Burning Bush (not really burning of course)
I used to go on walks with my “Pal” Camera – a real camera that felt like a real camera.
But Pal has been replaced by this stranger thing called a smart phone.
It is so much smarter than I am that I need to take lessons and go on practice photo shoots.
Practice Session #1 was this morning and the first problem was the glare.
Cemetery Visit for Halloween
I could barely see what I was photographing so had to take photos standing in the shade. I might have to wear a wide brimmed hat all the time now or miss out on great photo ops!
The next problem was in holding the thing still. I never felt shaky with a camera before but I need a walker to lean on for this one.
Then if I tried to zoom in with that funny thing you do with your fingers on a “touch screen” the shot would get either too big or too fuzzy.
And finally, the “stupid phone” would not respond to my brutal tapping on the shutter camera icon.
There were only three recognizable pictures conjured from a 30 minute walk on a beautiful fall day.
And people out for a Sunday stroll no doubt wondered why that strange woman was standing so long in one place aiming her phone at a burning bush.
Virginia Views 
I have a hard time “viewing” my shot with any digital camera on a sunny day.
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Good luck with the phone. I still carry around my little camera and my phone remains dumb but who knows how long that will last? 😉
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As I commented earlier, the only photos I usually take with my phone are “emergency” ones –
These look great to me though!
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Don’t worry Dor, you’re not alone. I have the brand new iPhone, and I have the same problems. I still prefer my big DSLR camera which I can hold steady and look through the viewfinder so that it doesn’t matter if it’s sunny out. On the other hand, when you don’t have a “real” camera with you and you really want to capture a moment, it’s nice to be able to just whip out your phone. You will get more comfortable with it over time.
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I have decided on a smart phone so I will be joining you shortly at classes for the smart phone impaired folks.
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Have fun with your new friend!
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#$%^&* dumb smart phone!
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but…..the fotos are awesome!!
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I’m glad that I’m not the only person who struggles to take good photos with a phone. I generally just use my digital camera–but I always feel like I should be trying to get better at using the camera on my phone.
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Hi Dor lovely photo. How are you now? I keep thinking of you. cheers Judy 🙂
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Smiling. We don’t have cell phone service here in our neck of the woods, so I don’t have to worry about buying that “stranger” for a while longer… Your pics look nice even though you suffered so!
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Shade is the solution I guess. A big floppy hat doesn’t work. I tried that yesterday.
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Thanks for stopping by! I may wind up carrying my little camera too, but things are improving ever so slightly with the smart phone deciding to cooperate. 🙂
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All your photos look great to me Dianna. You have a “knack!”
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Comforting words my friend and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate them. And yes your camera is BIG! I remember you lugging it around and up the hill to Foamhenge! I was and am greatly impressed.
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Feels like I am back in kindergarten with this smart phone thing. Wish you were here so we could take classes together.
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Having fun with a smart phone friend is dubious, but I will keep trying. But, don’t be surprised at the primitive results.
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Hahahahaha! 🙂 LOL!
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The struggle is endless Sheryl. Even with a “real” camera I struggle though. It’s all in getting the right angle and then keeping still long enough.
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Oh, thank you for asking Judy! I am o.k. since my brother, sister-in-law and niece are here with their dog, Noche. Just having a dog in the house again took away some of the tears. It feels like they are giving me the gift of extra time to hold it together.
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It’s entirely possible that suffering is a big reader draw. I may write a book called “All My Suffering: Tales from the UpperCrust Virginian.
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I am so glad that you are getting a bit of comfort in this difficult time. I sympathise with you as I know how I felt when I lost my dog. It was 8 years ago and I still miss her. My two dogs are beautiful and I love them to bits but I still miss Daisy. She was such a wonderful friend. 🙂
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You should have seen me yesterday Dor. We visited the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa, Ontario, and I took over 500 photos!! My mom tried to take a picture of me with my camera, and she thought it was really heavy and awkward LOL!
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Five hundred? Five HUNDRED? I am immensely impressed. If I take 4, it’s a lot and I’m not sure what I actually did. The smart phone doesn’t click when I want to snap and clicks more than once when I do. I am lucky if I get anything that isn’t fuzzy or out of focus entirely. You are a wonder! On the bright side of the heavy camera though – you could use it to bludgeon an encroaching stranger.
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It’s just awful losing a dog. We just had a very sweet pup stay with us for 4 days with visiting family. I have been sad again since they left this morning. Ridiculous but true.
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Not ridiculous at all. Totally understandable.
You will always have sweet memories of Rozie and have the satisfaction of knowing you gave her a wonderful life full of love and caring. Having said all that it doesn’t take the pain away does it? Thinking of you cheers Judy 🙂
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I don’t have a smart phone yet but I am familiar with the glare problem. I went to photograph Tall Ships in Hobart recently and as it was a very bright day half the time I didn’t really know what I was photographing. Yours look pretty nice and I’m sure you will get the hang of the smartphone soon though you may prefer a “real” camera for important photos.
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Thanks for your good thoughts re adjusting to the smart phone. 🙂
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