Re: Top tips

Thanks everyone for taking part in the "Top tips" debate, even those that
were very judgemental of me and my abilities. My photographic abilities may
be average but it doesn't stop me taking the odd decent picture, with your
tips I'll maybe get a few more.
The idea for my posting was to stir up a debate and it judging by the number
of responses it appears to have been quite successful. From all your tips I
intend to use the following top ten for my personal use, to (hopefully)
improve my abilities.....
1. READ the camera manual and refresh memory of basic photographic
technique. I've a couple of books, John Shaw's Nature Photography Field
Guide and NG's Photography Field Guide: Secrets to Making Great Pictures
both inspirational with good technical advice and thought of adding
Understanding Exposure - Bryan Peterson, anyone seen this?
2. LOOK for inspiration, other photographers photos, (Photonet, IMO is an
excellent resource).
3. Be PREPARED - Carry a camera everywhere with a fully charged battery and
clean memory card. (I've been disappointed not to have a camera when seeing
a good photo opportunity and caught out by flat batteries and no memory
space before).
4. SEE - have an idea of the picture before clicking the shutter.
5. TAKE PLENTY OF PHOTOS:
- to find the best viewpoint for landscapes
- to capture the moment (and the focus point!) for action and people.
- to learn to use the equipment (practise makes perfect).
- To develop style and photographers "eye"- stepping out of comfort zone
experimenting with different subjects and techniques.
6. AVOID CAMERA SHAKE, use a tripod where appropriate and shoot within
shutter speed limits imposed by technique, equipment and subject matter.
7. PATIENCE expect to wait for perfect light, it's the LIGHT that makes the
photograph. Make the best of it, get up early and avoid the harsh shadows of
midday. Find something else to do if the light is uninteresting, unless
somewhere for a short time only.
8. Shoot at the BEST QUALITY available on your camera, Raw if possible.
9. REVIEW your results critically and learn from successes and failures.
10. EDIT hard, print and share only share your best work.
Finally, not from anyone's list, but something I intend to learn is
PHOTOSHOP to make the best of the shots I've taken and to keep busy on dark
winter nights.
Thanks again for all your top tips.
Kevin

Kev

Re: Top tips

<snip thoughtful, valuable exposition>
When I lectured beginning race car drivers, I told them we expected
they would come to the school prepared; that they would have a
thorough knowledge of the rules, of their cars, of their cars'
capabilities. All they could learn from our time together was the
relationship between their own skills and the limits imposed by rules
and vehicles.
I always said there are so many things about racing that are important
and require serious consideration, that the most essential of all
learned skills is the _management_ of attention: where and when and
how to focus and/or spread attention appropriately. And I always said
that acquisition of attention skills is greatly facilitated by study
of the rules and the discovery of their and their vehicles'
capabilities. The more effort put into analytical practice and study,
the quicker the skills would become second nature and performance
approach mutual and optimal limits.
No question that a 'Brownian Movement' technique of photography has a
chance of making impactful images; no doubt that a blind pig will find
an egg-corn once in a while. No doubt that effective training will
raise the likelihood of successful, satisfying results from much
less-and more pleasurable-effort.
--
Frank ess
"The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ,
Moves on: nor all your Piety nor Wit
Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line,
Nor all your Tears wash out a Word of it."
the rubaiyat - omar khayyam - 11th century


Frank ess

Re: Top tips

I completely agree, you will not only take better photos but also have
more fun doing it if you know your equipment inside and out. The time
to get to know you lenses is just shooting test photos, of nothing you
care about. The same is true for learning how your camera meters and
what you have to do to get a good exposure. And then there is the
trade off between what ISO you shoot at what f/stop and what shutter
speed, taking time to experiment and really getting a good
understanding of the three is very important.
Whereas you could just go out and take photos when you are learning the
personality of your camera and lenses it is far easy to do so at home
with photos that don't matter in the least.
And if you are a film shooter you should have a good understanding of
the different films that you might use testing the look of each before
using them for photos that you really care about.
You can use the Brownian motion method were you don't bother to read
anything and just randomly play with the camera controls and film types
or you can study and learn a bit of the science behind what you are
doing. I would highly recommend reading as a good way to get to the
end result faster. No book can, or at least should, tell you exactly
what to do in every situation, but at least if will give you an idea
about what the effects of changing the f/number are as an example.
And if this is all too much then just put the camera in full auto mode
and live with the photos the camera wants to take and not the ones you
want to take.
Scott


