I spent yesterday learning the basics of DSLR photography (even though my camera is mirrorless and therefore technically not DSLR) in the middle of an industrial estate – turned arts complex just outside Wimbledon. DSLR Photography Courses have a range of different offerings and a voucher for this one was a Christmas gift from the OH.

I’d been looking forward to the course for ages. I have bought lots of books on Aperture and Shutter Speed (not to mention the ones that my dear friend @fizzandnonsense, who has taught herself to take wonderful photos, sent me,) but sometimes nothing but being taught in person will do. Our tutor for the day, Aga, explained that learning to take photographs is like learning to drive: it’s a sort of muscle memory taught by thousands of different experiences, all of them slightly different. 

We could only scratch the surface of the art in one day, of course and, just as my singing lessons have revealed, sometimes it’s easy to feel demoralised because you come away pondering exactly how much there is to learn and how long it will take, but I hope it will be an interesting journey. That’s what people say these days, isn’t it? 

I’ll have to dust off Lightroom and actually work out how to use it, but I’m hoping that this will be the start of some nice picture taking. Above is picture of Aga playing with water balloons in the car park outside the studio. Yes, I know that the exposure is a bit dark – it was a very dull day – and that the background is sucky but you’re supposed to be focusing on the exploding water droplets. For me just remembering to press the button in time was a feat in itself.