When I first started this photography course I barely knew how to use camera. I did not know what aperture, shutter speed, or iso was. Everything was always on auto and I could barely focus my pictures. Now I know how to find focus, adjust the exposure settings; I have equipment that includes a tripod and backdrop and professional photography lights. And I understand that I have to take many photographs to get a few good shots. At least now some of the photographs are good; before even if I took a lot of photos none would turn out well.
I still find photography very challenging and time consuming. That was one of the challenges this past semester-- finding the time to take photographs and taking them at the right time, if I needed outdoor lighting.
Now I use manual mode because I am used to that. I think taking photographs will be useful in the everyday mundane: I like to take photos of food we cooked, to special events like vacation trips. We live in a very visual and hyper-connected world now and part of the way we communicate online is through visual/ photographs. Even if I use my iPhone to take pictures sometimes, it's with a deeper appreciation and understanding of what the phone adjusts for me: the lighting, the depth of field-- all aspects that we control when we shoot with manual. Taking this photography course is important for anyone living today's day and age where photography is a main mode of communication on social media, whether it be instagram, twitter, or facebook.