a few days with the cybershot (WIP!!!)
posted: 17 apr 2024
When I moved for my graduate program, I gently nicked my family’s old point-and-shoot digicam: a Sony Cybershot DSC-W370. There were images left over on here from around 15 years ago, and it hasn’t really been touched since! But I like the idea of having a designated photo-taking device, since I often forget when I’m on my phone. And the Cybershot is smaller than my phone!! I can easily fit both in my coat pocket without issue.
It’s been really fun, walking around and asking myself what is interesting enough to photograph. Though I’ll also admit, “interest” is in the eye of the photographer, so some of these are incredibly mundane and boring.
And here is couple of galleries! Click to see image captions and for a slide-show style view.
day 1: 4 apr 2024
When I first started taking photos, I kept everything on auto, but I’ve been playing around with exposure and white balance settings because I wanted a very specific Feel with as little editing as possible. As a great example, most photos I take on my phone are eventually processed through the Huji app in order to give the images that color boost and a bit of grittiness that I like.
I've taken to using the "cloudy" setting to get some artificial warmth to the images, but I'm keen to keep experimenting and see what I land on tomorrow!
day 2: 5 apr 2024
Main modes were that 'cloudy' one I mentoned, and also turning down the brightness by one notch - but I feel like it made some of these photos feel flatter than I wanted so... Still figuring out what I like with this camera!
day 3: 6 apr 2024
My obsession with light and shadow is showing on this day - a small collection because I didn't really go anywhere.
day 4: 10 apr 2024
Been really enjoying capturing the mundane, with intention! I stopped messing with the lighting effects for these pictures and I feel like they're more true-to-life because of it.
day 4: 11 apr 2024
Busy day, but took photos of the sky as I am always wont to do.
day 5: 16 apr 2024
To be added!
Littol robin!! When I opened this photo in full view I straight up gasped, that's how much I love it. Taken at approx 10am? Look at him freakin' GO!!
I find it bitterly funny that one of the tallest, easiest to see structures in my tiny town is the McDonald's sign. I see this every day - like a messed up shrine to capitalist society that looms outside my apartment. Not even the church crosses reach that high.
One of those sillily mundane photos I mentioned: it's literally just my phone and computer space at work. Some days I think the Spidey case isn't professional enough, but I love Spider-Man too much to change to anything else (until my case breaks).
Say hello to one of the office's plants! I have no idea what type it is, perhaps an aglaonema? I am not a plant person. Love them, but cannot keep them alive - my boss does.
More office plants!! Plants are so pretty!! The world is so pretty!! I take way too many photos of trees and leaves while not knowing what any of it is!! Also, this is where I'm starting to play with the different modes - "cloudy" made this a beautifully warm image.
Bench. :) Took the photo because I love the color contrast!
Shocked at the macro capabilities of this little camera, the pine needles showed up just beautifully. But also, I shouldn't be shocked, since it's one of the features that it was advertised with.
I have a lot (a lot) of memories fondly looking up at trees and daydreaming as a child. Something about how tracking the sky through the cracks of the branches kept my eyes entertained while my mind wandered. Got a lotta feelings about trees, lol.
It is my face, blurry because this is mirrorless via the point-and-shoot, but I like it enough to share. :) Hello!!!
Liked how the light was hitting my bed - ft. pillow, airpods case, and the controller for my light lamp. The sticker on my airpods case is by megan wang!! A little reminder to be creative.
Literally just the cursor on my computer at work, where I do 90% of my coding. Felt right to capture it.
I'm obsessed with the styling of the buildings at my university, catch me constantly looking up at ceiling and appreciating architectural choices that no one else seems to look at.
The more days of spring we have, the more robins appear, and the more chances I have to take photos of them!
Another example of "look up or you'll miss it" aspects of admiring architecture - the design of this building is stunning.
My journal!! Or, pieces of it, since a discbound journal means I can take pages in and out. Feel free to read, I intentionally chose a spread that wasn't too intimate. Definitely want to make a big log about how I journal sometime soon.
Song I've had on repeat, as journaled about in the previous image, "All That She Wants" by Trevor Something.
I figured out how to turn on the "rule of 3's" guidelines on this camera today, so been having a lot of fun with compositions. This is literally just a ceiling and it's light fixtures, lol.
When I left the dining hall, the sunset was just absolutely gorgeous and I may have become nature's paparazzi for the next few photos!! The sky!! So pretty!
The soft gradient caused by the sunset knocked me OUT!!
Obsessed with the soft purple color, it only lasted a couple of minutes and seeing it peek through the trees... Oof. One of those moments that made me feel very present in the world.
Purple became orange and gold as the sun set a little bit further and I ate it up.
Midwest sunsets, how I love you.
This picture turned out super interesting due to the long-time exposure of the photo, my window's blinds after the sun had long since set. Feels almost ghostly.
Constantly obsessed with light, especially when it is diluted through my window's blinds - the previous image was taken at night, this one (and the following three) taken during the daylight hours.
IDK what kind of angle I was aiming for here, but I think it works?? Oh, I was aligning the right side of the image to the rule of 3rds - that's why.
The number of hours I spend staring at this little light/shadow play that happens on the edge of the windowsill... Usually there's always a slight sway to the curtain, so I watch the light move for like 15 minutes and disocciate.
The light hitting my jacket - I liked seeing the way the light cut in and out based on the draping of the fabric, and hte gentle curves.
Another one for the mundane collection and the ceiling collection: ceiling fan. This photo is so incredibly beige lol.
See robin. Take photo of robin. Robin dive for worm at exact moment I hit the button. Profit.
I have become the resident robin admirer, at this point. Been meaning to get a photo of a grackle too, but the robins are more prolific at the moment.
I usually reserve meal photos for my phone, but I had the camera on me so I decided to capture the lunch-time view! I'm notoriously bad at feeding myself, so I have to bribe myself with reading time (in this photo, I'm reading Terry Brooks' novelization of The Phantom Menace).
The view of what's taking up my passenger seat before I head back to work - my anello backpack, phone, next book on my tbr, and camera case.
I was at work all day on this day, but the sky was looking gorgeous so I became nature's paparazzi once again.
I tried to narrow down my photo choices but I liked all three of these together so! You get all three.
Can I eat it? Please?
The framing of the branches over the clouds was too pretty not to capture.