshop Workshop
this Saturday, February 16, from 1:00pm - 6:00pm

Isn't it great how God even uses these things to make you feel you are loved and thought of every single day? There I was, all worked up in this "new interest"... even neglecting my quiet time as I learn more about photography than Him. But there goes my savior, presenting this great opportunity for me.

Now as I reflect more on it... I was supposed to go with Lien Release on their team building this Saturday, but this will be an overnight activity at Blue Coral in Batangas. Which means, if I go then I'll miss the music ministry practice on Saturday night... which then means I will not be able to prompt for the 3pm service on Sunday. I was seriously considering giving up my ministry in order to join the team building.

But God have a different plan for me, He always does, you know? So instead of me missing out on our time together on Sundays, He just led me to this opportunity to learn more on my new interest so I didn't have to go on that overnight trip and miss the practice and the worship service.

So with heavy heart, I'd have to turn down Ms My and Mimi's invitation for me to join their team building. I know it will be fun. It's beach, after all and I'm a beach fanatic too. And I am sure, there are a lot of sights that I could be taking pictures of. And I'd get to know more of the team members from lien release. All of that excitement, in exchange for my once a week date with the lover of my soul.

What wins? Of course, the latter.

I just feel so loved right now.