With 2018 over, I have taken some time to look back at some of the changes I have made in my photography, and to set some “rules” for moving forward. The biggest change I made last year was in the equipment I use. Previously I used all Nikon gear, most recently shooting with a D850 and D810 and a small Fuji X100T I used mostly for street photography. Then came August and my decision to change my gear and how I shoot. I began selling off my Nikon cameras and lenses and reinvested part of the money in Fuji gear. I also changed the way I shoot, moving towards shooting in a more documentary style So for 2019 along with last year’s change of equipment and change of shooting style, I’ve decided to set some guidelines (rules) to hopefully help me grow in the coming year. Rule 1. Stop trying to be a specific TYPE of photographer In the past I’ve always had a label to go along with what I did. At times it has been portrait photographer, street photographer, photo journalist, concert photographer, freelance photographer and many more. As my style of shooting has evolved over the years none of them really fit what I do. While I still shoot most of these styles from time to time, currently what I do the most and what I enjoy the most is simply taking photos of what I see in my every day world. My goal is to document what I see, and to share with others who are interested in seeing it. During the past years and especially in the past months, I’ve come to see my photography, not as a hobby or a profession, but as my passion. Its what I do and its part of who I am. So if a label is needed I suppose for now we can call me a documentary photographer since I am documenting what I see. IN THE END ITS ALL DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHY Rule 2. Stop putting my cameras away No matter how much I study, how well I know my camera’s features, how much technical skill I gain, how good I am at composing/lighting/posing/exposure...none of this does any good if I don’t have ready access to my camera. A few days ago I encountered what could have been a great shot. I had my camera with me. It was in a case, wrapped in a Chamois, with the strap wrapped around the lens, very secure and safe. Safe, but wasted, by the time I got the bag off the floor and unzipped it, the shot was gone. Now I know there is no way to never miss a shot, but I can keep my camera or cell phone close and accessible and be ready to catch that next once-in-a-lifetime shot, rather then let it slip away. I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAVE A CAMERA HANDY TO GET THESE Rule 3. Stop looking for photos to take and just take photos of what I see In 2014, I decided to do a photo-a-day challenge. It was a great learning experience, and I enjoyed it a lot most days. But then there were those days when I drove around, sometimes for hours, searching, trying my hardest to find something interesting to photograph. On those days, I wasn't all that thrilled with my little project, and didn't really enjoy photography. This year, I am again taking on a photo-a-day challenge, but this time I’m approaching it differently. The biggest difference is that I’m not looking for the perfect photo. I’m not out searching. For the most part, I’m just following rule 2--keeping a camera handy. And when I see something that interests me, I will document and share it as part of the project. This doesn't mean I will never set up a photo I want to shoot or that I will never drive around and do photos, because I’m sure I will. But mainly I will focus on capturing and sharing interesting things that I happen to see. DOCUMENTING WHAT I SEE IN THE WORLD Rule 4. Stop trying to MAKE a great photo and just go out and take a photo I see truly stunning photos. Composites are hugely popular right now. Photoshop can do some amazing things. There are people out there producing fantastic images using the tools that are available. I have experience with setting up a fine art style shot, doing some composites in Photoshop, and doing portraits. I’ll likely dabble in all these styles again this year...portraits especially since they are linked to a current project (more about that later), but my passion for now is the documentary style. I no longer heavily edit my shots, but make some slight adjustments as needed. Currently I shoot both Raw and Jpg. This year I aim to become confident enough with my in-camera settings to switch to Jpg only, concentrating more on getting the shot I want than trying to transform it into what I want. On the left a shot I set up based on a photo I saw. I was pretty happy with how it came out but felt it could have been a lot better. On the right a shot I took just to document the scene in front of me. I like them both but for me these days the one on the right is who I am its what I do. Rule 5. Shoot in different formats (aspect ratios) One big advantage of digital cameras over film cameras is the ability to shoot in different aspect ratios. In film cameras you had one film size for the camera which gave you one format (aspect ratio). Now, not only can we quickly take a photo, but we can use Photo Shop to crop it to any ratio we like. Most cameras let us select in-camera ratios. The advantage here is what you see in the view finder is what you are shooting, making it easier to compose the shot for the ratio you want to shoot in. I spent years only taking photos in the standard 2:3 ratio. With few exceptions, if I cropped a photo I would crop it to the same ratio. I experimented with 16x9 ratio and am currently shooting in 1:1 or square ratio. I’ve found it fits well with the style of what I shoot now. And I love how it reminds me of the photos I used to take with the Kodak Instamatic X-15 my mom gave me as my first camera. I have found lately that I like different aspect ratios as well as different orientations for different types of photos I Shoot. Rule 6. Stop making excuses and just go take photos I live in Pittsburgh and right now it is winter here. The temperatures are dropping and we are getting rain and snow. So the excuses come easily...I can’t take my gear out in the rain, it’s too cold for street photography, it’s dark when I get off work, it’s the weekend and I’m tired. I can make excuses, let my gear sit and gather dust, or I can get out and see what I see. Some of the greatest examples of what we call street photography were taken in the rain or snow. So for this year I’ll commit to getting out as much as I can, even if its just a walk around my small town and see what I can document. Because, simply put, who knows what I’m missing? "I would rather go out and not get one good photo then not go and regret it" A few photos from days I tried to talk myself out of going to shoot Rule 7. Take photos I would print and hang, then do This one isn’t really new, but I would like to do a lot more of it going forward. There is something special about taking a photo, having it printed, selecting the perfect frame for it, and finding the best place for it in your home or office (or a family member’s or friend’s home or office...YES, photos make great gifts). A Few of the photos we have printed and hung in our home Rule 8. Have A Project to Work On Having a project to work on is a great way for me to follow some of my other rules. Currently I’m working on my 5000 Portrait Project, my Photo-a-Day for 2019 Project, and adding to my collection of photos that fall under the street photography category. Left A Photo from my 5000 Portrait Project Learn more about it here https://5000portraits.weebly.com/ Instagram @5000Portraits Center A shot from my photo a day project for 2019 To see the Daily Photo and more follow me on Instagram @Randall2203 Right from my Street Photography collection see more Instagram @Randall_Street Rule 9. Use social media to grow as a photographer – I now use Facebook for sharing my photos that I like, instead of posting photos just to get likes. – I try to spend time daily reading a blog or watching some You Tube videos for education/inspiration. – I intend to get more on my Instagram feed (instead of having a professional photography web site). This will provide a central location where others can see what I’ve done lately. Rule 10. Have a weekly camera cleaning time Photography is important to me. I do at times take my cameras out into the elements and want to get into a solid routine of giving all my equipment a good weekly cleaning so I can get years and years of use out of them. Along with a good cleaning I’ll use this day to reorganize my gear, charge batteries, and do an inspection of my equipment to make sure there are no issues I can correct. Master Rule Remember that there really are no rules I intend to keep in mind that my photography is primarily for myself (unless I’m doing a paid assignment), although it delights me when others enjoy my photos. I don’t need to worry about what others think of my images. My only concern is documenting and sharing parts of the world around me.
1 Comment
Douglas A Higinbotham
1/30/2019 07:46:58 am
You have come a long way from developing pictures in shop class . Follow your passion and find happiness in your art . I am so proud of you , and always look forward to seeing your work . To have known you for so many years and to consider you one of my oldest and dearest friends is just a plus .
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AuthorHusband, Father, Grandfather, Photographer, Cat Lover and Documentary Photographer Archives
October 2021
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