Happy Monday everyone!  I hope y’all had a great weekend.  If you’ve been following along on my Instagram feed, then you’ll notice that there’s been a slight change in my pics.  The high contrasting direct sunlight images have been replaced with the more soft light and dreamy photos.  I mentioned in my last post, (see CHASING SUNLIGHT), that I have finally succumbed to the idea of taking my blog pics during dusk.  Not that I had anything against the advice of many photographers that it’s best to shoot at dusk or dawn, but I just didn’t know how to use my camera.

About 11 months ago, I purchased a Nikon D5300 DSLR camera with an 18-55mm lens, and a prime Nikon 35mm f/1.8 lens.  If you don’t know anything about cameras, and have zero clue what I’m talking about, no worries, this didn’t make any sense to me either when I purchased it.  I just figured I would go home, play around with it, maybe watch some YouTube videos, and magic will ensue.  Flash forward 11 months, which is now, and I still had no freaking clue how to use my camera.  I think the guy at Samy’s Camera said something about aperture or ISO…or hocus pocus.  It’s sad.  I spent almost $1k on a camera and lenses I had no clue how to use.

So, like the idiot human that I am, I insist that my pictures aren’t turning out the way I want them to because I don’t have the correct camera or lens.  I stormed into Samy’s last week with all my camera gear, (I kept all my original boxes and receipt), and I am ready to sell everything back to buy a better camera and lens.  The saint who helped me, (and I call him a saint because he had the patience to deal with my bombardment of question for the next hour), said he’s happy to sell me anything and everything.  However, he first wanted to know what it was exactly that I wanted to achieve, because maybe, just maybe, that was achievable with my existing equipment.  I told him I wanted shallow depth (aka boca) in my pictures.

Long story short, well, a little late for that since we’re already in the fourth paragraph of this story.  The Samy’s saint explains what aperture is, (that’s the f/1.8 of my 35mm lens), and how I have one of the best lens out there to achieve that shallow depth (aka boca).  I probably need a wider lens to shoot my head to toe looks, but instead of a new camera, I may just need a zoom lens and low aperture to get that image that I want.

These are the images that was achieved after tweaking with the camera with my new found knowledge of aperture and ISO.  Once again, we were in a rush to snap some pics since the sun was setting so quickly in the Valley.  I’m literally standing in a parking lot taking these photos like a valet girl, except my Reformation Edison Dress is probably a bit too sexy for a parking lot attendant.

I wasn’t sure at first about the seductiveness of this dress.  I felt like I was probably exposing a bit too much of my breasts, which I have never felt shy about.  However, the thick fabric, the midi length and the long sleeves made me feel more secure about the breast exposure.  Be ready to turn some heads in this sexy number.

I may have gone off on a tangent with the camera, but I hope that some of this information may have helped you in understanding your own camera or a camera you wish to purchase.  I’m still learning and plan on purchasing a Sigma 50-100mm f/1.8 DC Art Series lens for my Nikon.  Let me know if you like the new pics with the blurred background.  Thanks!

River Island Evil Eye Choker Necklace / Script “Taurus” Pendant Necklace / Free People Fever Platforms / Gentle Monster Dreamer Sunglasses

Photographed by Danielle Torriero