I’m pretty sure I inherited my love of cemeteries from my dad. I grew up listening to (and loving) stories of my dad spending time in cemeteries all over England doing grave rubbings (not to be confused with grave robbing). Plus, they’re peaceful and usually devoid of people. However, after watching many a Doctor Who episode, my love of cemeteries is tempered by my fear of weeping angels. Oh, and zombies. Since I don’t tend to venture into cemeteries after dark, I don’t really have a fear of newly risen vampires. Is that dumb? Maybe, but I’ll take my chances. (P.S. Vampires that sparkle and walk around in daytime are FICTIONAL.)

Today, the weather was right (read: NOT OVERCAST AND RAINING) and the temperature was bearable, so I went out on a photo excursion to give shooting in full manual mode a go. I’ve skimmed and read a few articles online about shooting in manual and the basics of aperture and shutter speed and came to the conclusion that I just needed to start doing it. I mean, I can read about it all I want, but if I don’t actually put some of this new-found knowledge to use? It’s worthless.

I took 568 photos in about two hours. (I can’t help it. I’m Asian.) I use continuous shooting mode in the hopes that one of those shots will be the one I’m after. It’s both good and bad. Good in that I increase the odds of getting the “perfect shot” and bad in that I end up with a LOT of photos to go through to find the ones I like. Turns out there were 14 that I liked. I think that for my first foray into shooting in manual mode, that’s not too shabby. (That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.)

I’ll be completely honest. I did end up having to do a little editing to most of these photos once I got them on my computer. A good bit of it was straightening them out and cropping them. I would like to be one of those photographers who never has to touch up her photos, but I’m nowhere near there just yet. And I am willing to accept that I’ve got a lot to learn before I get there. If I ever get there. In the meantime, I have the tools to assist me post shot to create the shot I was aiming for. I refuse to feel guilty for needing the aid. Or using it. And until I learn how to create these shots with the camera alone, I’ll take all the help I can get. Besides, sometimes I’m not sure what it was I was trying to capture until I edit the photo. In a way, it’s a kind of learning tool in regard to composition. At least it is for me.

While I was out taking photos, there was an older gentleman mowing grass in another part of the cemetery. When he got done, he stopped by to check on me and to suggest in the future that I visit the cemetery when more people are around or with a friend or three.

He was trying really hard to be polite and not insult me and I really did appreciate his concern. But he was worried about unsavory people having their way with me in the cemetery. I was more concerned with whether or not there were any weeping angels in the cemetery and whether or not I had my back to them. Well, that and I was doing my best to make sure I wasn’t standing on anyone’s grave. In case of zombies reaching through the earth to grab me and eat my brains. So that elderly gentlemen and I really weren’t on the same page about, well, anything. But I did assure him that I would leave before the sun went down. Which was my plan all along. (I really didn’t want to add newly risen vampires to my list of things to be afraid of in a cemetery.)

I love how this little headstone looks like someone moved it to the wall to get it out of the way because it’s broken. It’s almost like it’s waiting to get fixed so it can go back out to play with the other headstones. You know, as headstones do. In a cemetery.

Anyway. Moving along.

My plans for my camera are to shoot regularly, take classes, and have fun. So far I’m off to a pretty good start. Though, I do want to invest in a few more lenses. And a pretty camera bag. Also, an external flash and probably an extra camera battery. Still, I’m off to a good start with the part where I’m taking pictures and having fun.

Oh, and if you like, you can see the rest of the photos I shot over here. Though I should warn you, I did take (more) pictures of the angels. Just don’t look any of them in the eye and you should be fine. Well, except you really don’t have anything to worry about with the headless one.