February 6th finally dawned and I was off to my grown up DSLR photography course. On purchasing my Canon EOS 750D camera a few months ago, I was told to register for a free introductory level course worth €150. 
The course was held in the Chartered Accountants building on Pearse St, nearly across the road from the Science Gallery (which incidentally has a gorgeous cafe!).
​The only  gripe I had with the course was the start time. Registration was from 8:30am and it started at 9am (Sharp!). As the directions recommended public transport, it was impossible for those of us outside  of Dublin to arrive on public transport before 9am on a Saturday. Even if the course started a half hour later, the start time would be achievable for the culchies! Also we were informed the day before that we were invited to a "dusk shoot" at 7pm. It was a bit late notice for those of us who traveled across the country and/or had made plans for the evening.
Dave McKane of the Institute of Photography guided us through 3 tutorials:

1. Use rule of thirds to get interesting shots
2. Camera buttons to improve your photography
3. Resources on the Web

He worked off a large presentation screen where he switched between his laptop and a visualiser to demonstrate directly on the camera. All the presentation slides were contained in a little booklet each participant received on arrival, which I am finding very handy now to digest.

Dave was assisted by four Canon representatives. He would explain and show a function and if you had any difficulty finding it on your camera (there were many different models in the room) you just raised your hand and one of the assistants would show you where to find it.
The morning moved very quickly and it was a bit daunting (especially when you're 20 minutes late) but it was a good format once you settled into it and Dave has an entertaining manner and is easy to listen to. He invited questions from the floor and was happy to repeat instructions. 
So what did I learn from the day?

• I need to get a tripod
• Tripods are very important
• I really can't take a picture without a tripod!
• After my tripod purchase, I need to start saving for a Flash Gun. Not only will I look professional but it will be great for indoors and people shots
• I know now about the different functions and when to use them
• I have a lot of practicing to do!

I have to say, I really enjoyed the course.  It gave me a taste for the possibilities and a hint of smugness as I had learned about the rule of thirds years ago!  Definitely a course like this is a must after purchasing your first DSLR, if only to get to know half the buttons on the camera.
I now have my little booklet to study and I need to do more of the tutorials on the Canon Companion app. Let's see if next weeks photos in Lisbon are better then last Decembers offerings!

Earlier in December I took a 3 day break to Lisbon and despite only carrying hand luggage decided to bring the new camera on its maiden trip. 
This was my first time really playing around with the camera and where better to try than in Lisbon! I am still using the "Auto" settings but I have used the touch screen a bit to focus in further on subjects:

The camera bag I purchased with the camera proved to be more than a bit cumbersome. 
While it holds everything, is well padded and keeps the camera really safe, it's too big for walking around with. 
It has a zip and a catch so whipping out the camera quickly to take a shot is impossible. I tried putting it in my (massive) handbag and in my gear bag (I was on a surf trip) and it took up the whole bag. 
I was very mindful of the warnings I received when I purchased the camera: "Keep well away from sand and water" so I was afraid to not bring the full case with me each day at the beach. 
At night in the city I wrapped the camera in a scarf in my handbag or wore it around my neck and left the camera bag in the hostel.
So it was onto the google I went for my Santa wishlist. Christmas morning saw this beauty under the tree:

 
Of course it is available in other colours but I like the pink. Evecase is the brand and I believe Santa found it on amazon here.
As you can see, the camera fits in a different way. It's easier to pull out of the bag and only has a zip. 
It's well padded and has plenty of pockets. The charger also fits in neatly. We'll see how it goes!

.After years of wandering the world happily pointing and shooting and hoping for the best, I decided to take the plunge and get a "proper" camera.
DSLR to be specific. So after googling and googling and reading about Canon v's Nikon, Mirror-less v's Mirror-with and a hundred more choices inbetween, I decided this purchase had to be made old-skol- in a shop.
​On a trip to Limerick I called into Whelans Camera Shop where a lovely man patiently answered every one of my questions. The Nikon v's Canon debate was won by Canon by a small margin, namely touch screen. I was fairly sold on the Canon EOS 100D and it had everything I needed, except maybe wifi...
Back home, I visited The Galway Camera Shop and again looked at the EOS 100D but I had seen the EOS 750D on their website. Same features but the screen flips out and it has wifi!
Lucky for me there was also a Canon representative in the store also on the day.
This camera came with:

• ​€70 cashback after online registration
• Half day Canon camera course worth €150 
• Free SD card worth €25 (special promotion on the day)
• Free rugby ball (World Cup!)

You can also download two apps which I am finding really handy:

1. Canon Companion
2. Canon Camera Connect 

The Canon Companion is like a user manual on your phone. It has 3 main sections: Learn, Expore and Inspire. I plan on following the tutorial videos and trying some of the challenges while I'm waiting for the Canon photography course in February. 
The Canon Camera Connect is an app which connects your phone to your camera via wifi. You can then use your phone to browse your cameras' photos, shoot from your phone or change some of your camera settings. I have found it really easy to use and I think it will work really well when I'm traveling and want to put a few photos on my blog. 
I plan to blog my DSLR journey over the next few months. Follow my practice pics on Instagram @mstreacyloves2travel