So…these aren’t the most amazing, intriguing, stunning shots I’ve ever taken. BUT, they meet the requirements of my challenge to myself to take shots in manual mode in an effort to learn about light. What I’ve learned so far is that the images don’t look as bright once I get them onto my computer. I find myself bumping the exposure up on almost all of them, maybe about a half a stop. A little tidbit to keep in my back pocket.

I promise, dear internet readers, to have some photos of actual PEOPLE up very soon! I do consider photos of animals to be portraits, too…but there’s something a little more satisfying about calling photos “portraits” when they are actually of human beings.

The exposure was f/5.6 and 1/50, ISO 200. Shot around 4:00 PM in the winter (sunset time 5:00). The sun was beginning to dip below the tree line. In the edit, I bumped the exposure up a little over half a stop, warmed the white balance up slightly, and bumped the contrast and clarity up.

The exposure was f/3.2 and 1/250, ISO 200. Same time as above. I couldn’t help myself on this edit! It was just calling out for more contrast in B&W! I didn’t change it to grayscale, but I took the vibrance all the way down, then I played with the highlights, darks, and shadows. I also bumped up the exposure, contrast, and clarity.

Exposure was f/8 and 1/80, ISO 200. And this one is straight out of camera, aside from a small boost in clarity! Love it!