I love the idea of being a really good photographer and being able to capture special moments in unusual and artistic ways. As a teenager I even took a photography course which I found really interesting. Unfortunately I was probably not, at 17, in the right stage of my life to properly concentrate and even though it was a topic I was passionate about, I just didn’t pay attention. I was too interested in boys and ‘being cool’, you know, all the things which have stood me in great stead for life… (sigh)!

I remember very little, a few of the words like aperture and shutter speed but not much else. I do remember how much fun it was though, to take really interesting pictures. I remember being in the dark room and how amazing it was to watch my them come to life. I remember taking lots of photographs of myself for my acting portfolio… I had a great time walking around campus and in the studio using the old (very old) manual camera and have, ever since, wanted to pick the hobby up again. Now that I have children I especially want to be able to take fab shots but I simply haven’t had the right camera.

I have my snapper which was a gift from my friends when I had Jimmy and I love it. It affords me to take daily pictures which are streets ahead of the ones I was taking on my phone previously but it’s still not a camera that I can really unleash my artistic side with. For a long time now I’ve wanted a ‘proper camera’, one I can be artistic with and one which gets that moment instantly, you know, even if someone moves!

I love watching people who know how to use a camera, watching as they perhaps crouch down to take a picture from the ground up as a little bride’s maid throws petals at a wedding, getting a really unusual but perfect shot. I think I have the eye to think of things like this rather than just snap, snap, snapping away but I just don’t have the know how around an actual camera… I need to learn, I want to learn and I need the perfect camera which will incorporate my lack of ability and which can take on the challenge I want it to once I have gained it.

I was advised to try the Nikon D3200 as it’s a sophisticated camera which I can learn with but it still has an element for the photography dummy like me… I mean I may have taken that course 16 years ago but really, I know next to nothing these days so this camera seems the perfect option for me. It takes a really good quality lens, has functions way beyond anything I’ve even thought about and it will start me on my journey by being automatic while I learn on the job so to speak… Perfect!

It’s about a million miles away from that old manual camera in the Norwich City College photography lab and is as up to date as it possibly can be! It still has that old-fashioned edge I want in the sense that it will, eventually, be ME taking my pictures but it is so super modern and slick that it will assist me every step of the way! I just can’t wait to get around it and start using it properly!

I was like a child when it arrived but had to fight my husband to get my paws on it! Seems he’s rather smitten with our new tool too!

Jonny worked it all out in about 5 minutes – how to put it together, attach the strap etc.

That suits me though. I’m not one for reading instructions and prefer to learn on the job. The fact that Jonny got it all out of the box and set it up for me meant that he could show me the basics and the rest… I will work out! I love it! Instantly I can see it’s exactly what I’ve been looking for. Not only is it really professional but it’s light and easy to hold with a big screen which tells me everything! (I will tell you all about the technical side when I’ve worked it out)! My first impressions are that it’s easy, well, on manual settings anyway! The lens is amazing and it makes me remember that course I took as I zoom in and out on my subjects.

I’m not really a landscape person, I find ‘views’ rather boring and for me a picture needs a person but… I’m going to try to photograph interesting objects too. I want to do portraits, my family in action (not just snaps) and items which I hope I can make interesting to look at… Perhaps I’ll even get a few ‘scenes’ in there too, who knows? So far I’m just mega impressed with the quality of the pictures… Obviously with 24.2 mega pixels it’s going to be not just good but great although I hadn’t realised quite how much! You know when you see an amazing TV for the first time and it’s like you’re actually ‘in’ the television… Well, this is how the pictures look! Amazing!

Do join me as I learn how to use my new camera and I hope you enjoy my pictures which WILL (I will make sure of it) get better and better! I have some plans, now I just need to put them in action and get photographing with my Nikon! Ooooh, excited! Oh and I’ve GOT to find out which carry case to get for it… I’m notoriously clumsy so I need to make sure it’s protected, any ideas??

What do you think of this, my little collection of favourite first photographs with the Nikon D32oo? They’ve all been taken using the automatic mode – I’m not that good at manual ones yet… but I will be! It was simple to put them on my lap top from the camera too but I’ll leave that for another post…

I love taking pictures of people and who better to model…

I’m going to try my hand at photographing objects I find interesting too. I hope I’m going to improve…

I actually really like this one of a tree stump, it kind of reminds me of a snow capped mountain.

I have not been paid to write this post.