When I was a kid, I could play a couple songs on the piano because I memorized which keys to press. It didn’t take long until I couldn’t go any further without learning to read music, which I never did. I think my photography is similar - I’ve got a lot of the settings I use memorized, but I don’t want to get stuck in it like I did with the piano. Honestly, I still get confused by aperture and shutter speed, so I got Me Ro Kah’s Photography DVD - Beyond the Green Box - to learn how to use the manual settings a little better.

Thomas and I watched the DVD Saturday morning, pausing to try the exercises as the video instructed. It was a cute DVD and I was pleased with the results. These were shot in manual mode with spot metering. Me Ra also teaches a women’s photography workshop that I keep hoping she’ll bring to the East Coast. It’s geared toward mothers, so maybe when I’m closer to motherhood, I’ll be able to go.

You can see more shots at:

• Spot Metering and Manual Mode (11 photos)

I love these shots of Clover and her daddy watching birds out the window. This is a typical view from our weekends.