Canon T2i

Canon T2i 1-on-1 DSLR Photography Lesson at Curtis Hixon Park Tampa Florida with Marquita

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Among the fountains in Curtis Hixon Park Tampa Florida Markita learns how to shoot in manual mode with her Canon T2i during our 1-on-1 DSLR photography lessonMarquita has a party planning business (website) and wanted to be able to make her own high quality photographs for marketing and promotional purposes.  She met me one morning in Curtis Hixon Park in downtown Tampa with her Canon T2i and I began showing her how to shoot in manual mode and really take control over the results of her photographs with regard to exposure, depth of field and composition.  Marquita was a fast learner and soon was able to change all five of the necessary settings for shooting in manual mode.  

The last thing we practiced during our 1-on-1 DSLR photography lesson was a little motion blur shooting.  Marquita really liked this effect achieved by using a slow shutter speed and moving the camera while pressing the shutter to freeze the subject but blur the background to imply motion.  

Marquita has already sent practice shots of her party supplies and is applying what she learned during the photography lesson to her event party business and is thus on her way to having her new photography skills make money for her.  I look forward to meeting her again soon at her studio in St. Petersburg to learn product photography more specifically using lights and photography backgrounds, etc.

1-on-1 Canon T2i DSLR Photography Lesson in St. Petersburg with Loni

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Loni with her Canon T2i in North Straub Park during our 1-on-1 DSLR photography lesson in St. Petersburg FloridaWith the sound of racecars in the background, I met Loni for a 1-on-1 DSLR Photography Lesson in downtown St. Petersburg.  The reason for the engine noise was that the Grand Prix was going to be raced a few days later.  Fortunately the noise came and went and I was able teach my 5-step process for shooting in manual mode on a DSLR to Loni without having to talk over racecars the entire time.  Like many people that take my photography lessons, this was her first DSLR and to this point had pretty much only been shooting in auto-mode.  It is commonly thought that manual mode means changing ten or more settings to make a photograph each and every time.  Even I thought that long ago.  However, there really is no large complexity with shooting in manual mode, especially if you have the benefit of learning my tried and true step-by-step methodology.

Even though her Canon is an older model, it was actually more useful than many of the latest models as she pretty much had a physical button on the DSLR body for every one of the five things that need to be set for shooting in manual mode.  Many newer cameras make you go into menus to change some things.  

Loni caught on well in how to use the meter to get help in choosing a shutter speed as we practiced making shallow depth of field photographs, moving subject photographs and even natural light portraits in the shade.  It was another info packed 2-hour introductory lesson.  Loni wants to keep learing so I will be seeing her again soon.  

Canon T2i 1-on-1 DSLR Photography Lesson in St. Petersburg Florida with Miles

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Miles takes a swing with his Canon T2i during our DSLR Photography Lesson in St. PetersburgI was contacted by Miles' girlfriend about getting him a 1-on-1 DSLR Photography Lesson as a present for his birthday.  I of course said that sounds like a great idea and I sent her the gift certificate to be printed out and wrapped up.  I did not meet Miles in the usual downtown St. Petersburg spot due to the grand prix going on there, so we met at a new location for me, a small park at the end of Coffee Pot Blvd known to be a manatee gathering spot, and sure enough we saw several manatees along the water.

Miles had a lot of good questions to ask me to start out the lesson, many of which centering on which lens to get next, and along with teaching my 4-step process for making any shot well exposed and in focus, the small park provided a comfortable setting for that discussion and then the view of Coffee Pot Bayou from the park provided a good subject to practice making shots of.  

I had a good time during my lesson with Miles and I look forward to seeing what lens he gets next!

DSLR Photography Lesson with Mohammad at Vinoy Park

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Mohammad and his new Canon T2i with Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 lens at Vinoy Park

Mohammad is the first DSLR Photography Lesson student of mine to have the Canon T2i camera.  Before the lesson we talked several times on the phone discussing which one he should buy.  He was also considering the Canon 7D, but as the body alone would have eaten up most of his budget, I recommended he get the T2i and invest the rest in a good lens, which he did, the Tamron XR Di II 17-50m f/2.8, the same lens I use for a majority of my paid work.  

As we walked around downtown St. Petersburg ending up at Vinoy Park, we discussed the usual DSLR photography basics, like how to make a shot with bokeh, how to photograph a moving object, and how to compose a landscape shot, but we also talked a lot about traveling.  I found out that Mohammad is also a world traveler and we have been to several of the same places, least of which was the island of Koh Chang in Thailand.  It seemed a heck of a coincidence to talk about such a not so popular Thai island all the way here in St. Petersburg (my experience at Koh Lanta).  

We were treated to another great evening of spring weather Florida-style for the lesson.  

Once Mohammad returns from a trip to Mexico I look forward to hearing all about it in our second lesson. 

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