I'm really not just any idiot

Here's what happens when I buy a digital camera and decide that I really really really really wants to use it. In the great tradition of photojournalism, I offer "A Day In the Life of Me" or "Not Just Any Idiot Can Successfully Operate a Digital Camera Without Slaving Over A Japanese-Composed User's Manual."

I set out around 2:00 PM CST for my writing appointment with Matlock. Because I have been consistently been hitting school traffic lately, he decided that I should try a new route. While on this route, I realized how pretty the changing colors of the leaves were, and thought it would be wise to attempt to operate the camera and drive at the same time. I get progressively better and better at it as I go, though I managed to get no decent shot of the leaves (It is a lot more difficult to drive while you are looking at the viewfinder than you might think).

Oh, and Secretary of the local chapter of Mensa here slowly realized that he might get better shots if he rolled his window down. By then, I was already going too fast to get a good shot... a problem for which I could fathom no solution. It was a pretty drive though, for everyone except my roadmates who weren't too tickled with my swerving every time I checked the focus.













You were just looking at the southern rural parts of Nashville and the western outskirts of Franklin... nary an outhouse in sight.

I arrived and Matlock and I bantered about Georgia football, old songs, day spas, Dr. Pepper, mice, and of course music. After actually writing for awhile (which honestly sometimes doesn't happen), I told Matlock that I needed to test my new camera on him. The first time I tried, I think Matlock was making some sort of funny face, or was conjuring some type of demon spirit thingy, or both.



The second time, I'm pretty sure it was my fault.



The third time, however, was a charm ("Bumblebee Tuna!").



Afterwards, I drove to |ndependence HS for their final marching band rehearsal of the season. Upon stepping out of the car, I was intrigued by what appeared to be a flash card on the ground. In a move that "exposed" my digital camera virginity, I thought I should take a picture of it.



Just out of curiousity, I decided to get a closer look to see if I could guess what class the card was from.



I thought to myself, that's a dead giveaway. Then I flipped the card over to find that I was mistaken.



Latin. I should have guessed!

Into the school I went, first visiting with Cooper in his office while his DM's warmed the band up (Note: my camera skills become worse here).



Once Cooper went into rehearsal...



... I snapped a picture of his desk.



Not that I'm one to be talking, but I know that I see a clothes hanger, a McD0nald's cup, a tie, a D@s@ni bottle, a Chic-fi|-@ cow, and a Sh@rpie. But I can't tell whether that orange box is Theraflu or Phazyme.

Anyway, I was shortly thereafter dispatched to sectionals where the tubas and I would work our way through the 2/3 completed "Armed Forces Salute." Gunner, you'll be really tickled to know that he put the Navy last! Here is my third and final attempt to get a decent shot of the tubas. They appear to be out of focus, but they're actually just vibrating.



After spending 30 minutes in sectionals (of which I was useful for about 22), I turned the section back over to the students, and went back to the office. Just to see if my poor picture-taking was my own fault, I made one of the drum majors take a picture of me in Cooper's chair. I became validated, but not very much.



Rehearsal ended and I returned to the 'scourt for, well pretty much what you're reading. However, I did take one last picture that I thought was pretty cool. This is the pit instructor's dog (the breed of which is, honestly, pit bull... get it?). This is Coda.



Hopefully, tomorrow we can work on focus and shutter speed.