The Trials of Amateur Photography

Here in Tennessee, our winter weather ranges from the icy teeth of a blizzard to a very mild autumn day. This year we've had hardly any snow, which I'm sure the schools appreciate, but the children hardly do. 

This rainy, cold day, I decided to ignore the urgent call of Aeschylus and attempt to capture some winter foliage with my camera. I envisioned taking beautiful pictures like the ones in nature magazines or Pinterest; a suspended droplet reflecting the surrounding greenery, a naked branch bejeweled with rainwater, an interesting puddle. I fired my camera until the rain forced me indoors. Hopes aglow, I played back the images one by one.

Blurry pictures. 

Busy backgrounds.

Dullness.

I hadn't learned to use all the settings, and so the images were far from what I'd hoped for. Most of them would be trashed, if not all. But instead of putting my camera away as angrily as I could without damaging it, I fiddled with it some more. Learning the settings. Adjusting the focus. Experimenting.

Next time a rainy day comes around, I'll be ready.