Take Control

Friday January 29th, 2021

If you don’t have anything to say, your photographs are not going to say much. — Gordon Parks

With all the knowledge and training we’ve acquired. Reading books, manuals and articles on the Net. Watching training videos either On YouTube or Online Classes. We get to a point that we know and understand how to work the cameras and all the programs. Putting it all together and trying to not forget anything especially Composition while shooting.

We can’t get the shot if you/us/we don’t go out and get ourselves to the right place at the right time!

Don’t Know What to Shoot?

Just pick up your camera and get yourself outside! Get out different times of day to experience the ever changing colors of light. Light and Shadows from different angles. Be aware of everything around you and be prepare to “Move, and Move Fast”!

The image above is from several years back and was created in a neighbor’s garden. Summertime, and I was sitting outside with my camera at the ready listening to the breeze blow through the grass. Birds were singing and I was on the hunt to find that small little red bird who was teasing me. Cardinals are tough to capture. Fast little suckers that are skittish when approached.

Then I saw movement in the corner of my eye! The biggest, baddest most beautiful Butterfly I have ever seen in my own neighborhood! I started following it and trying to get near enough if it lands on something. Well of course it does in probably the worst of the darkest of shadows in a neighbor’s garden. Running to get close but not too close to scare it off. Angles and trying to change my settings! Moving side to side to get a clear shot. Then Off it goes up and over the roof never to be seen again!

Oh I hope my focus was spot on?

Was my ISO set Not too high?

I hope my shutter speed was fast enough to prevent camera shake?

Questions started to run through my head after a once in a lifetime split second that was gone as fast as it appeared.

See even the experience and knowledge I have after all these years doesn’t make me not question myself. It’s the added instinct and skill in the fingers from habit and many years of practice that running to thee spot while my fingers are making adjustments to my cameras settings while my eyes are looking ahead at the immediate area.

Can your fingers change the settings on your Camera without actually looking at them? Do you know where the quickest spot is to change your ISO? Maybe your White Balance as well?

Without getting up to look: What is your exposure settings on your camera right now? What “Shooting Mode” is it set for? Did you forget to change the settings back from the last time you used it?

You should always change your settings back to your own particular comfortable starting point after a shoot! Did you play with the White Balance? Did you reset it back to Auto? Where did you leave your settings for your Shutter Speed? Aperture? Did you last shoot in Macro? Are your settings still there from that moment?

See My Point?

My cameras? Without even thinking about it I know that both my bodies are set to “My Standard Starting Point”.

• Mode: Aperture Priority
• ISO: Manual at 200 (I prefer complete control)
• Aperture: f:/8
• Shutter Speed: 1/125 (if I flip my Mode to Manual this already should be set)
• WB: Even if I shot with a Custom White Balance or any changes I made like Cloudy or whatever, I always put it back to Auto.

Now if I think about it what Lens is on my main body? Probably my 70-300 zoom!

Now the Big Question for you: While rushing to a spot because you saw something, can your eyes make fast decisions on what your settings should be?

Don’t Say Auto! If you have a situation that has something that will through off your Proper Settings your Once in a Lifetime Moment will result in a Poor Image? Why you ask? Bad Backlight for one! Your main subject will end up too dark because your cameras metering picked up the bright light and exposed for it!

It’s Your Camera! Take Charge of it and it’s Settings! You’re the “Artist”! Are you going to let some person in a white lab coat, sitting in a sterile room halfway around the world that has absolutely No Idea of what Is Inside your Head at the moment of capture? Make standardized generalizations about your shooting situation and how it should look?

What Are You Going to do Now?

Have a Great Weekend everyone!

Art Is Back!

Friday January 22nd, 2021

Photography was a licence to go whenever I wanted and to do what I wanted to do.

— Diane Arbus

It’s more than “Just” Art. It’s Compassion, Empathy and True Caring! It’s also Truth! Here in America we’ve had a lack of Respect and Honor from our Leadership that carried over to what gives us Hope!

From the Young Lady Amanda Gorman whom Inspired us to realize Hope is now Possible!

We’ve been brow beaten and bullied. They tried to flip the universe for us to accept the perspective of Wrong is Right and False is True for four years!

It’s the dawn of a Brand New Era leading us into the future of new possibilities. It’s time we go out and create! The Virus is still upon us and with a bit of luck the World will get a grip on this plague! Here in America we topped 407,000 who’ve perished from this. Globally it’s scary numbers show that it was always a danger. Earth our home lost over 2 Million people!

Go Out, Wear Your Mask and Create!

