Momtography

I need to take a class to learn how to shoot in manual. For the last eight months I've gotten by on trial and error. I shoot about 200 pictures of the kids to get a handful of images that are in focus and have the right amount of light. Now that the munchkins are moving toward mobility they have less patience for my antics. Actually, they probably never had patience for my antics. But before they were statue babies so they couldn't do anything about their annoyance, now they roll away.

I'm tired of sifting through 200 pictures for one good one. I'd like to just take (mostly) good pictures. And I really suck at shooting outdoors, my lighting is always terrible because I can't rely on the preview screen to see what things are looking like.

I found a photography crash course that I really want to take from Nicole Hill Gerulat (she pens the blog A Little Sussy). Sadly for me, she's a West Coaster. Flying to Cali for a photography crash course just isn't practical or possible. She offers online classes, but I don't think that type of course fits my learning style. I really want to take a day (or two) and focus on just learning my camera and Joe is willing to watch the kids for me while I go school myself.

Back when I was inpregneato I ordered two books - a Canon for Dummies book and another manual dumbed down for non-pros like myself. But I am sad to say that I've barely cracked the binding on either. Every time I start reading my mind wanders to other things and I realize that I've read four pages but haven't processed a single thing (don't you hate it when that happens?). Not to mention that photography manual type books are B-O-R-I-N-G.

So I'm on the lookout for an in-person course, preferably one I can take this fall before the weather turns sour. If you've taken a course what did you think? Was it worth the money? Did you learn how to use your camera? Was it an online course, or did you take one in person?

And, last but not least, if you have a class to recommend in Upstate NY, NYC or Boston please let me know!