Did I Take That Photo?

Perspective

A great exercise to try when taking photos, no matter what the occasion, is to take it from a different perspective than you might have tried before. If you’re photographing flowers, try getting down to their level. You may be surprised at how different the same flowers can look.

The same goes for children. They’re so much cuter when you can get their little faces at eye level with the lens. 

If you’re a brave soul, get down on the ground and shoot up (watch out for short skirts). People look very different from that point of view. So do other things. I particularly like being in a wooded area that has tall trees and taking a photo straight up. If you happen to be a fan of “modern art,” you might even find a table bottom filled with chewed gum.

The same can apply to take photos straight down but that isn’t quite as interesting. Obviously you won’t be able to get above the trees and you probably won’t be directly above people. This tends to work best with flowers, rocks, plants, water, and other things that have “something to say” from above. Think about floors when you’re looking down. There are some very interesting floors and walkways. My photo buddy got the most fabulous shot of a cobblestone sidewalk with a lone, wet maple leaf on it. I sure wish it was my photo. 

The final option is diagonally. This is the one that works least often but when it does, it’s very nice. 

Try taking the same thing from different heights and angles. You may not get anything you love but when you do, it’s such a great feeling it will make all the experimentation worth it.

 

The Alley

My photo buddy and I took the ferry over to Seattle so he could have someone sign some legal papers.  Of course I didn’t go in with him.  He had parked in an alley and I didn’t want to wander so far off that I couldn’t see him when he came out.  That meant I was limited to what I could find in that alley.

I was amazed at how much I could find to photograph up and down.  The first time I walked up and back I got the obvious stuff—the flowers, an occasional week, an interesting grouping of garbage cans.

The second time through I noticed more than the first time through.  I look up and saw a great balcony.  There was an old garage almost completely overgrown with ivy and next to it, a gat that had obviously not been opened in years.

I made one more trip up and down that same, short alley and found yet more things asking for the attention of my camera lens.

That exercise has done more to expand my photographer’s eye than any other exercise I’ve done before or since. 

I got a couple of good photos from my first wander in that alley but the most important thing I learned was how to look closer at my environment.

I’d like to recommend you take a chance to do the same exercise.  It’s been a while since that happened and I’m thinking it’s time for me to try it again.  That time I stopped because Larry got back to the car and it was time to go find other locations to photograph.  Right now I’m ready to find an improbable location to wander around and see how many things I can find to photograph.

Stretch Your Skills

I have a confession to make.  I really don't like taking photos of people--I really don't like it. What does that mean?  That means I occasionally like to go out and take photos of people, just to stretch a little.  That doesn't mean I'll ever want to become a portrait photographer (though I never discount any possibilities).  The point is, the more photos I take of challenging topics, the better all my photography becomes.  I start to see different things in everything I do.  It improves everything I do, even if I don't recognize it right away, I know I'm improving.

This is all leading up to something I did this past week.  A local casino has a summer concert series.  A free summer concert series.  Many of the concerts didn't really appeal to me but this last one did.  It was Danny Vernon.  Danny is one of the top Elvis Impressionists in the world.  I was a big Elvis fan back when he was a star.

This one sounded like one I wanted to go to.  Originally I hadn't even thought about taking my camera. I discovered there was going to be a car show on the same night and I thought I might want to get some shots of that so I packed up the camera and lugged it, along with lawn chairs, a cooler, the tripod, and my large purse filled with snacks, sun screen, personal fan, water.....you get the idea.

I went with my photo buddy so we could grab our place to sit and go in relays to have dinner at the casino while the other guarded all the gear and kept our good seats.  We had planned to do the same while each of us went to take photos of the cars but that didn't work out.  First of all, it always takes longer to eat than I think it will and the heat was really more than I can handle well so I wasn't feeling I could walk around in 90 degree full sun taking photos.  One of the major problems would have been reflection.  These cars were polished to within an inch of their lives and that just wasn't going to work.

OK, I'm digressing all over the place.  Back to the concert.  As I was sitting there waiting for Larry to get back from dinner I started thinking about what kind of photos I might be able to take if I wasn't going to take car photos.  I like listening to "Elvis" but I had no desire to try to get right up in front to get close-up shots of him.  I also didn't want to take landscape shots.  I like those a little better than photos of people but they need to have an exceptional quality before I consider them worth taking.  I tried a couple but gave that up immediately.

All of a sudden there was a woman in front of me who was a fabulous character study.  The problem, of course, was that she was in front of me and it's tough to do a character study when you're behind someone.  On the other hand, most people stop acting natural if they think you're photographing them--if they don't actually tell you, sometimes in less than polite language, to take a hike.  Still, there was the possibility of taking some people pictures and I would be hard-pressed to find more interesting characters than I found here.  I don't know if it was Elvis, the free factor, the casino, or some combination of those but there were amazing people and I loved lots of them.