Scott W

Re: Top tips

On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 19:11:20 -0800, John McWilliams
Simple strolls don't take much book-learning, that's true.
Long-distance hikes are another matter.
I haven't given much thought to your second question,
though it's surprisng how "bookish" hiking can be.
You've got your journals and diaries, equipment-
review sites, how-to books, and the whole cult
of "ultra-light" hiking. You've got diaries and
biographies by Aldo Leopold, Benton MacKaye,
Colin Fletcher, Ray Jardine...
There's this thing called the Appalachian Trail... a
project I've been working on for the last thirty years or
so. A fair chance that I might finish it in 2007 or 2008.
You'd think, after 30 years one might know most of the
tricks, but there's always more to learn (and un-learn.)
rafe b
www.terrapinphoto.com


Raphael Bustin

Re: Top tips

True enough. [see below].
This is what I meant as my point, but managed to obfuscate it somewhat.
Now I wonder why I said hiking, instead of "walking" or "strolling"?? At
least I should have said, "day hiking on established trails with modest
elevation gains", as in my mind I was excluding the zillions of details
that can come up with backpacking.
In any event, I was thinking about the relationship between studying up
on a subject and doing it. Er, "just doing it" if you will! Would you
say that the ratio of reading/learning about hiking and doing it was
much lower than that same ratio as it applies to your photography?
--
John McWilliams


John McWilliams

Re: Top tips

On Mon, 20 Nov 2006 18:15:57 -0800, John McWilliams
I know of very few pastimes *better* than hiking for reflection
and for learning. Fortunately, hiking and photography mix
reasonably well.
As with other pursuits -- there's something to be said for
book learning, and something to be said for real-world
experience. Both are necessary, and neither is sufficient.
I have nearly as many books about hiking and
backpacking as I do about photography.
rafe b
www.terrapinphoto.com


Raphael Bustin

Re: Top tips

...........huh?


Steve B

Re: Top tips

Really. Snipped for convenience was missing.
Yet photography, unlike, say, basketball, hiking or tennis or dozens of
other sports and pastimes, does lend itself to reflection and learning
to a much higher degree.
So, those who just buy a camera, and just go out and 'do it' are missing
a lot of potential in their craft, if indeed, it is a craft for them.
--
john mcwilliams


John McWilliams

Re: Top tips

On Sun, 19 Nov 2006 09:53:11 -0800, "William Graham"
This is where trimming your post is *really* a good thing.
There are two #6s in the post you responded to.
--
Bill Funk
replace "g" with "a"


Bill Funk

Re: Top tips

I disagree with number 6.....Sometimes the only picture you have of
something is a bad one, and you have to show it, or you can't show others
anything at all. I spend a lot of time working on pictures of myself, taken
by others, in Photoshop, trying to get something decent to send to my kids
that shows the way I looked those many years ago......


William Graham

Re: Top tips

Top Posted For Your Convenience:
I love Kevin's remarks. As with anything, "JUST DO IT!" We can all sit
around and intellectualize the heck out of any subject, but the true heroes
are those that just do it. I think it was Teddy Roosevelt who made a
statement about critics, and at the end said (paraphrasing) "they know
neither defeat nor victory." In the same statement he glorified those who
had the guts to go out and fall flat on their faces while trying.
Yes, one does need to understand their equipment. After that, it's like a
guitar. Now that you understand it, let's hear you play.
Steve


Steve B

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