“Taking pictures is savoring life intensely, every hundreth of a second.”   – Marc Riboud

QUICK:  When was the last time you used your camera in a setting other than Auto Mode?

…Been a while hasn’t it?  Perhaps, it’s actually been since …ever.  It’s okay, you can admit it – you are an Automatic-aholic.  You, like so many others, have fallen victim to the ease and security of Auto Mode (or any of the other preprogrammed Scene Modes on your camera).  Really, it’s okay.  It’s not your fault.  In fact, feel free to blame the technical gurus at Nikon, Canon, Sony or any of the other brand name camera companies for your addiction.  I mean those guys really know their stuff and they’ve programmed today’s cameras with some pretty wicked features that conveniently take all the guess work out of photography.  But with all of that convenience comes a price.  And that price is creative freedom.  Sure you can take some really decent photos using those preprogrammed modes, but wouldn’t it be great to create something a little better than decent – to venture beyond the everyday snapshot?  If so, then you need to break the Auto habit and explore some of the other wonderful things your camera can do for you. Continue reading →