Beers, Beans & Better Photos: Getting Out of Auto

Beers, beans and better photos. Rather a strange title I think you’ll agree, but let me explain.

Beers and Beans is one of my favourite travel and photography blogs. It’s the product of the talented journalist and photography team of Randy – the beer connoisseur, and Bethany – the beans lover. Their fabulous website is one filled with inspiring and emotive images coupled with great travel stories.

Bethany consistently takes impressive photos – ones that are different than most you see on the web – and she usually leaves me wondering how she did it.

Now I have part of the answer.  (The rest lies with practice, practice, practice and a BFA degree.)

Her recently released ebook, Getting out of Auto is terrific. And I’m not saying that because I got a free copy. It’s a fabulous resource – with the basics, and then some, covered by a combination of text and photos – photos with f-stops and shutter speeds so you nave a clue how she got the shot.

Never understood aperture before? You’ll get it when you see the photos.

Is ISO a meaningless word to you? It’s my new best friend.

Ever used your self timer for more than a self portrait? No – me either – but I am so full of new ideas after reading Bethany’s suggestions that I can hardly wait to put them to work.

And I might add that I know I have a long way to go – but I’m excited to go there now. I can see how, with a little practice, I can greatly improve my photos. I’m inspired.

Here are a series of shots taken yesterday at Lighthouse Park in Vancouver at about 7am. I took my dog with me thinking we’d have a quick walk and then get home to pack for an upcoming move. But it was the magic hour and down by the water the ocean was coming alive – with boats and birds. So I shot photos for 75 minutes – without being aware for one second of the time. It was only my impatient dog that made me leave.

I played around with depth of field, and the rule of thirds, with details and odd angles. I’d only read about a third of the book before I headed out. Now I can hardly wait to use the metering icons on my camera; I had no idea what they were for. I’m going to start carrying a tripod, and shooting in the sun and in the rain and in black and white – and that’s just for starters.

I’m full of fresh ideas and you will be too if you spend a few hours reading and then rereading this remarkable book.

I only wish Bethany had written it earlier. And it’s a steal of a deal at only $US9.99 (even less for you Canadians out there with current exchange rates). The book is 71 pages long – with 12, 680 KB of space required for storage.

Buy the book for yourself even if you’re only mildly interested in photography. It will excite you and force you to start thinking about light and how to capture it. I can almost guarantee it.

Leigh McAdam

HikeBikeTravel

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