zackiedawg
Forum Pro
Well, as many of you know, I had purchased an H1 for my stepfather a bit over a year ago, which I was fortunate enough to play with alot. This was a big motivating factor for getting the H5 - I had the chance to borrow his H1 and grow addicted to that big zoom and IS since he only used the camera when he went on vacation.
Well, I had routinely showed him my pics with HIS camera, usually with a courteous response 'nice pics' or something of the like...demonstrating that looking at someone else's vacation photos was not the peak of his day even with his own camera involved.
His vacation shots were...to put it kindly...average. He never really contemplated any photographic rules or techniques, other than 'point camera, press button.' Many dark photos, many blurry photos, lots of heads in the way, tilted horizons...the usual snapshooter stuff. And I figured at age 68, he was not likely to change.
Wasn't I surprised to be asked one day to explain the camera a bit more, and to tell him how to get better shots with it...including some basic photography techniques! I endeavored to teach him what I could before his next vacation - the son teaching the father - how shutter and aperture worked, rule of thirds, how to use the different metering modes, half-pressing for focus lock, using spot focus, what the histogram is, how to manually set white balance, etc. Who knows how much would possibly be remembered - but his photographs couldn't get any more 'average' (read: bad).
Off he went to Alaska a few weeks ago. Upon returning, he brought me his H1, and asked me to load the shots (as I always do for him since he doesn't use a computer) on a CD, and then he'd develop them (the CD is for backup and TV playback). Quickly, I noticed that less than 20 of 250 shots were throwaways...far less than the usual 1/3. I also noticed that the other shots had far fewer errors than normal - no heads in shots, no fingers in the lens, solid white balance, indoor shots not too dark. Hmmm...could the old dog have learned a new trick or two? Looking through more...I suddenly became aware of...composition! Actual use of composition.
Uh oh. These pics are actually pretty good. Have I gone too far? I had an edge over him in photographic knowledge...but now that I've given away that advantage, his experience and ability to travel much more than I gives him an edge over me now! My student is competing with me.
I want to share a few of my student's shots from Alaska...and let the STF decide how the student is doing!:
But wait...there's more! They even get better. I'll post some more in a new reply so I don't overload one thread with too many...
--
Justin
http://www.pbase.com/zackiedawg
Well, I had routinely showed him my pics with HIS camera, usually with a courteous response 'nice pics' or something of the like...demonstrating that looking at someone else's vacation photos was not the peak of his day even with his own camera involved.
His vacation shots were...to put it kindly...average. He never really contemplated any photographic rules or techniques, other than 'point camera, press button.' Many dark photos, many blurry photos, lots of heads in the way, tilted horizons...the usual snapshooter stuff. And I figured at age 68, he was not likely to change.
Wasn't I surprised to be asked one day to explain the camera a bit more, and to tell him how to get better shots with it...including some basic photography techniques! I endeavored to teach him what I could before his next vacation - the son teaching the father - how shutter and aperture worked, rule of thirds, how to use the different metering modes, half-pressing for focus lock, using spot focus, what the histogram is, how to manually set white balance, etc. Who knows how much would possibly be remembered - but his photographs couldn't get any more 'average' (read: bad).
Off he went to Alaska a few weeks ago. Upon returning, he brought me his H1, and asked me to load the shots (as I always do for him since he doesn't use a computer) on a CD, and then he'd develop them (the CD is for backup and TV playback). Quickly, I noticed that less than 20 of 250 shots were throwaways...far less than the usual 1/3. I also noticed that the other shots had far fewer errors than normal - no heads in shots, no fingers in the lens, solid white balance, indoor shots not too dark. Hmmm...could the old dog have learned a new trick or two? Looking through more...I suddenly became aware of...composition! Actual use of composition.
Uh oh. These pics are actually pretty good. Have I gone too far? I had an edge over him in photographic knowledge...but now that I've given away that advantage, his experience and ability to travel much more than I gives him an edge over me now! My student is competing with me.
I want to share a few of my student's shots from Alaska...and let the STF decide how the student is doing!:
But wait...there's more! They even get better. I'll post some more in a new reply so I don't overload one thread with too many...
--
Justin
http://www.pbase.com/zackiedawg
At 65 with only a couple of years behind a camera and having owned a computer only since retirement, I am the one giving advice on what buttons do what on Sony cameras, doing income tax on computer for offspring and helping upgrade RAM etc. Yes indeed, old dogs can learn new tricks. Great shots by you step father and while these may be pictures from trip to Alaska, I will eat my hat if second shot in first series is not the North Shore mountains in Vancouver. In fact, 90 degrees from the shot in following link which I offered as an example for you to tear apart......which you did quite nicely thank you.