As part of my “new year new me” trend that I’m actually kinda keeping up with, I took a photography class in March and April. It was Photo I at Richard Stromberg’s Photography School in Ravenswood, and I didn’t quite know what to expect. The first class was the Tuesday after I returned from Vegas and I showed up ten minutes late. It was a decently full class and they spent the time going over the basics of how to use the camera. It was a bit boring, especially after a long day of work, but after seven weeks my photos/knowledge improved significantly.

My first assignment did not turn out well. We were told to simply follow The Supreme Rule of photography (1/focal length for shutter speed) and I couldn’t figure it out for any image. Some of my pictures turned out okay but it wasn’t until the third week that I really saw a difference.

My favorite picture is of the bean. It was a rough day at work accompanied by rough weather, but I trekked outside to get my pictures. The rain died down but it was still a bit windy, and I got some rain droplets on my lens. The crowds were low and I was able to capture a great image.

From there I felt like I really understood how to operate the camera. I was able to adjust different settings to figure out what would work best, and then play around a bit with what worked with my ~vision~. I then went on to the next assignment and captured some fun depth of field images with public art sculptures. The classic Chicago cow made an appearance as well as the Art Institute Lion.

I am so happy I took the class and spent time learning more about the camera. I have another lens I am eager to use and I hopefully will do so with Photo II. For now, my black and white portraits of my friend did the job and I am excited to play around this summer. Photo II will have to wait until the fall, so I can enjoy every moment of the weather after work.

It was a great experience to step out of my comfort zone a bit and try something new. My May activity begins this weekend- I’m moving into my own place! That will definitely be out of my comfort zone but I am incredibly excited to be living on my own and living the city life. Now that the weather is nice and class is over, you can cash me ousside. Looking forward to fun all summer long.