Shutter Happy

Not too long ago, Mom and I went to the Arboretum for a picnic. I took the camera and tripod in hopes of snapping a few shots. After lunch, I wandered around for nearly an hour happily clicking this and that. My one disappointment was that the waterfall was turned off (water is precious right now) and that was what I had particularly wanted to photograph. You see, as part of my fascination with the camera, I have been experimenting with shutter speed and aperture value--having no real idea what they do, what effects they create...etc. However, I did discover (by messing around) that slowing down the shutter speed lets more light into the picture: good for night shots, but bad for the day. Messing with aperture value appears to have the same effect, but...I don't know. (I really don't know what I'm doing; I just press buttons and see what happens.)

Since night shots show up well with a slower shutter speed (mine was set to 15 seconds) I am interested in taking more, and a greater variety, of them. What I really want to do is stand on a freeway overpass and get one of those cool National Geographic blur shots of traffic head/tail lights. Not quite sure Mom and Dad would approve...(grin)

Now for the specimens!

The picture that started it all:

What it really looked like!

...And with the 15 sec shutter


At the Arboretum:
Flowers

...and their visitors:

The Jacarandas were dressed to the nines


Trees by the lake


Miscellaneous:




The moon and stars:
...through a tree

...with Venus on the bottom left--just above the tree

Ursa Major (The Big Dipper)

La Luna