Depth of Field

  I had an interesting learning experience the other day. I was at a friend's house for a cookout, and he and his wife have been an inspiration to me since the day we met. They are just good-natured, down-to-earth people, and I absolutely love them! They both are never depleting fountains of knowledge, and they are always willing to share new information and old experiences. They both are great mentors to me. Anyway, he is a Vietnam vet, and as I have recently discovered, he was a photographer during the war. As we started to talk a little shop, he brings out this really old 35mm camera, and begins to show me the different scales on the lens. He showed me what dials adjusted for exposure, and which one controlled depth of field and how to measure that. Wow, what a useful tool! Why did manufacturers quit doing that? I am now on lookout for an older lens that will work with my DSLR. It is definitely on my wish list. I have been struggling with combining different concepts to get the depth of field that is desirable for different effects in different shots. After he showed me the dials, all the explanations began to click. Now, I think I have got it, and I am off to practice!

Hi, my name is...

  I am Leona Davis, and I am a photographer. I am trying to go pro. Today is my first official day as a blogger. I have decided to start a blog as a way to document and reference my beginnings as an artist. I am located in central West Virginia, so I hope to expand my destination shoots to include places like Pittsburgh and Washington, DC. I am trying to get my photography business off the ground, and it has already been such an experience! A long, hard road, for sure.
  I am very technically challenged in my craft, so I have also decided to go to school so I can learn the technical garble much faster. I have been self-teaching for a while, but let's face it...if I want to start making money, and I do, I have to be faster. And smarter. So, I am now college bound. It should prove to be interesting, anyway.
  Along the technical lines, my gear list is growing at about half the rate of my wish list. For every item that I can finally afford, I find two more things I HAVE to have. How does that happen? The biggest, or most important thing anyway, on my wish list right now is off-camera lighting. I would like to get some speed lights. At least two would be perfect. Until that happens, I am using reflectors most of the time.
  On the business end, I have met several goals recently that I am proud of, and such a load off my mind now! First, I have finally decided on a name. Very big deal. This has been holding me back for weeks, and after studying vocabulary, fonts, and sounds, I finally found one that works. I will be announcing this name as soon as it becomes official. Second, I have learned how to build a business model, and not a moment too soon! The hardest thing about this business has been figuring how how to sell it. Now, I know. Third, I have discovered branding. This one will be an ongoing part of my venture for some time, until I figure out who I want to serve, and how. I'm on it, but I have some things I need to put into practice. Fourth, I am looking for a mentor. You can't buy experience, wisdom, and generosity. And finally, again with constantly learning. There are many aspects outside my craft that I didn't realize I needed to hone some skills.
  To wrap things up, thanks for following my progress as I grow, and I will keep posting updates as I change things, add things, and learn new things.