Want to know how to capture buttery, dreamy, magical sunflare?
Me too.

Can't help you though.
What I can do is tell you what not to do.

A.  Leave your UNmanual at home.  A.D.D. assures that you haven't exactly retained what you read in the sunflare lessson until you actually do your homework, as well as making you fail to remember to pack it in your suitcase.

B.  Using a grouchy baby as your subject, who is furious that her sisters and cousins are free to run loose on the beach while her mean mom is using her as a guinea pig.
C.  Take pictures at the wrong time, so the sun appears to burn a hole through grouchy baby's neck.

D.  Or brain.
E.  Have your reluctant model quit on you suddenly, mainly because the sun just burned a hole through her, plus all of the sisters and cousins walk by eating ice cream.
F.  She is done.  With a burning armpit.  Next time I am bringing the UNmanual and practicing on something less demanding.  Like a lifeguard tower.

Bye bye safe green rectangle.
You, your lies, and mistakes are dead to me.
I have a new best friend.
Named manual.
Or M for short.

It has been scary.
I have snapped a ton of blurry pictures.
Overexposed pictures.
Underexposed pictures.
Many times I wanted to go back to the safe and cozy rectangle.
But I pressed on.
Forced myself to stay on M.
Practiced on a vase of flowers.
Cupcakes.
My kids.
Other kids.

I finally feel confident.
Even fancy.
{Seriously, admit it.  Shooting on manual is fancy.  Rocking dials and such... super fancy.}

I couldn't have done it without the phenomenal UNmanual written by my fave girl DrewB.
It is as if she peeked into my crazy brain and then wrote it specifically for me.
In a language that I could actually understand.

It makes something that seems absurdly complex, stunningly simple.
It encourages.  Teaches.  Helps.
Makes you feel fancy.  Makes you suddenly worthy of your fancy camera.


Thank you so much Drew for sharing you amazing talent.
For helping me take pretty pictures.
Shooting manual was a goal I honestly didn't think that I could accomplish.
Your UNmanual made it happen.