"I can tell you that I have got out of this program 100% more than I ever dreamed I would!" ~ Mandy Allen
"I can tell you that I have got out of this program 100% more than I ever dreamed I would!" ~ Mandy Allen
We're so glad, Mandy ... thank you for this wonderful post. Great work!
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For anyone who has read this far, consider mentoring someone else here (or more) ... some people don't even know where to start with their cameras and you could be the change they need in their lives. Even the smallest bit of knowledge can be passed on and you can create your mentorship in many different ways. Imagine the feeling of taking someone to their next level, paying forward the knowledge you've received and watching someone blossom with enthusiasm and accomplishment!
Originally shared by Mandy Allen
Camera Basics: Beyond Automatic2
Graduation Challenge Album
Hi guys! You have probably noticed I haven’t been around much. That’s cos I’ve been ‘back to school’ and having an amazing time on a mentorship program learning everything about my camera and its, and my, capabilities. I originally put my name down for this course because I felt it was the right time to learn more about photography and how cameras work and how to use that scary M for Manual on the dial! I also hoped to get out of my rut of mostly shooting macro and bugs and wanted a challenge to learn different kinds of photography, get other lenses on my camera and look at the world a little differently – not just in miniature.
I can tell you that I have got out of this program 100% more than I ever dreamed I would! The other mentees and I have had 6 weeks of crazy, intense learning and practice, but a lot of fun too! At times this new knowledge was overwhelming, many times it seemed really complicated and that I would never ‘get it’. But with the patient guidance of our wonderful mentors, by the end of each week after a lot of practice, you could hear the pennies dropping all over the place! It has been extremely rewarding and would not have been the same without all the other mentees who have now become great friends, as we have all been in the same boat, helping and encouraging each other when we were sinking and cheering each other when we sailed along! All the while we’ve had the cheerleaders, others who took this program last year, to help us along the way. And the mentors are just incredible and have given of their own free time to help us newbies learn all about manual exposure, and all the possibilities and opportunities that that opens up to us.
On top of all this I have just recently started using Lightroom which is an amazing program and because of that, just this last week started shooting my images in RAW as I have the software to deal with it now. Yet more intense learning and hair pulling out but I am persevering with it and loving it!
For any of you who remember me buying a Speedlight about a year or so back then declaring it was too heavy and ‘just as useless as the pop up flash’ – ha, was I wrong! I was encouraged to get it out of the drawer where it has been languishing unloved and it’s now my best friend. Well, along with my camera!
For the occasionalboot up the bum gentle encouragement of my mentors to continually push myself out of my comfort zone, I thank you with all my heart and will be eternally grateful to you.
So here I present my Graduation Challenge album. I chose not to take any macros or florals as I wanted to try yet more new things during the last week.
It’s been a blast and I want to encourage anyone who thinks this program might be for them to follow the G+ Mentorship Program for Photographers and keep an eye out for when the next program is announced (read the About section for tips as to how not to miss any announcements). Hopefully I will be able to be one of the crew of cheerleaders helping to pass on my new found knowledge and to encourage you along your new journey.
A final thank you to the program directors, the wonderful Robin Griggs Wood whose brainchild this program is, and the other two directors Tamara Pruessner and Ron Clifford.
We're so glad, Mandy ... thank you for this wonderful post. Great work!
–––
For anyone who has read this far, consider mentoring someone else here (or more) ... some people don't even know where to start with their cameras and you could be the change they need in their lives. Even the smallest bit of knowledge can be passed on and you can create your mentorship in many different ways. Imagine the feeling of taking someone to their next level, paying forward the knowledge you've received and watching someone blossom with enthusiasm and accomplishment!
Originally shared by Mandy Allen
Camera Basics: Beyond Automatic2
Graduation Challenge Album
Hi guys! You have probably noticed I haven’t been around much. That’s cos I’ve been ‘back to school’ and having an amazing time on a mentorship program learning everything about my camera and its, and my, capabilities. I originally put my name down for this course because I felt it was the right time to learn more about photography and how cameras work and how to use that scary M for Manual on the dial! I also hoped to get out of my rut of mostly shooting macro and bugs and wanted a challenge to learn different kinds of photography, get other lenses on my camera and look at the world a little differently – not just in miniature.
I can tell you that I have got out of this program 100% more than I ever dreamed I would! The other mentees and I have had 6 weeks of crazy, intense learning and practice, but a lot of fun too! At times this new knowledge was overwhelming, many times it seemed really complicated and that I would never ‘get it’. But with the patient guidance of our wonderful mentors, by the end of each week after a lot of practice, you could hear the pennies dropping all over the place! It has been extremely rewarding and would not have been the same without all the other mentees who have now become great friends, as we have all been in the same boat, helping and encouraging each other when we were sinking and cheering each other when we sailed along! All the while we’ve had the cheerleaders, others who took this program last year, to help us along the way. And the mentors are just incredible and have given of their own free time to help us newbies learn all about manual exposure, and all the possibilities and opportunities that that opens up to us.
On top of all this I have just recently started using Lightroom which is an amazing program and because of that, just this last week started shooting my images in RAW as I have the software to deal with it now. Yet more intense learning and hair pulling out but I am persevering with it and loving it!
For any of you who remember me buying a Speedlight about a year or so back then declaring it was too heavy and ‘just as useless as the pop up flash’ – ha, was I wrong! I was encouraged to get it out of the drawer where it has been languishing unloved and it’s now my best friend. Well, along with my camera!
For the occasional
So here I present my Graduation Challenge album. I chose not to take any macros or florals as I wanted to try yet more new things during the last week.
It’s been a blast and I want to encourage anyone who thinks this program might be for them to follow the G+ Mentorship Program for Photographers and keep an eye out for when the next program is announced (read the About section for tips as to how not to miss any announcements). Hopefully I will be able to be one of the crew of cheerleaders helping to pass on my new found knowledge and to encourage you along your new journey.
A final thank you to the program directors, the wonderful Robin Griggs Wood whose brainchild this program is, and the other two directors Tamara Pruessner and Ron Clifford.
Nimi Rajesh Thanks very much Nimi! :-)
ReplyDeleteWell I am even slower noticing your original comment from April D Stuart !!! Thanks very much and also to Bella Krystina Isabella Brion - it was a fantastic time wasn't it?
ReplyDeleteI have been putting it into practice ever since and thank my lucky stars I can over or underexpose where necessary because I'm finding so many occasions when the camera's idea of good exposure sucks big time! :-)))))))
And even though I'm not posting on G+ at the moment I am still eternally grateful to this place and the G+ Mentorship Program for Photographers for what they did for me. xx
And also to say that if there's another mentorship during the winter months I will still be happy to help out. Just can't do it during the growing season. :-)
ReplyDelete