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… Insight, advice, or encouragement

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… As a beginner photographer, we are delighted to simply take pictures of things. We do not see anything else in the image… only the subjects. It is with experience that we learn to consider context, and it’s relationship with the subject. And, we learn how the sensor/ lens captures and affects this relationship.
 
There are things that go beyond thought. I enjoy the sky, the flowers, the wind, etc. I have fun with a camera or without one, and that’s enough.
 
I never learned to develop my negatives back in my film days and bought prints from labs. With digital, I process from raw all the time and have especially enjoyed printing photos myself. One doesn't have to go all expensive with the printer. I still use an Epson Artisan all-in-one. Having only one black ink, it does a poor job with black and whites. It is also limited to letter size prints. So, a couple of years ago, I bought a Canon Pro-10 and this is now a passion. I have a variety of photo types and sizes. When I want to fully enjoy one of my images, I will view it in all its two dimensional glory.

Be aware that the cost of the printer is in the ink not the original purchase of the printer and not even the paper. My Canon cost only $200 with an additional $50 for a 50 pack of 13x19 Canon luster paper. Canon will often throw in some paper with a purchase of ink or a printer. A new 10 pack of the Canon 72 ink costs about $135 retail and is often out of stock. Print the 50 pack of 13x19 and you will be out a pretty penny. I still use my Epson Artisan for most of my color prints. The printer has been discontinued and the ink is no longer available from Epson in the large size. Up until recently I was able to get the Epson ink at a good discount on Ebay. Prices on Ebay have increased. Glad I got a lot of the ink a couple of years ago. So, don't be fooled by the low intitial outlay. It will cost. For me, it is worth it.
 
Mostly, advice given can be turned around on the writer.. Any camera and lens (prime or zoom) - walk around take as many pictures as possible, when framing always leave a little more space around the edges - after you have studied your images, decide how to improve and go forward.. There are 10million photographs to be taken out there, never say there is nothing to photograph.. L
 
Become part of the life around you. See it through the eyes of a child and feel what they feel, then snap it spontaneously.

Best picture I ever took was one of my first. My grandparents gave me my first SLR TOO MANY YEARS AGO.

We were at a restaurant celebrating my grandmother's birthday. There were some cards and a cake. My grandfather as always when traveling or going out was wearing a suit and tie. They were married the day before he went off into WW1. They were both smiling in the usual classic pose. After counting 1,2, 3, I took the photo.

Just to be sure there was a decent shot on the roll of film, I tried to take a second backup. My grandmother said something like wait or no or not yet. My grandfather turned slightly to look at her with the look of intense love that was only done when they were in private.

I snapped it. Technically it is far from perfect.

But photo number one was as perfect technically and "artistically" as any could ever be.

Still got it somewhere. I think maybe, but not concerned enough to try to dig it out.

The one that has been reproduced many times with a copy on the wall in a special place at my home is the second.

My mother would get teary eyed whenever she looked at it. So would my sister, cousins and others.

It was the feeling, intuition and luck as a result of a feeling of the spontaneity of the moment and taking it. Being in the zone. Doing without thinking.

Most people especially so called "street photographers" are into erudite art, technique and even having subjects pose. I see it. I assume others do.

For me not. Too artificial.

That is why I am a fan of many of the early prints of Vivian Maier as many had that spontaneity that too many of the later lack.

That is just me. Like Maier I seek no fame or money. Just to capture the moment
 
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Maybe this is going to sound pathetic or needy but... I spent six years as one of my social circles photographers. Social circle makes it sound like it wasn't thousands of people that regulared the art shows and performances etc. I was always behind the camera grabbing shots for people or assisting other people who were. I never ended up in a photo. After a hundred shows I just was never documented. It's kind of a bummer. It doesn't need to be the same situation but if you're always behind the camera as "that person," give it a break occasionally and maybe you'll get some proof you existed. It just strikes me sometimes when I go through more casual photos I see friends/acquaintances post and I am in none of them because I was running around.
 
arbeterfroyen said:
Maybe this is going to sound pathetic or needy but... I spent six years as one of my social circles photographers. Social circle makes it sound like it wasn't thousands of people that regulared the art shows and performances etc. I was always behind the camera grabbing shots for people or assisting other people who were. I never ended up in a photo. After a hundred shows I just was never documented. It's kind of a bummer. It doesn't need to be the same situation but if you're always behind the camera as "that person," give it a break occasionally and maybe you'll get some proof you existed. It just strikes me sometimes when I go through more casual photos I see friends/acquaintances post and I am in none of them because I was running around.
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I am not in any by choice. YUK.Is my reaction when someone shot me and I look at the result. What a waste of electrons.