Fortunately, this woman decided to turn around after I already had my camera set up and either she didn't notice the camera at all or she thought I was shooting elsewhere because I was able to get this one.

The more I looked around, the more people I saw who I wanted to capture on film.  This guy, for example, looked like a blast from the past, sometime back in the last 60s, early 70s.  The problems with this shot were many--the telephoto was set to maximum and the tripod wasn't as firmly set as I needed it to be to not get shake, I didn't get enough of his face, and I didn't get one of the most critical parts of the "character" part of the character study--I didn't get the ponytail!

One of the reasons I don't like people photos is how uncooperative they are at sitting still so I can get the "money shot."  (Yet another post I need to write--I'm just full of them today.)

I have to admit, I really had a lot of fun taking these character shots.  I'm not going to be able to make the ones I've shared here a part of my portfolio (too wiggly, too much graininess, poor composition--something) but they're so much fun I couldn't resist.

This one of the woman with her dog is a prime example of something that can't be used, no matter what.  The fun part of this was that she and her dog had on matching jewelry.  It wasn't identical but it was pretty fun.  I was never able to get a good shot of both of them and then, a friend of hers came up and said something in her ear.  She looked my way and then sat down.  That was the end of that.  I moved on to someone else.

The upside of candid people shots is the amazing facial expressions I might get.  The photo on the right is a prime example.  I took about a dozen photos of this woman and they were all fun because her face is so mobile and expressive but this was my favorite!  I hope you can see why.  The other problem I have with these shots is all the background clutter.  I know these were taken at a public even but a portfolio shot can't have that much distraction in it.

Just a couple more.  You can see why I can't use them, bad angle, poor composition, wiggle, background clutter, something.

On the left, a fellow we have to wonder whether or not he went to the concert voluntarily or if it was part of his community service agreement.

Then on the right there's the woman who came in formal attire.  There's nothing wrong with that, of course, but the hair just doesn't do it for me.  There are several reason for this to lose out--she's faced too much away from me, and her feet aren't in the frame--too bad--it could have been a good one.

Moving back to the right may be my very favorite of the evening.  If any of the photos could make it into the portfolio, this would be the one.  I love these people!  This was at the end of one of the musical numbers so it wasn't even while they were waiting for the show to begin.  Aren't they wonderful?

I hope you enjoy these as much as I do. 

Lessons I learned?  I still don't like taking people photos.  Take photos at heavily-attended public events doesn't allow for as many good photos because there is just too much background clutter.  Make sure the tripod is well planted before using the telephoto all the way extended. 

 

 

Photos As Humor

Caution: The following suggestions can be habit-forming and some people have actually become addicted to it. Don't say I didn't warn you!

There's more you can do with photographs than just frame them or put them in a scrapbook (though those are lovely things to do as well).

Think fun--think silly--think a little crazy. Are you tired of the same old Christmas photo with everyone dressed up in their Sunday best, smiling for the camera?

Take a lesson from one of my favorite entrepreneurs, MikWright (www.mikwright.com). These creative people took real photos from their childhoods (and before) and created captions for them that are sometimes touching, sometimes silly, occasionally a bit off-color, but always hilarious!

There's no reason you can't do exactly the same thing. Have the whole family get involved! This is the kind of thing that generally works better with more people rather than all alone. Somehow brainstorming just works better with a crowd (even if it's just a crowd of two).

Pull out the scrapbook or belly up to the computer screen and start going through your photos and see what people can come up with for captions. Collect way more than you need so you can cut back to the very best and then decide how to use them.

I have a few suggestions:

• Have a calendar made with a different photo and caption for each month and give it to friends and/or family for Christmas (or whenever you like).
• Use them in a corner of a letter you're writing to someone (this can be either on the computer or taking a copy of one and using the paper to hand-write the letter).
• Send them in the occasional email to someone who needs cheering up or just because it's fun.
• Have a file of them to pull out when you need a good laugh.
• As a special project, you can go through photos of your favorite person who's about to turn 30 (or 40, or 50, or whatever) and make captions that may relate to the upcoming age or that is more specific to an earlier time. Hang them all over the house or office or on the walls where the party is happening.

Think about this for a while and before you know it, you'll be thinking of all kinds of things to do with them and as soon as that happens, you'll want to go back to your photo treasure-trove and make more. As I said, be careful: this can be addictive.

Minnesota Vacation

You may recall I posted about my trip to Minnesota.  That was a month ago already (time sure does fly!).  I've been pretty darned busy lately but I got a little time to process a couple of photos and want to share them with you.

This is a part of the barn from the falling down farm I told you about.  My favorite part was how you could look through the cracks on one side and see the sunlight all the way across the barn on the other side.  It just spoke to me.  I know, this isn't a pretty landscape or anything like that.  I take those as well but my heart seems to speak to the more "art" photo stuff.  I'm always curious to hear what people think about my style of photography.  Let me know.

