In 1973 the British rock group ‘Traffic’ released ‘Shoot Out at the Fantasy Factory’. Forty something years later, I can’t sing any of the songs on that album except for one… “Sometimes I feel so uninspired. Sometimes I feel like giving up…” Writers talk about ‘writer’s block’ – as visual artists, I guess we are… Continue reading (Sometimes I feel so) Uninspired
Author: Jim
Nikon vs. Canon
Nikon vs. Canon Oh my god! If I hear that question again I think I’ll scream! Yes, I use one of these brands. I’ve probably referenced which one in other posts, but I won’t do it here. Let’s cut to the chase: Both are equally great! I know, I know, that’s sacrilegious! You HAVE to… Continue reading Nikon vs. Canon
Proud to be an amateur!
Proud to be an amateur! Are you an amateur photographer? If you’re a professional, are you still an amateur? Amateur: French, from Latin amator lover, from amare to love Yes, I realize that the popular meaning of amateur is one who is NOT a professional, but that’s not the original meaning of the word… I… Continue reading Proud to be an amateur!
Photography as Art vs. Photography for Fun
I’ve noticed an increase in advertisements for point and shoot cameras in the photo trade journals. These ads are directed toward serious (or professional) photographers. Basically, the idea is that you probably don’t want to carry your heavy (expensive) DSLR with you when you’re just going to be taking pictures of your friends and family.… Continue reading Photography as Art vs. Photography for Fun
10 Tips for beginners
Learn your camera’s controls. Know how to turn the flash on and off, and how to make it ‘auto’ (and how to make it NOT auto.) How to use the various exposure modes: Aperture priority/Shutter priority/Manual. If you can adjust the ISO, learn how to make the change easily. Take a bunch of photos! Then… Continue reading 10 Tips for beginners
Pictures of interesting things vs. interesting pictures
We’ve all done it. We see something interesting and pull out our camera and start shooting. Sunsets, cute kids, the Grand Canyon, the Eiffel Tower, etc. The list goes on and on… What’s the most common outcome? A boring shot of a very cool subject, which is certainly not the same as a cool shot.… Continue reading Pictures of interesting things vs. interesting pictures
Protecting your gear from theft
Here are some simple and inexpensive tips on keeping your gear from being stolen. First things first. Make sure you have the serial numbers of everything recorded safely at home (and a copy somewhere else – like your safe deposit box, or even a Google document.) Check with your insurance company and find out what… Continue reading Protecting your gear from theft
f stops – why the strange numbers?
If you’ve ever taken a photography class, or read books on photo techniques, you know that you’re just supposed to know the list of ‘full stops’. Everyone knows that (for instance) f 3 is not a ‘real’ f stop. Why not? For those of us who cut our teeth on film cameras, we remember when… Continue reading f stops – why the strange numbers?
Reciprocity – big name – easy concept
Reciprocity is a pretty simple idea. If you double the amount of light through the lens (by changing the f-stop), you can keep the same exposure simply by cutting the time the shutter is open in half. As an example, if f8 at 1/125 of a second is correct, then so is f5.6 at 1/250,… Continue reading Reciprocity – big name – easy concept
Being smarter than you camera’s meter
We’ve all done it! We compose and shoot a great shot. Then we find out that it’s not exposed correctly. What did we do wrong? Is there something wrong with our camera’s exposure meter? Most likely, there’s nothing wrong with the exposure meter. I guess that means that it’s our fault.