Week 2 - Taking Photographs

Ok... week 1 and 2 have been too hectic, I will start with an introduction: I have never owned or known anyone with a Digital SLR to use, and instead have managed to tolerate my Pentax Optio S6 now for too long. I have been travelling the world for 5 years now, in between my studies. I have studied in San Diego, Lived in London, Berlin and France and adventured all over Europe, Sth East Asia and Africa, and all with my Pentax, to which i am growing antagonistic towards. My memories have been captured (and sometimes lost due to travel dilemmas) but to be in such amazing , breathtaking and surreal places in time and space, and to be able to share these moments is something special. My camera has not only served to capture memories but also served as an educational tool for my travelling as well. There was little options to manipulate and take control over capturing images, and instead i have taken great interest in manipulating photos 'after' they were captured.

Week two i finally took control over the images i captured using AV mode and changing the ISO and Exposure ranges. The St Albans campus i have always found to be uninspiring, although found interest in the small things around like the fire extinguisher, a bike and reflective mirrors. I always knew light to be an important element with the outcome of pictures, but didnt realise how detrimental and technical the process was. This made me reflect... I have always driven a automatic car and last month i decided to buy a manual and learn to drive it. After 3 weeks of learning to drive with gears and a clutch, it all clicked and now i will never go back to automatic. As with a camera, you must work with the vehicle/instrument, understand how and why it operates a certain way and learn to work with it for a successful output. I am at the first steps in learning to use a SLR camera, where only practise and experimentation will develop my understandings. Only problem is, i dont have a SLR to practise with.

I have been trying to find ideas/themes for my images. I work in a live music venue, "The Arthouse", which has been effected by the new liquor licensing laws and threatens to shut down. The Arthouse has been a home to me and thousands of other musicians, familes, travellers and friends for 19 years. My idea was to capture these moments before we close down. Or capturing the live music industry in melbourne and the effects from the government.

I have added some travel pictures as well as Week 2 photos

www.flickr.com/photos/melodysdigitalfineartphotography