I actually tried to find one that was kind of landscape-y in the Minnesota batch but it just wasn't there.  I really like this one, though.  I hope you do as well.  It's a part of one of the State buildings there.  They sure are doing a better job of designing them than they used to! 

One of the things I want you to take a look at in this one is how the tree in front almost points to the reflection of the tree and at the same time provides a kind of "frame" for it as well.

Have a great day and I look forward to hearing about you and your photos!

Photo Buddies

Larry Bennett is a professional photographer and the person responsible for putting a camera in my hands at exactly the right time in my life.  You’ll hear more about Larry in future posts because he’s my photo buddy.

Photo buddy?  Yep.  There are things I enjoy doing alone, things I don’t care one way or the other about, and then there are things that are just a lot more fun to do with someone else—photography is one of those things. 

Larry’s my photo buddy and we have a ton of fun running around out there, taking photos, talking about potential shots, sharing viewpoints, and ideas—lots and lots of ideas.  It’s great fun.

If you’d like to make photography a hobby, think about finding a photo buddy to increase your fun. 

If you don’t already know someone who might want to go on the occasional photo shoot with you, start talking about it when you’re in your various social situations.  Be patient and find someone you can have as much fun with as possible. 

The other thing you can do is look for a camera club in your area.  I found a couple of excellent ones in my area. 

I don’t live in a large metropolitan area but we have a local club that has great programs and doesn’t expect anyone to be a pro (or even a good amateur).  I found them when I was at the county fair.  They were in charge of the photography exhibit.

There will be times you’ll want to share your photography experience with someone else and other times when you’ll want to go out on your own so you can just wander about, finding just exactly what you want to find rather than compromising on locations and amount of time spent there. 

Both experiences can be very rewarding.

July 4th Photo Day

There are many disadvantages to living away from family.  One of them is not being able to be there for holidays.  There are also some advantages to living away from family.  One of them in not being there for holidays. 

I love to spend time with my family, truly I do, but I also love the freedom I have to go off on photo shoots when everyone else is having a family gathering.  It sure cuts down on the crowds.  In the States, Independence Day (July 4th) is one of those iffy holidays when you may have vacationers wandering around fabulous photogenic locations.

Tomorrow is one of those days.  Larry and I (check back on the 9th to find out more about Larry) and I are planning to head up to Snoqualmie Falls tomorrow in the hopes of getting some lovely waterfall photos.

The weather has the potential of participating (cloudy but little chance of rain) and we've heard there are fewer visitors on the 4th itself (though it increases for the other two weekend days) and fewer, still, when the sun isn't shining.

Wish me luck.  If I get a good one, I'll share it with you.

What are you doing tomorrow?  Whatever it is, there's an opportunity to get a few photos.  Think of one new thing you'd like to try and go for it.  Don't worry if it doesn't work.  It's all just an experiment anyway.

Nighttime Photos

This seems like a great time to be writing about nighttime photos since U.S. Independence Day is just around the corner.

This is a time when we tend to go outdoors at night and want to take photos.

There are several things to keep in mind in general while photographing at night and a couple of specifics for photographing fireworks.

Night photos can be some of the trickiest you’ll ever take—right up there with photos in a snowy landscape. This is one of those times when a tripod can be very helpful. If you have a tripod and your camera will allow you to turn off your flash, AND you have a subject that isn’t going to move for a second or two, you can frequently get amazing nighttime photos.

1. Set your camera up on its tripod,
2. focus in on your subject,
3. turn your flash off,
4. and click the shutter.

If any of the above doesn’t apply, you still have a good chance of getting an interesting photo or two with your camera’s flash. The key to using it is to make sure your subjects are close enough that the flash will actually illuminate them. Keep in mind that the flash may give you a bit of a bright spot in the center of your photo but play around with it a little, check on the photos you’ve taken in your view screen, and you should be fine

Now we come to the trickiest part of all—fireworks. This is something even professional photographers have difficulty with. The primary reason for this is digital cameras have a lag between the time you get your auto-focus to focus and when you can actually click the shutter. 

If you can anticipate where the firework you want to capture will explode, that’s your best opportunity. This generally only happens when you’ve been watching similar explosions and can recognize the tiny advance sparks of light prior to the explosion—not an easy thing to do.

The optimum time to get something is at the very end of the show when most displays set off multiple fireworks at the same time. Wait for this and click your lens as quickly as you can, as many times as possible. Some cameras can be set for multiple shots all in a row so re-focusing isn’t necessary. This is the perfect time to use that feature if you have it. Even if you think you have a good shot, keep shooting! The one you thought was fabulous may turn out to have parts of several different explosions that, while they’re very interesting like that, don’t have that one spectacular one right in the middle.

