This semester, I would have enjoyed taking on the task of integrating something new into my teaching practice, either social media or an open educational source. However, since I am on maternity leave, I like the idea of doing learning that is just for me. Initially, I thought about taking up yoga, and getting really serious about my yoga practice. However, I am not sure what my threshold for learning in that area would be. I do not think that I am destined to be doing handstands, or maybe I am and I am incapable of setting the bar that high for myself out of fear of serious injury. I mean, I pulled a groin muscle getting out of bed the other morning.
So, that brings me to another area of interest, that is something I have had genuine interest in for a long time, but have never taken initiative to become more learned on the subject. Photography, specifically portrait photography.
Ieper, Belgium Town Hall, now Flanders Museum taken in 2016 by Shayna Zubko.
Selfie at the top of Masada, Israel, taken in 2022 by Shayna Zubko
I love taking pictures, and some by fluke turn out great. Mostly those that turn out great are landscapes or scenery. The header photo for my blog is a picture I took in Ieper, Belgium. So when it comes to taking pictures of people, or even myself, they are never good. I need to pay someone to get great pictures, which is fine, I love supporting other creatives, but I also would like to take more candid family photos and learn the art of the selfie too. I have a ridiculous number of identical selfies with varying backgrounds all over the place and very little variety to my poses!
There are innumerable ways that I think I could improve my photography skills. But one would be to better use my Olympus Stylus camera, which I got a number of years ago, but really do not use to its full capabilities. I use it like a point and shoot, which we all have cell phone cameras for, but I could learn to use much better. In addition, cell phone cameras have become extensive with their capabilities, and I would like to delve further into that world too. I have a Samsung phone, and sometimes I think that it is capable of better photography than my camera in some situations!
Overall, I hope to become a better photographer, and know that there are a multitude of digital sources available at my fingertips that I just need an excuse to make use of. Well, here is the excuse to get better.
Some ways that I will gauge my learning:
- Making use of lighting to find more flattering lighting
- Learning how to use camera settings such as aperture, shutter speed and ISO
- Learn/Develop a personal style
- Learn poses for myself and others
- Using surroundings intentionally to complement the visual
I plan to use a variety of resources to help me achieve these goals, with the intention of using a different resource each week to try and help me get better. Follow along to see the story in the pictures.