It’s the Dawn of a beginning and this Image from our travels comes to mind. Sunrise in Ireland. I call this “Fire in the Sky”

Fire in the Sky

Have a Great Weekend everyone!

Just Breathe . . .

Friday January 15th, 2021

As we know, cubism was a reaction on the part of painters to the invention of photography. Photography and cinema made struggling for exact likeness childish. – Louis Aragon

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Last night on the News they showed moving trucks being loaded upon by the West Wing of the White House! This past week has been absolutely insane!

World Leaders turning their collective backs on him because of what he’s done. I’ve actually heard from someone I know on Social Media that the World was laughing at Us because of the terrible tragedy of the Injustice and Kangaroo Court that didn’t let him defend himself! Also that he’s being Censored because of the Platforms that shut him down.

I’ve been critical of our Leaders before this no matter from which political party they belong to. Even some that I’ve voted for! But to have such Blind Loyalty that they will defend him under any situation even for the cause of American Deaths is beyond me.

The last time I can remember such a tragic event was an Anti War Protest when 4 College Students were murdered when the National Guard opened fire on peaceful protestors. If you were too young or just don’t remember? Search on YouTube for the Song “Ohio” by Crosby Stills and Nash. It has a video of the news at that time! I’m not sure if I can link to it but I’ll make an attempt.

May 4th, 1970

https://youtu.be/TRE9vMBBe10

Someone please let me know if this link worked? Where do we go from here?

If it’s not obvious I am in no way near the state of mind to speak about Photography! I’m not a poet so that Avenue won’t work for me. Music! Listening to Music while working or editing Photography has always helped me concentrate.

Sadness takes it’s Toll

Friday January 8th 2021

We were starting out to make photography an everyday affair, to make the camera as convenient as the pencil. – George Eastman

We discover things in common and interest. We never meet in real life and the next thing we know is that laughter and creativity take over. Internet friends? We should come up with a better term! We were informed the other day that another Photography Friend has left our plane of existence. We were FB friends and had 2 Photography Groups in common. He was a Member of the very large Nikon Group and to show a drop of his sense of humor he named his cat: Nikon

Three years ago, just a few days earlier we lost a young lady who had a big influence on me. She was an inspiration to everyone who knew her.

With everything going on in the world and for those whom we lost, please, raise your glass and Salute those who are No Longer with us.

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In these times of Not being able to do what comes naturally. Let’s go back to basics.

Set Up a cloth, napkin or even a paper towel on a surface near a window with natural light coming through. Now place any objects but make sure it’s an odd number. A single object is fine, 3 is real good but 5 might be a bit much. Anything really. Fruit, a Coffee Or Tea Cup. Maybe a perfume bottle.

Place the Object on the Cloth but make sure the cloth is slightly not flat or perfect. Set it up so you are limiting what you see in the background.

Now take a meter reading using your cameras light meter, if you want you can write this down but it’s not necessary. Place your camera in Manual Mode for this. There will be No Editing outside the cameras normal enhancements. You can even do this on your Tablet, Cell Phone or anything you can create an image with.

Yes we can Set them to shoot in Manual Mode! Just remember to reset them to the Settings you had before.

Now take a fast shot and study the image! Is your Main Subject prominent so it’s Noticeable? Angles, Shadows and even look at your background.

Do Not Move Your Subject!

Change your angles, move yourself around to get a better perspective. Keeping an eye out for preventing anything distracting coming into your view from the background.

Using the same settings as before (Yeah we are doing this on purpose). Take a shot. Study your image again! Too Light? Too Dark? Use your Creativity and change your settings but keep that same spot you just used for your second image! Not enough? Change your settings again to see how it creates a different mood keeping your subjects the same and not moving them but move your position.

You get the idea now? Keep moving, keep changing your settings and shoot this one Scene till your bored and can’t go any farther!

Now the big moment! Compare the last image with the very first you shot in this series! Your angles, your Exposure Settings, look at your shadows and angles. The Texture, the Mood! Even your Focus!

What is this? This is an exercise in learning how to train your mind, training your fingers to run over the settings. Training your Minds Eye to “See” how changing the settings and your shooting angles effects the end product!

Using things we already have so this Practice Session doesn’t make us spend anymore money!

Now Reset the Exposure Settings back to its Original before you changed it.

We can discuss this if you like! You can show off your Assignment and Tag me or link over in the Comments to your pages! Let’s use #basicartstudy,

I am #Not4wood if you want to use this it’s fine with me.

#basicphotography101, #learninghowtosee, #photography101, #photographyeducation,

Have a Great Weekend everyone!