How I see it

“It takes a lot of imagination to be a good photographer. You need less imagination to be a painter, because you can invent things. But in photography everything is so ordinary; it takes a lot of looking before you learn to see the extraordinary.”

David Bailey

I'm not a great writer. I think thats why I choose to express myself in images. I would give anything to be able to explain in words how I feel about life and those around me. Some of my friends are great at this. Blogs I enjoys include Claire's, tara's, emma's, kristen's, barb's, ashley's, and denises' (a mixture of writers and photographers - some are both) and many more that you will find in the blogs that I follow in my profile.

I am still in the learning stages but photographers out there, including some of my students, have been asking me about my processes, lenses I use, and how I approach photoshoots. Therefore I'm going to try and give you a little insight into my methods in photography. This is just my way of seeing things and believe me, I still have alot of developing to do myself.

First of all, you don't need to go out and buy the most expensive gear to get great shots. I started with a canon 400d which I still use as a back-up. This is an excellent camera. If you combine this with the very 'budget friendly' 50mm 1.8 you've got all you need to start taking amazing photos of those around you. Turn the flash off and open your aperture right out to really get the benefits of beautiful natural light. Shoot with decent shutter speeds of 1/125 and above to maintain sharpness on the details you want. If your really stuck for available light bump up your ISO to 800-1600 and you should still be able to capture the ambience of available light indoors and out. After all, essentially it is all about finding the right light. I'm stilling learning this every time I look through that viewfinder. I'm using the same approach as photographers and artists have used for centuries, and there is alot to be learned from studying the old masters such as Rembrandt, michaelangelo, Monet and Cezanne. I'm so glad I studied art history and illustration in college because really looking at how the light falls on your subject is the key to discovery.

What I am thankful for is that I didn't learn my skills in a studio with artificial lighting. I would have missed out on so much. Natural light has a beauty and softness that can never be replicated with a bulb. I do realise amazing results can be achieved in studio shoots, with studio lighting, but its just not my way of going at the moment. I may experiment more in this area in future, but in the meantime, I'm enjoying my lovely available light.

Also, a big thing to think about is the time of day you decide to have your shoot. Morning light is muted, soft and dreamy. The middle of the day is not the best time for light as it can often be harsh and strong. Evening light, especially when the sun is dipping is a favourite for photographers. Catching the light at this time can be golden. You will never replicate this light in a photoshop action. Also, be aware of where the sun is in sky. Are you shooting into the light or against it? All these things will ultimately effect the mood of your shot.

Speaking of actions, I often get asked by people why they are not getting the same results when using the same actions. There is no easy answer to this question. You cannot apply actions blindly to all photographs. I would recommend buying good actions sets such as those produced by jinky art or Ashley MacNamara and then dropping all the layers down to 0%. Then build them back in until you get the desired effect on your particular photo. Sometimes less is more. No-one needs to over-cook an image. If your not getting results you would like you may need to take a look at the lenses and the light. Practice and experience will bring improvement. One thing all photographers will tell you is that you learn from mistakes made. Its not until you make them that you can correct them.

Get your exposure and focus right in-camera and you will have less to do in photoshop. I prefer to expose on the bright side. I shoot in raw format so that I can adjust slightly later on in lightroom. I always prefer the results from a slightly over-exposed image rather than that of an underexposed image because of noise problems in the shadows. At the same time, if you overexpose you will lose details in the highlights that may not be recovered so set your exposures correctly when you can. If shooting in manual mode there is an in-camera metering tool which lets you know when to adjust. I also sometimes use a light-meter so that there can be no mistakes. Focus on the eyes and make a connection there. If the eyes are out-of-focus this can be hard to rectify. Getting sharp eyes, in my opinion, is pretty important.

Lenses
My favourite lenses are primes. I recently spent alot of money on the zoom 24-70mm 2.8. Although this lens is useful when you really need to get that shot, it doesn't have the same qualities that I love in my prime lenses. My 50 1.8 records light beautifully at a fraction of the price, the bokeh, handling of depth-of-field and sharpness is very pleasing. At the moment my favourite lens is the 85mm 1.8 producing beautiful background blur and compression factors make it a really good portrait work-horse. I'm hoping to purchase the 50mm 1.2 soon as I like very wide apertures and sharpness in the details. I usually shoot with two cameras so I don't have to constantly changes lenses.

What makes a great picture?
This is the thing. You can be technically brilliant. You can have the best equipment. You can know everything there is to know about lighting and composition but still your images aren't making an impact. You have to love what you do. Be true to yourself. I know that I love recording daily things that happen around me. My kids are a constant source of inspiration. Capture something that moves you. Photography is often emotional and not always logical. Its in its nature. We want to connect with people and communicate something. Its hard to communicate it if you don't feel it. How does one teach passion. You can't. Photograph things that move you. Look outside the world of photography for inspiration. I love to sit in the children's section of Waterstone's bookstore and enjoy the wealth of illustration I find there. I particularly love the work of Oliver Jeffers. I also enjoy the flowers in my father's garden and long walks over fields, leaving the camera at home.

Jinky explained it well when she said "I think if we keep to what makes our hearts sing, and keep being inspired by a large variety of sources then we are likely to find our own path. Which is why its important to look within and look at a whole range of work rather then setting our eyes on only 1 source of inspiration."

We constantly compare ourselves to our peers and give ourselves a hard time. Someone always seems to be doing it better, with better lenses, better processing, better subjects. Don't sell yourselves short. Believe that your own vision of the world has value. Enjoy and soon enough others will enjoy it too. Keep building it. Record their lives as only you can because of your talent. Believe in yourself. Its a unique gift that you have been given. Appreciate it and although its a rollercoaster of emotions, ups and downs, don't give up. Enhance your photos your way and develop your own style.

I do hope this helps someone out there who is working hard and feeling deflated. Photographers, there is no secret code to getting it right. It really is a long road to success, which I am still taking myself, but make sure your enjoying the ride, because I don't know of any photographer who has accomplished everything they set out to do and completed the journey.

paula
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