Get that camera out and give it a clean! You can buy cleaning wipes at your local Exchange or at various stores in downtown Wiesbaden (and probably wherever you live too). They don’t have to be specifically for cameras; eyeglass wipes work great! Make sure you are gentle when cleaning around the lens.

Once the camera has a full night’s charge, turn it to automatic (auto) mode (if possible) and let the camera choose the settings for you. Many people rush ahead, wanting to run this race before they’re even on it, and choose manual. Manual mode can be very overwhelming for beginners, so don’t worry about being a pro at this time. Use auto mode to capture some nice pictures of the kids playing, some cheesy smiles and of course, the fur babies. When you’re finished, look at the settings that auto mode chose for each image. Notice the lighting; what was the ISO in sunlight or shade? The shutter speed (1/400), the F numbers (2.8) and white balance? Note them all down and then practice some more!

Have fun! Shoot from above or below, shoot while doing a handstand if you must; I’m sure that will make the kids laugh!  Do whatever it takes for you to have fun and feel like you have ventured into the world of photography.

When you’re finished, there’s no need to take the lens off your camera, give it another wipe-over and put the lens cap on. You did it. Hooray! Now put the camera safely on display, or somewhere easy to access (not the back of the closet), so you can easily experiment with it every day.