Camera class update 01232011

Okay. I admit it. I cheated on these! I used my mountain setting on my camera. After a morning of manual settings, I was exhausted. My brain could no longer function! So, I went back to my old standard, either mountain or flower setting on my Nikon...I was so desperate to get a photo, ANY photo, that I cheated! Here are some photos from the class showing our instructor, Ernie Cowan. If you ever get a chance to take a class with Ernie and his wife, Katie, DO SO! They operate out of San Diego and I'll put the link in here. He's very "non-threatening", yet he answers all your questions. He came over and helped me with one of my macro shots, which I'll post for Monday. Unfortunately, I just couldn't assimiliate all the information and I either resorted to using the "A" (aparature priority) setting, or, once we got to Font's Point, the mountain or flower setting. For those of you who asked, if you take a class, they will carpool. Ernie told us, as we were leaving town, to double up and drive with someone who had a 4-wheel or a high clearance vehicle. No, do NOT attempt that road on your own! Hubby and I would NEVER have done it if we weren't in a caravan! NEVER, never, never!!!! Carolyn, maybe sometime we could go together? You just let me know when you are going to be down here! But, as you can see, the views are so worth it! I think next time I'd like to go early in the morning, what Ernie called the "golden hour", the hour right after sunrise. Okay, I'll go look for that link. Here are some of my photos which I cheated on! "SSssshhhhhh!!!!" Don't tell Ernie! :-) Here's the link to their workshops. They are all over California. Oh, and I should mention...it was the FIRST TIME another gal and I used manual settings EVER! She was as nervous as I was! Some of the other people were either professional photographers OR people involved in small businesses that needed to further understand their camera's possibilities. Really, hubby and I and that other woman were the only 3 in the class of 13 that were amateurs. I made sure that Ernie knew that from the beginning! One man had been a Sierra Club guide for years. Another gal used her camera for her jewelry business. Somebody else used to photograph car races! There was such a variety of people and we took time to introduce ourselves and tell what our photography level was during the class. Everyone knew I was a beginner and they were all very nice about it. I felt very comfortable during the class. Oh, and out of the 13 participants, I was the only one with a Nikon! Everybody else had some kind of Canon. I did notice, however, that both Ernie and Katie, his wife, carried Nikons.