When my husband was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in July 2020, he knew his life would be shorter than we anticipated. Actually, he thought he would die much sooner than I did. Unfortunately, he was right — six months after diagnosis, surgery, and failed chemo treatments, he died.

Knowing I should have a hobby to concentrate on and enjoy, for my last birthday (I do not have birthdays any more) in August 2020, he bought me one of the best digital SLR cameras available on the market. He knew I had creative talent, but I was so focused on my career which was highly technical and scientific, I did not use the creative side of my brain (much.)

In my new life after my husband died, I took a year to grieve. The year of 2021 was a fog. But when I look back at what I did that year, I was …

… amazed at how much I accomplished. I renovated my master bath, totally redid the landscaping and hardscaping in the front of my house, had a 900-sf deck replaced, and under it, I built a 3-season room where I relax mosquito-free to enjoy the scenery of an old-growth forest behind my house.

But I did not do much with that camera. I let it sit idle while I went through the grieving process.

Come mid-2022, I picked up the camera and tried to learn how to use it.

Man, it is very complicated and daunting. Of course I “youtubed it” but was more confused that educated. On-and-off from mid-2022 to mid-2023, I would pick up the camera, try a few things, but come away disappointed.

I knew that camera could do amazing work, only if I knew, really knew, how to use it.

Then Bingo! When I went to the Canadian Rockies in July 2023, I hired a pro, who is both a professional photographer as well as a certified park guide.

I spent 10 hours with him over two sessions one-on-one.

Wow… I learned a LOT! I learned how to set the camera on Manual, then adjust settings to get better images. I learned how to apply over 40 different settings. What’s more, I learned WHY to use certain settings for specific reasons, depending on the light, visual I wanted to create, and make adjustments as the light changed.

When I got back home, I took an on-line course to learn post-processing with Adobe software. Man, I thought the camera was complicated! The Adobe software is much more difficult and non-intuitive. The course was helpful, though. I learned both halves of digital photography: 1) capture great images then 2) post-process them to bring out every pixel within the image.

From then on, I have been practicing. I have spent countless hours taking photos, then post-processing the best ones.

My creative side fully blossomed. Best yet, I am having a lot of fun!

Digital photography for me has these benefits: 1) gets me outside to explore new areas I had only seen from the saddle of a motorcycle; 2) lets me apply my technical side to remember how and why to use certain settings on my camera; and 3) I learned how to use the complex Adobe software to keep my brain sharp by actively having to think, remember, and do some complex math (just like I used to when I worked.)

I can’t say I am a pro, and I do not intend to be one (in the sense of using photography as a job.) I still call it a hobby, but let’s say it is a highly complex and creative hobby. (And kinda expensive too, considering the 3 new super-dooper lenses I bought.)

I am fortunate now that I am retired that I have more time to spend on this hobby. I still keep busy volunteering in my community two or three days each week, but when I’m not doing that, I practice-practice-practice photography.

Over time, I will share some things I have learned on this blog (so I can keep this blog active!)

First thing I’ll show you is what I call (to myself): “Focus close / Focus far” — that is, open the aperture of my lens, adjust the shutter speed for the correct exposure, then focus on something near while a distant object is out of focus deliberately. This technique in photography is called “depth-of-field” and is one of the most basic techniques photographers have used for over a hundred years.

Part of my practice recently has been for images I have posted on my website. Notice below of a pair of Rujo Boots, one boot is in focus and its distant one is not; vice-versa — the closer boot is deliberately out of focus while the distant boot is sharp. I also did the same thing with a new pair of brogued wingtip dress shoes. More later… I’ve got some photography to do.

Life is short: practice makes perfect.