“C”amera

Bales of hay are common around the midwest. They do remind me of Tootsie Rolls. © 2013 by Diane Weidenbenner

It seems like I’ve always had a camera. Of course my first was a Ricoh film camera. I traipsed around Europe with 28 rolls of film and swapped them out as they filled up with memories. I then had to save up money in order to get them developed after I returned to the States.

When I did finally have the money, and the gumption to fill out all those film envelopes, six months later, it was exciting. Through those developed photos, I relived the highlights of my vacation all over again. I took way more pictures than most people in order to make sure that I got a good shot of the things that I liked. My friends and I would get together and share our pictures, and it was amazing how we were at the same places but saw very different things and captured different moments in time through our lenses. Viewpoint is everything!

Fall leaves in Indiana make for beautiful close-ups. © 2013 by Diane Weidenbenner

My next camera was a panoramic camera which I also took on vacation one year, along with my film model. There’s nothing like a photo of the Roman Colosseum in wide-angle. I’d like to include one in a blog but didn’t have time to scan it so perhaps I’ll include it when I get to the “Ps”. How do you like that for a teaser?

I now have a Canon Rebel DSLR camera which I really enjoy. I’ve gone from one extreme to the other, hardly ever getting my pictures developed. I want to remedy this, because I miss looking at the prints. I make some of the better shots into cards and give them away to friends for special occasions.

A lake in Brown County State Park. Thousands of acres to investigate and oh, the possibilities! © 2013 by Diane Weidenbenner

I’d like to take a photography class to learn more about controlling the camera’s various buttons. I experiment with them now and read the manual, but I would learn much from a professional. Not to mention all the gadgets I would learn to use with my camera, like external lighting, filters, etc.

My friend, Sandy, and I drive around and look for awesome photo opportunities. It’s a wonderful pastime and always a welcome adventure.