Photography 101

Rob and I bought a Nikon D40 just before we came to Greece and at the beginning of January I (Kate) enrolled in an English speaking digital photography course. We had been using our camera on the auto mode until January, and although we were getting great results, I figured we may as well learn how to use the camera to its fullest potential! I must pause here and tell you that I learned so much more than how to take a picture during my lessons. For example, my lessons were in Kiffisia, which meant it was about a 1:15-30 minute commute taking three different trains. Rob went with me to my first lesson so I knew exactly how to get to there, so I told him not to worry about accompanying me to my second lesson. Big mistake. What I didn't know was that one of the tracks was under construction so I was ushered onto a city bus (which I had not taken before) where I rode for about 45 minutes wondering the entire time just exactly where I was. Needless to say my maps didn't extend that far out into the suburbs of Athens so I got off the bus and called my teacher for directions. Lesson: Don't trust the buses in Athens. Period. :)

During my course I learned the ins and outs of my camera including: shutter speed, aperture, ISO, white balance, metering modes, depth of field, etc. Tomorrow will be my last lesson and although I'm a bit sad to be finished I am hoping to continue taking lessons when we get back to Indiana. Here is a picture of my class:Here are just a few other photos I've taken demonstrating different metering modes....
This photo of the sea was taken on our way to Sounion and demonstrated matrix metering mode. In Matrix mode the light of the entire frame is measured for an average. I really like how the sun rays hit the water!
This shot of the Tower of the Winds in the Roman Agora in Athens demonstrates the center-weight metering mode. In center-weight the object in the center of the frame is 'weighted' more than the surrounding.

Finally, Rob's head-shot demonstrates the spot-metering mode. More emphasis is put on his face rather than the surroundings!

Roman Holiday

In January, we spent four days in Rome and one in Florence. We stayed in a cute little boutique hotel in Trastevere which seemed to be the perfect location for delicious food, wine and scenery. In between our gastronomic excesses we managed to experience all of the major sites in Rome: The Vatican and its many museums, St. Peter's Square, Roman Forum, Colosseum, Spanish Steps, Pantheon, and the Capitoline Museums. Sometimes it was just nice to stroll along the Tiber River too. The weather was chilly and a bit rainy, but the time away from Athens was fantastic. Follow these links to some of our favorite photos from our trip.

http://picasaweb.google.com/queenb1422/RomaPart1?authkey=Gv1sRgCLW99cXZ6JSfYQ&feat=directlink

http://picasaweb.google.com/queenb1422/RomaPart2Florence?authkey=Gv1sRgCKCZycy2_tqs9gE&feat=directlink

http://picasaweb.google.com/queenb1422/RomaPart3?authkey=Gv1sRgCKuqprDg45O6JQ&feat=directlink

http://picasaweb.google.com/queenb1422/RomaPart4?authkey=Gv1sRgCO6Rm-GuqMbCCg&feat=directlink