I took my first photo lessons today with Christine Glade, a professional photographer from Pawlet, Vt. She knows her stuff, and I have a lot to learn, especially about how to use and understand the complex and creative machinations of my new Canon 5 D. I have almost been allergic to lessons in my life, and Christine really knows photography, is direct and understands that the inside of my mind is not nearly as efficient a place as a Canon autofocus. There is no autofocus in my head. We started out talking about aperture and shutter speed, and I stopped on the way home to do my homework – taking some photos on AV, the aperture setting. Started out with this maple syrup line in Rupert, Vt.

She works in two-hour sessions, and next week we’ll focus on shutter speed. I was astonished at the many things this camera can do that I did not know about or take the time to know about. I am so excited to work with Christine, can’t wait for next week’s lesson. Tomorrow, I am going to run around and try some new stuff. Hang in there.