I have started a photography evening course - specifically titled “ABC Level 3 Award in Digital Photo-Imaging” - at the Thames Valley University every week starting last week. After the first week introductions to the course, the facilities and our opportunity to ask questions and answer the teacher’s (Mike’s) questions we didn’t take any photos. After ordering my DSLR (I eventually decided to get a Nikon d80 after countless times failing to “win” my eBay bids for the Nikon d40) and some faffing around with the seller (and paypal) it eventually arrived on Monday. Not just a camera but also a camera rucsac, filters, 50mm Nikkor f1.8 lens, a huge reflector, and spare battery, and battery grip. The weather this week since the camera arrived has been dodgy. Raining 60% of the time and dark the other 40%. I took the camera out on Tue night to try it outside, as well as testing out on Marion at every opportunity too! Last night (Thu) was the second lesson. We learnt about ISO, Aperture and Shutter Speed. And this time we were put into pairs and told to go into the canteen and take photos of each other. My partner Gareth had an enormously heavy D300 and 18-200mm combination. It was difficult for me with my 50mm lens not being able to zoom in/out, it’s going to take a long time to get used to that! But but but I do have the lens of my film camera (Nikon f80) which is a sigma 28-80mm f3.5 zoom. The quality of lenses are not the same (the Nikkor lens being better) but until I get more lens(es) this is all I have to shoot with. My homework:

• 3 shots of the same scene using different white balance (WB) settings (including which one is using the “correct” WB);
• 3 shots under Aperture Priority (f11)
  1. 1 shot @ 1/30;
  2. 1  shot @ 1/125;
  3. 1 shot @ 1/500.
• 3 shots under Shutter Priority (1/60):
  1. 1 shot @ Large D.o.F (depth of Field);
  2. 1 shot @ Medium DoF;
  3. 1 shot @ Small DoF

I must include how I made these shots. As well as writing up the notes from the lesson last night. Sounds intreaguing.