Photography 101 by Hubby

Photography 101 – Part 1  (because people are always commenting about the pics I have on facebook and the blog--not the blurry ones I take) This is from the "real" photographer in the family.

A Guest Blog by Hubby

Why I take pictures
I have a bad memory.  I struggle to remember names, faces, places, events.  I would be a lousy salesman, as I likely won’t remember your name until I’ve met you multiple times.  My wife is my opposite, she remembers everyone – she’s handy for me to have around.  I started to appreciate photography when Jenna was in her battle with cancer.  For me, preserving those memories suddenly became more important.  I can look at a picture and remember everything, what we were doing, what we were feeling, etc.  I guess I just need that visual reminder to get my brain in gear, that’s why photography has become one of my top hobbies.  Photography, specifically digital photography also has a technical side that appeals to me.  I love tech, I’m in the technology business so it just comes naturally for me.  I consider myself a “technical” photographer, I have to work hard at the artistry piece, but I think it’s important to try and get better at things that don’t come easy to you. 

One of my first Christmas card attempts with my first DSLR camera.  It’s blurry, overexposed, and not composed well.  It’s also one of my favorite memories.

“Your camera takes great pictures”
This is one of those statements that really upsets a lot of photographers, especially the artsy ones.  How dare they imply that the photographer didn’t have complete control over the end picture?  Yes, the picture comes from the vision of the photographer, but unless the photographer envisioned a blurry picture of your kid on stage at the dance recital, you have to give the equipment some credit.  Equipment matters, and sometimes the size of that equipment matters. ;-)  Once this hits the internet, all the uppity photographers out there will be gunning for me.  LOL

For example:

I posted this picture on Facebook, I got lots of likes and comments like, “Great pic, you should frame this”, “Awesome photo”, “Wow, very nice”.  Must’ve been the expensive gear, huh?  Nope, I took this with my Windows Phone….through a window screen.  Full disclosure…I didn’t just pick up the phone and take the picture.  I took a couple seconds to tweak a few settings.  I set the ISO, and dropped the exposure compensation because I knew how the camera would try to expose that scene.  Did the equipment matter in this case?  No…and Yes…  If you look at this picture in a small view like here on the blog or on Facebook, it looks great (except for the big tree running through the frame).  If you make it any bigger than a few inches across and you’ll quickly see that it’s grainy and just not a great picture, technically.  It’s pretty though, and it accurately shows the scene as I saw it that evening, sunset over the low country of South Carolina.  You can get this result with a phone, a point and shoot or a DSLR, you just have to understand how it works and how to get your vision out of it no matter what equipment you’re using.

Another example:

I had a vision for this one.  This is Tunnel View at Yosemite National Park, probably one of the most photographed locations on the planet, Ansel Adams made the park famous.  I came upon this photographer doing it old school, using a Medium Format camera and film.  He stood there for an eternity waiting for the light and clouds to be just right, so he could capture his vision.  My vision was to try and show what Ansel Adams went through to get his pictures.  Pretty easy shot for me technically with my DSLR, ISO 100, f11, and shoot. Flip it to sepia in post processing and I’m done.  The reason this picture works is because of the vision and the story it tells.  Yes, it’s technically very good, but when compared to a regular snapshot of Tunnel View, it just blows it away.

Nice picture…just boring, it doesn’t tell a story.  Which one would you want hanging on your wall?

“I get it, you and your camera take great pictures, so what’s your point, ?”

I have a friend who is a part time professional photographer; she uses an older DSLR and a beat up prime lens.  She takes gorgeous pictures with equipment that is older than mine, I’m jealous of her work because of her vision and ability to capture it.  Give a teenage girl a digital camera and you will get some awesome pictures, I’m always blown away with their creativity.  They’re not concerned with the technical, only with their vision. 

My point is that you first need to figure out why you’re taking pictures, is it for the memories or for the sport of doing it, or maybe even to make some money?  (I cover all three) Second, you need a vision, see the scene and capture the picture.  Your vision may only be a small part of a scene, but whatever it is, strive to capture it as you want to remember it.  Third, understand how to get the vision out of the equipment you have, and decide whether or not you have the right equipment for what you’re trying to accomplish.  I’ll talk more about this in Part II. 

I have probably taken over 50,000 pictures since I got serious into photography, that’s a conservative estimate.  When I look at my favorites, they are generally not the ones that required thousands of dollars’ worth of gear and lighting to get, they’re the ones that tell a story, and that help me remember.

Look for more to come from our resident photographer!! 
Thanks hubby!  :-)