That is why I am the one doing the shooting

Better to shoot then to get shot.

Better to take than to be taken.

And I aint met anyone with sufficient photoshop skills to do much except make them worse.
 
The quality and direction of light are, in my experience, the qualities that most influence how an image is perceived, interpreted, and reacted to. i.e. , The same object or person can be photographed in a different array of styles to evoke different feelings.
 
Huntin4photos said:
Become part of the life around you. See it through the eyes of a child and feel what they feel, then snap it spontaneously.

Best picture I ever took was one of my first. My grandparents gave me my first SLR TOO MANY YEARS AGO.

We were at a restaurant celebrating my grandmother's birthday. There were some cards and a cake. My grandfather as always when traveling or going out was wearing a suit and tie. They were married the day before he went off into WW1. They were both smiling in the usual classic pose. After counting 1,2, 3, I took the photo.

Just to be sure there was a decent shot on the roll of film, I tried to take a second backup. My grandmother said something like wait or no or not yet. My grandfather turned slightly to look at her with the look of intense love that was only done when they were in private.

I snapped it. Technically it is far from perfect.

But photo number one was as perfect technically and "artistically" as any could ever be.

Still got it somewhere. I think maybe, but not concerned enough to try to dig it out.

The one that has been reproduced many times with a copy on the wall in a special place at my home is the second.

My mother would get teary eyed whenever she looked at it. So would my sister, cousins and others.

It was the feeling, intuition and luck as a result of a feeling of the spontaneity of the moment and taking it. Being in the zone. Doing without thinking.

Most people especially so called "street photographers" are into erudite art, technique and even having subjects pose. I see it. I assume others do.

For me not. Too artificial.

That is why I am a fan of many of the early prints of Vivian Maier as many had that spontaneity that too many of the later lack.

That is just me. Like Maier I seek no fame or money. Just to capture the moment
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Great story.

Many of my old photos just collect dust. I can't look at some of them without becoming melancholy -- about times and persons long since past.
 
Huntin4photos said:
arbeterfroyen said:
Maybe this is going to sound pathetic or needy but... I spent six years as one of my social circles photographers. Social circle makes it sound like it wasn't thousands of people that regulared the art shows and performances etc. I was always behind the camera grabbing shots for people or assisting other people who were. I never ended up in a photo. After a hundred shows I just was never documented. It's kind of a bummer. It doesn't need to be the same situation but if you're always behind the camera as "that person," give it a break occasionally and maybe you'll get some proof you existed. It just strikes me sometimes when I go through more casual photos I see friends/acquaintances post and I am in none of them because I was running around.
Click to expand...
I am not in any by choice. YUK.Is my reaction when someone shot me and I look at the result. What a waste of electrons.

That is why I am the one doing the shooting

Better to shoot then to get shot.

Better to take than to be taken.

And I aint met anyone with sufficient photoshop skills to do much except make them worse.
Click to expand...
Perhaps artificial intelligence will solve the problem, and then we will all look great in old photos.
 
If it's picture you really want or a subject you really like, never just take a single picture.
 
don't waste your time editing and post processing bad pictures. Spend the time instead making good pictures even better.
 
Trevor Carpenter said:
don't waste your time editing and post processing bad pictures. Spend the time instead making good pictures even better.
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Sound advice as far as it goes. However, the trick, as in so many things, is in sorting out the good from the bad.
 
Look at other's images, and try to phrase out why you like/dislike/get bored when looking at them.

It is a very difficult exercise, but when you're able to comment a picture (beyond the usual and useless 'nice shot') it's a genuine progress both for you and for the photographer.
 
Brian Chichester said:
Trevor Carpenter said:
don't waste your time editing and post processing bad pictures. Spend the time instead making good pictures even better.
Click to expand...
Sound advice as far as it goes. However, the trick, as in so many things, is in sorting out the good from the bad.
Click to expand...
Technically poor images can usually be greatly improved. If your skills are not good enough yet, put them aside to work on in a year or two.

Boring pictures are more of a problem. I find that many very ordinary street scenes and similar shots that I took decades ago have become interesting with the passage of time, as streets have been demolished, cars and clothes changed, and so on.

But the advice from Trevor certainly applies to sports photographs taken in burst mode. If you come away from an event with hundreds of very similar photos, then severe weeding is obviously needed.

Don Cox
 
As a way to see things differently from clichés.
 
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