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I have a huge passion for photography. \u00a0I have not studied photography in any formal sense and I am mostly self-taught. \u00a0I have had the opportunity to learn a lot from great photographers and from books, tutorials, and online resources. \u00a0I was recently given the opportunity to review Kristen Duke’s, “Say No to Auto” 3 Basic Steps To Understanding Manual Camera Settings.<\/a> \u00a0I know through other photography related give-aways here on Mommy Ramblings, that many of you are just getting into photography. \u00a0I know using manual setting on your camera can be intimidating for a novice, but if you really want to take your passion to the next level, you need to understand and master manual settings.<\/p>\n

Kristen’s book is a very concise spiral bound 17 page guide to understanding why and how to use the manual settings on your camera. \u00a0She takes you through the three basic steps to understanding manual settings: determine your ISO, identify your aperture, and adjust your shutter speed. \u00a0Through the next few pages of the book, she guides you through the things you need to identify to adjust these settings for the perfect shot. \u00a0While you are learning this book is a great resource that you can carry in your camera bag for a refresher any time you need it. \u00a0For instance page 6 lists 13 different situations and the ISO that would be best for that shot. \u00a0Then she will help you learn to adjust your aperture based on how many people are in the shot. \u00a0This is an easy way to understand this setting that can seem confusing when most of the explanations you will find on determining aperture, highlight the size of the lens opening. \u00a0Kristen guides you through the aperture settings in an easy to comprehend way and also has a quick guide that you can use while learning. \u00a0Last, she tackles how to adjust your shutter speed. \u00a0Then there are photo examples of different settings in multiple lighting situations you will encounter. \u00a0The visual examples clearly illustrate how the manual settings used produced the photo shown.<\/p>\n

I really feel this short book provides the essential keys to determining how to adjust your manual setting in an easy to understand format. \u00a0Even the person who has never shot in manual will feel ready to tackle the challenge. \u00a0This book makes an excellent stocking stuffer for the aspiring photographer or goes great with a gift of a new DSLR Camera. \u00a0Mommy Ramblings is adding this helpful book to our 2011 Holiday Gift Guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Kristen Duke<\/a> is sponsoring a give-away on Mommy Ramblings. \u00a0One lucky blog reader will win their own copy of, “Say No To Auto” 3 Basic Steps To Understanding Manual Camera Settings.<\/a> \u00a0Thank you Kristen Duke<\/a> for the review book and for sponsoring this awesome give-away on Mommy Ramblings!!! \u00a0Open to US and Canadian residents.<\/p>\n

“Say No To Auto” 3 Basic Steps To Understanding Manual Camera Settings Book by Kristen Duke <\/a>Give-Away on Mommy Ramblings Rules:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mandatory Entry<\/strong>– Let me know your greatest challenge when shooting in manual.\u00a0\u00a0Leave your answer as a comment on this blog post. \u00a0(If this entry is not done, all others will be deleted.)<\/p>\n

Extra Entries<\/strong>:\u00a0(make sure you leave a separate comment for each entry or they will not count)<\/p>\n

1. Like\u00a0Mommy Ramblings on Facebook<\/a>,\u00a0and leave me a comment here that you did.<\/p>\n

2.Like\u00a0Kristen Duke Photography on Facebook<\/a>, leave a comment on their wall about this give-away and leave me a comment here that you did<\/p>\n

3. Follow\u00a0Mommy Ramblings<\/em>\u00a0on Twitter<\/a>,\u00a0and leave me a comment here that you did with your Twitter name.<\/p>\n

4. Follow Mommy Ramblings by email, and leave me a comment here that you did.<\/p>\n

5. Vote for\u00a0Mommy Ramblings<\/em>\u00a0on Picket Fence Blogs (Button is on the side of our blog, \u201cWe\u2019re on the Fence) and leave me a comment here you did. \u00a0You can do this once a day, just make sure and leave a comment each time you do.<\/p>\n

6. Rate\u00a0Mommy Ramblings<\/em>\u00a0on Top Mommy Blogs (button is on the side of our blog) and leave me a comment here that you did. \u00a0Can only be done once per give-away.<\/p>\n

7. Write a review for Mommy Ramblings on Alexa.com (button is on our blog right under the We\u2019re on the Fence button) and leave me a comment here that you did. \u00a0Can only be done once per give-away.<\/p>\n

8. Tweet this give-away on Twitter and leave me a comment here that you did with your Twitter name.\u00a0You can do this once a day, just make sure and leave a comment each time you do.<\/p>\n

9. Like\u00a0Blueberry Hill Photography<\/em>\u00a0on Facebook\u00a0<\/a>and leave me a comment here that you did.<\/p>\n

Good Luck Everyone!!! \u00a0Give Away Ends December 14th at 12am EST. \u00a0 Winner will be selected by Random.org.<\/p>\n

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