Finally, feel free to cheat. A friend of mine who has a high definition, flat panel television, set up his camera to be at “eye level” with the center of the screen and shot away. The advantage of this technique is that the motion cameras can follow the track of the firework easier than you can and they don’t have to contend with the shutter lag. My friend got several spectacular results. I can’t do that because I have a regular big, bulky TV with a shiny screen. If I attempt something like that, I get huge flare and reflection.

Have fun and remember that your photos will get better every year as you practice your techniques.

Which Camera to Buy

Generally speaking, that's easy to answer--the one you like best and can afford. Obviously, there can be a lot more to it than that.

Here are the primary considerations: price range, quality of photos, size of camera, bells & whistles.

Let's start with price range--You can start from around $50 (I don't recommend it) and go up to--well, the sky's nearly the only limit on that but $300-$500 is generally the top level most people are willing to expend for a "point and shoot" camera--a camera to be used for social occasions rather than professional work.

The quality of the photos will be impacted by the number of megapixels, whether or not the camera has image stabilization, and a few other factors that really are based on the price.

Size is simple--they're small! I believe the largest one on my list of nice cameras is 4.1" long. That will fit in most pockets with ease. Don't let the size fool you--these are powerful little guys.

Bells & whistles can be fun but not necessarily critical. I love that mine can be switched from automatic focus to manual so I can make adjustments if I want but I don't think I've ever taken advantage of that feature. It's lovely to have an LCD screen that will flip around so you can have the camera near the ground without having to be down there at the same level in order to see what you're aimed at--again, not necessary. Think about these things, though, as you think about which camera you might want to buy.

Do your research, look at the higher end models and see which features you like, which you really like, and which ones you really don't think you want to live without and then start checking out cameras to see what fits your list of things you want and your budget.

What's most important? Is it comfortable? I'm serious! When I was choosing between two cameras that were so close in price, quality, and features that I couldn't make up my mind, I put each of them in my hand (it really is important to be able to hold a camera before you buy it, even if you go back home and order it online) and bought the one that felt best. Not only did I like the way it felt when I held it, the shutter release was at the perfect location. My right index finger went there automatically. On the other one, my finger headed for the on/off switch. That made my decision for me.

Bottom line--you're the only one who can decide which camera is right for you but buying after doing a little research with help you get not only the one you want but also the one that will give you the most of what want to get out of a camera.

Composing Photos

I've already shared my Rule of Thirds tip (link to that post). As I implied in that one, there's more to composition than getting something "in the crosshairs." Here are a few things that can help every photo you take be just a little more interesting.

Step in closer--one of the biggest things people tell me they don't like about their pictures is that after a few years it can be hard to tell who's who. They're talking about the big, group shots we're all tempted to take at family reunions, etc. Instead of that, try getting smaller groups and don't stand 15 feet away so you can get their shoes--get in close. Get just their heads, or head and shoulders. If you've been watching television or magazines lately you will notice that it's not always necessary to take the whole face. I actually don't recommend this technique unless you have lots of time to practice it but it demonstrates that recording the outfit people are wearing and the shoes they have on generally isn't necessary.

Diagonals--add interest to your photo by having a clear diagonal for the eye to follow. I have no idea why this works--I'm sure it has something to do with psychology or something, but if you are photographing a path through the woods, see if you can stand in a location where the path will move from top right to bottom left (or the other way around). As you think about this, you'll find lots of opportunities to let this work for you--an exterior staircase with a rail is something I like. If it fits what you're doing, go for it. A children's slide in a park--rides at a carnival--even the diagonal piece of lumber that helps hold the barn door together--all of these are diagonals that can work for you.

Odd numbers--it's a "rule" in many areas of our lives. To add interest to a group of pictures on the wall--use an odd number of them. When arranging flowers, if you have something you really want to stand out, use one, three, etc., as long as it's an odd number. On a house, an even number of windows at the front of the house works because there is a door in the middle to make the arrangement have an odd number of "entrances." Take advantage of this when taking photos.

Uncluttered backgrounds--if you want someone or something to really stand out, keep the background as uncluttered as possible. I don't mean they should stand against a white wall, but to have one person standing in front of a crowd of 100 isn't going to make the one person stand out. If you're outdoors, the picture on the beach or the grass of the park, even in front of a fountain (as long as the fountain's water doesn't appear to be sprouting from your subject's head) are all just fine. Sometimes you can't pull it off--don't worry, get what you can and keep it in mind for the next time.

There are always going to be exceptions to every "rule." Don't feel you have to all of this every time. Perhaps you want a photo of your daughter dressed in her ballet costume and you're in a room full of audience members--no problem. Your daughter will still stand out, even though the background is full of people. Always remember, the first rule of photography is to have fun.