Has Your Camera Ever Frightened You?

©Michael Menefee. All Rights Reserved

Well, I did it and took the plunge. After solving my eye dominance problem, and getting bifocal contacts, I decided it was time to purchase the camera I’ve always lusted after. I have my first vacation from my day job in 6 years coming up, and I’m taking a month off.

Add to that some room on the credit cards and a desire to try all the things my point-n-shoot cameras can’t do - and well, let’s just say the credit card company is very happy.

So, I bought my first DSLR! I purchased the Nikon D300 and two beautiful lenses. I got the 24-70mm f/2.8 and the 70-200mm f/2.8 VR. And I had to retire the junky cheap tripod and get a new one. I’m so excited, and yet - kind of frightened all at the same time.

You know how you buy clothing a size too big for children to grow into? Well, I sort of did this with my camera equipment and I currently feel just plain dumb. The tripod came, and I couldn’t figure out how to attach the ball head. Then, I started trying to read the manual to familiarize myself with the camera buttons and menus - yikes! And trying to use my left eye means my whole stance has changed. This baby is big, and I keep trying to figure out how to hold it properly.

©Kelvin Lok. All Rights Reserved

I know that eventually I’ll get used to this - but right now, I feel pretty stupid. Does everyone go through this when they make the plunge from point-n-shoot to DSLR?

Luckily, I’m pretty sure the best way to get over this is to take lots of photos - and I surely intend to do that on my vacation. But even that can be daunting, as it seems if I want to shoot RAW I have a whole new program to learn. Not to mention, I still treat the camera like a piece of glass - I’m very tentative holding it. (’Course, knowing what I just spent that’s not too surprising - but still…)

It’s funny to think about - because no one warns you that this can happen. I mean, when you upgrade a computer it’s still all familiar - but this is like going to sleep in California and waking up in Tokyo. I guess in my mind I envisioned opening the box and Bam! Instant Expert! It’s funny and humbling all at the same time.

I’ve decided to create another category here on the site for “The Journey”, which I will update with my personal experiences and lessons learned as I go. Maybe it will be helpful for others, maybe not - but hey, it’s definitely cheaper than therapy!

So I’d love to hear from you to see if anyone else has felt this way, and what you did on your journey.

Barbara House is an avid photography hobbyist and the face behind Shutterbug Source Photography Tips. After falling in love with photography in 2001, she has become dedicated to providing resources to other photography enthusiasts through this weblog - as well as pursuing her own photography career and becoming active in the photography community internationally.