Auto-this, auto-that...

With auto-focus and auto-exposure, the camera is doing so much of the work for you, all you really need to do is concentrate on the composition... isn't it??

Don't be fooled - the camera isn't infallible, and can sometimes make mistakes that would make even the worst photographer look good.  Well, technically, I suppose, the camera isn't making mistakes, but it is being fooled into making a poor decision. 

Here's an example - I had a pigeon trying to steal my lunch while I was sitting in the park.  He was a cheeky little blighter, and was sticking really close to me, no matter how much I tried to shoo him off, so I thought I'd get the camera out and try and get a worm's eye view shot.  From this low vantage point, where I couldn't get my head down low enough to check the viewfinder, I had to point and hope that the auto-everythings worked for me, but no, the camera decided that despite the pigeon being right in the middle of the picture, the people in the background were obviously what I wanted to focus on ;-)  Thinking about it, I have never had a clear picture of a pigeon - I wonder if my camera is prejudiced?

I had to laugh - I think it came out quite well :D

So, what was today's lesson?  For best results, even the most sophisticated camera in the world needs a photographer to be in control of it...  Auto-modes will give a good result most times, but you really do need to learn to take control if you want that special shot.