This is going to be a much needed update … I’ve only just discovered that my ‘About’ page needs a drastic change. Actually looking back on it was a good thing as I can now appreciate how much further along the photographic path I’ve moved!!

I did indeed upgrade my camera – first to an Olympus Stylus 1, which is still a straightforward compact one, but then I went for my present camera which is an Olympus OM DE 10 plus lenses : zuiko 42mm , zuiko 40-150 zoom and a zuiko 60mm macro lens. My most recent buy was a Lensbaby Composer pro Sweet 35 – that I’m still trying to get the hang of ….   The beauty of my Olympus camera is it’s light weight , but the downside has been , for me, its somewhat complicated menu systems. But, as with all learning – the more you can practice and use, the easier it becomes to remember everything. Counter balance that though with the memory becoming less efficient in ‘old’ age [now 81 – gasp!].

I’m also finding that ‘age’ is slowing me down quite a bit now and I can no longer do the things I used to, so I very much have to work within my limits, which can be very frustrating!  I also don’t post as much here or on my ‘Christian’ blog any longer.

MY ORIGINAL POST

I love taking photographs and I especially enjoy getting creative with my software programmes. Modern technology has opened up a whole new world to me and I only wish digital cameras had been available in my youth instead of having to wait 10 days or so for the results of my labours in the form of little 2″ square black & white photos   …. ah, Happy Days !

Now in my senior years, I have a Canon digital camera which I can keep permanently on ‘Auto’. I never could get my head around working out the mathematical formulas of shutter speeds, exposures, metering etc etc  – oh dear – decisions, decisions ….

However – even on Auto, there is still too much technical stuff to deal with and I simply want basics. I know for a fact that I’m not able to take advantage of all my camera can do because I just don’t know it well enough yet.

Still – I have advanced enough to be able to choose ‘settings’ eg portrait, indoors, snow and the like, with a turn of the wheel with a ‘Func set’ button in the middle  –  that is after after going round and round with several attempts to stop at the right ‘Icon’  …..   and I still don’t like having to wade through ‘Menus’. I can get overloaded with too much info at times.

Maybe it’s the old male/female thing again as, like washing machines and cookers [ men seem to be the inventors] , all us girls want is Basics that get the job done in the quickest possible time. Who cares about timers and thousands of programmes that you’re never gonna use? Just switch it on, do it and switch off please !

So – there we are  – considering all my ignorance, I’m still able to produce reasonable images and while that is the case, I may not ever advance to a Digital SLR camera – even though everyone insists I would get even better results. P’raps someone out there can convince me ?

Bye for now      Eileen

UPDATE!    I did get myself another little Canon camera with a bigger zoom and better display so that I don’t have to go round in circles for my settings anymore. I’m seriously thinking of  taking courage to buy a ‘bridge’ camera. One of my concerns is weight as the hands are weakening with age!! I need to get to a camera shop to try them out methinks….. oh dear – I’m such a procrastinator!