This weekend I participated in a Chicago Adventure Photo Safari.  I will no longer need to use my Nikon D3000 as a point-and-shoot camera.  I actually now have ‘some’ photo skills.  I need a whole lot of practice, but the fact that I now know how to use some of the camera settings and have learned things I didn’t know at all is very exciting.

Here are some pictures I took during my Safari.

The first few pictures were taken at the Lincoln Park Conservatory.  I had just learned how to change the aperture and why I would want to change the aperture on my camera.  I then took several pictures focusing in on a specific flower, while blurring out the flowers and foliage in the background and/or foreground.

The next few pictures were taken after the instructor taught us about changing the camera’s shutter speed to capture more or less of movement detail in a photo.   Our moving subject was water.

And then I learned about metering and how to use my camera to pick up more light and detail in a photo.

The first photo show a stained glass window in a church.

And using metering I was able to pick up more light and detail.

Okay, now I realized this is probably much more exciting for me than it is for most of my readers.  I’m also sure that some of you already knew how to do these things, but it’s an exciting new discovery for my limited photography skill level.  Plus, I really wanted to get this post on my blog to show my new found skills.  As I continue to post photos here, I hope to see a marked improvement in the quality.

Shortly after Naomi came home, I purchased a nice Nikon D3000 DSLR camera.  However, I still know very little about using all the features of this camera and how much sense does it make to have a nice camera and not know how to use the features.  The camera certainly takes better photos than my little point and shoot digital camera, but it could do so much more if only I knew what I was doing.

Knowing my limitations, my hubby purchased a book to help me learn more about operating the camera.  I’ve opened the book several times, but would find myself getting lost and still not fully comprehending the ins and outs of DSLR photography.  I learn much better in a hands-on learning environment and a couple of times had considered signing up for a photography class.

Then Christmas arrived and my husband used his creativity and gave me several envelopes for Christmas.  Okay, envelopes aren’t that creative and they certainly aren’t interesting, but the contents of the envelopes were very creative and interesting.

Upon opening one of the envelopes I discovered a very exciting gift.  My creative and awesome hubby had purchased a Groupon voucher for me to attend an Instructional Chicago Photography Safari from Chicago Photo Safaris.  I was handed the opportunity to learn how to use the camera that I’ve owned for the last 1 1/2 years.

Of course this left me in a dilemma.  What safari do I want to sign up for?  If you click on the link above, you will see that I have some choices.

Then we made reservations to go to Guatemala for a visit.  Obviously, I needed to sign up for one of the classes before we head out on that trip.  What a great way to use my new photography skills, right?

But wait!!!!  That would mean a safari in winter, in Chicago.

What should I do?

Today the decision was made.  I am going to brave the Chicago winter weather and attend the Chicago Photo Adventure Day Safari.  I can’t allow the opportunity to gain better photo skills with so many opportunities to use those skills on the horizon.  I’ll prepare for wicked winter weather and hope for a wonderful, unseasonably warm winter day in Chicago.  And if there happens to be snow, than so be it.  After all, a snowy day in Chicago is an opportunity to create some beautiful photo art.

And if any of my blog friends or family would like to join me, I’m signed up for the January 28th class.  There are still openings in the class, so sign up and join me.