If there is one time of year that we can’t help but to embrace our inner photographer, it’s got to be the holidays. Family, friends, travel, blizzards! So many opportunities to record great memories! As we begin a new year, think back on the photos you took over the past weeks. What kind of reactions are you getting from family and friends? How do the pictures look to you? Do most of them make you smile, scratch your head, or groan? Are you thinking, "Why do I bother?" or, "Hey, that turned out better than I expected!" Or maybe somewhere in between--good enough to evoke memories of the occasions, but not worthy of matting and framing for posterity.
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| Nelson (circa 2007, he's in doggie heaven now) Photo by Skye's sister Kyle |
Your photographs are the products of two ingredients: you and your hardware. A picture is like the end result of a recipe--some cooks just throw together anything in the pantry without looking at expiration dates or instructions, and cheerfully hope for the best. Others buy beautifully-illustrated and detailed cookbooks, the finest kitchen tools and cookware, the most precisely-calibrated commercial stoves, and shop specialty stores for the highest-quality ingredients, before using carefully-practiced skills to create culinary delights . Both can produce delicious results, although in the second example, they are more predictable, not necessarily because of the fancy pans, but because the cook cares more about the outcome.
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| Skye's friend Janet Halpin took this gorgeous shot |
Regardless of whether you are the Joël Robuchon or Rachael Ray of photographers, you don't need to invest a small fortune in your camera equipment (although it's easy to do, and you may ultimately want to, once your expertise warrants it) to get excellent pictures--I've seen amazing results from camera phones--but if you want to improve, and control the end product so that the picture you want is the one you get, you will need to spend some time and attention on using what you have. (Then work on upgrading!)
Think back again to those holiday pictures. If there is something you want to change, you have to decide what. Is your camera still pretty much a mystery, and you want to get control of it instead of letting it make all the decisions? Or have you learned everything in the manual and still can't get the results you want? Can you see that this year's pictures are better than last year's, and want to keep on in this positive direction? Or have you reached the point where you are picking apart each photo as far as composition, lighting, focus, detail, and content, and are continually setting higher standards for yourself?
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| Skye's high school classmate, Maria Strinni Gill |
No matter where you are along the spectrum, the answer to helping you succeed in taking better photos in 2011 is some kind of guided practice. Practice, practice, practice! Randomly snapping hundreds of shots without any assessment, while it may produce a few good results (and a comical candid shot or two), won't help much over the long run. It's an easy habit to fall into--I still find myself giving in to the impulse to click away--but taking a deep breath and giving some thought to getting the settings right, will probably make you happier at the end of the day.
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| Skye's talented intern Phoebe Chung |
In upcoming blogs we will discuss these things, sometimes addressing your hardware, and sometimes your knowledge, skills, and inspiration. Assessing those holiday pictures has probably nudged you in one direction or the other--you are ready to graduate to a new camera, or you want to spend some effort educating your inner photographer. Or both! Next time we'll revisit the ongoing point-and-shoot vs. DSLR debate, and maybe touch on style and subjects.
Every time you import a new batch of digital photos, or open an envelope of prints for the first time, there's that tickly rush of anticipation, whether you are a newbie or a pro. My resolution for the new year is to make that experience more enjoyable for everyone I can, including myself!
Meanwhile, have fun and keep snapping!
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