I’ve noticed that the subject of lenses often has a sort of mystery surrounding it. Newer photographers (and some not so new) often don’t know all of the information that is available on their lens—yes if you know what your lens is saying, it’s amazing how much it will tell you!

Photodo.com  has posted a cool resource for getting to know about your  lenses. Go to their site and you can put your mouse over any of these terms above and you’ll get a handy description of each.

Each of these parts represents a tool to help you capture the image the way you visualized it. Get to know their functions and take shots using each and you will expand your range, and get that much closer to your vision.
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A year ago I put together an ebook “Taking Memorable Photographs” which you can download for free in case you missed it. I covered 5 tips for travel photography (or any photography for that matter.)

In September we traveled to South Africa and I posted a few shots to my portfolio, but (blush) I just got around to putting up a bunch more in SmugMug click to have a gander.  See if you can tell which of the tips I was using!

I plan to put together a short video with my shots giving specific tips on animal photography. Look for that early next year.

The biggest tip I can pass along: Find a great “ranger” (guide.) Ours, named Eric, was so in tune with the bush and where to look that we seemed to always be in the right place.  Or did he have the magical touch where he could “dial up” on demand zebras, lions, water buck or wild dogs? In any case it was amazing to spend days in the bush, going out 4 hours at dawn and another 4 hours at dusk, day after day.

Let me know what you think.

Yesterday I had a request for an “emergency” shoot that needed to be done right away, before the client got on a plane to NY.  We all like to have our ducks in a row with plenty of time to set up locations and get your wits wrapped around the shoot. But there just wasn’t time for that and with my spirit of adventure always winning out,  “I said ok, meet me at _______.” Well,  that location turned out to actually be unavailable, so with the light fading rapidly, we got in my Land Rover (with client’s wardrobe slung in) and headed off where I thought we’d have good late afternoon light and an interesting backdrop.

As I came around the corner, there was the best display of fall colors that we could have asked for (at least in this part of California). I pulled over and we found amazing contrasts of leaves: yellow-orange-red, but what was really interesting was the raised railroad track, with trains flashing by.

The client had said something about liking motion, and that triggered me to figure out how to get him up on the embankment with the zoooom-blur of the train behind him. This worked. What also worked were the clouds behind him with the sun setting. Dang, I couldn’t have planned it better—but that’s what really made this work—it wasn’t planned, and it had to work.

So folks, sometimes it great to have a deadline, impossible conditions with the light fading, and trains as your backdrop.

Plan to unplan and surprise yourself.

Photography is such a technical subject that many photographers get caught up in it, or snarled up in it, as the case may be. Cameras are such wonderful contrivances that we can get lured in by the latest gadgety. While it certainly is important to know your camera, the camera doesn’t take the photo, you do!
So how do you learn to get better shots and find your “voice” (or eye) as photographer?  Are there some practical steps to take?

I believe there are. These are the steps that I recommend to my students, and that I myself have taken along the way:

1.    You must get out and shoot, shoot, shoot. Like any activity—tennis, surfing (my sport of choice)—you name it–you’ve got to stay in shape by constantly looking for and capturing images.

2. Critique your work: Look over your shots and see if they match what you visualized. If not go back out and, if you’re able to, get more of the same shot, or in any case more shots.

3. Look at other photographers’ work for inspiration. Look through photography books and exhibits. Look at other visual artists’ work too.

4. Go and get more of your own shots.

5. Find out what other photographers have said about composition. Here are two of my favorite quotes:

“Composition is the strongest way of seeing.”  Edward Weston

“Our eye must constantly measure, evaluate. We alter our perspective by a slight bending of the knees; we convey the chance meeting of lines by a simple shifting of our heads a thousandth of an inch…. We compose almost at the same time we press the shutter, and in placing the camera closer or farther from the subject, we shape the details –taming or being tamed by them.” Henri Cartier-Bresson

6. Go out and shoot photos using these points: Really look for the strongest way of seeing the image you have visualized. Bend your knees, tilt your head, look up, down and around until you see that shot.

7. Go out and shoot some more!

I hope this helps, let me know your thoughts…

Marc

We all tend to wait for “special moments” to pull out our cameras and start clicking. Somehow we need to be transcended above the everyday to get a great photo. Where do these special occasions come from, and what about the “ordinary?”

Consider the following: Annie Leibovitz told us that her favorite photo was the one of her mom.  Wow—consider her catalog of amazing people—from Mick Jaeger, Robert DeNero to the Queen of England. But from her vast library it  was her mom. Why? She said because she knew she had really captured her mom, the others were with her a short time for a photo shoot, and showed her whatever side of themselves they were willing to.

So let me ask you, when was the last time you made a great shot (not a snap shot) of your mom? Or brother, son, next door neighbor…?

How about Edward Weston’s shot posted yesterday? Diego Rivera called it the most beautiful thing he had seen. Or his shots of the bell pepper. How about how he and Ansel Adams captured the almost identical egg slicer!

I’m reminded of Picasso from David Duncan Douglas’ epic work. He showed us how Picasso turned all sorts of everyday experiences into art—such as when he finished eating a fish dinner, he took the skeleton and pressed it into clay and put it on a plate, to replicate and preserve this moment!

So, get your camera out and go get those “everyday” shots!

I had the exceptional opportunity to spend time with Chase Jarvis. Not only is his own work enough to “stop you in your tracks” but he is also motivated to add “cultural capital” by sharing his insight and tips.

He covered these 6 points:1.    L O O K  at the shot without your camera: Look it over, walk around and see what’s there. He mentioned that at this stage even the camera is constricting, so just look with your eyes (and mind) open to the shot and possibilities.

2.    Visualize the shot: From seeing it as it appears now, visualize the final shot that you want. This will drive it through all of the other phases of making your photograph: capturing the shot, post production, printing and even where it will be used.

3.    Fanaticize how to improve the shot: He said this is where you might add in elements into the shot or more likely simplify and remove. Look at the simple elegance of Excusado by Edward Weston in 1925, a stunning example below.

4.    Make it exceptional: Turn it on its head!  He discussed that if you’re even asking “how can I make it exceptional?” you’re already on your way to making it so.

5.    Close the creative gap: (the gap between one’s vision and ability to render that shot.) Study, shoot, learn, practice, follow his blog.

6.    Bang the street! Bang your shutter! Take thousands of shots. Don’t be afraid to blow it, just get out and shoot tons and tons of shots and learn from these.

Stay tuned and subscribe to our blog for updates.     

I met with Chase Jarvis, a multi award-winning photographer with a stunning portfolio. He is also very generous in sharing his know-how, which is what brought him to talk with me in San Francisco.

I got an inside look at what he considers are key points that he uses, every time he picks up a camera. Down to earth stuff that makes sense and is immediately usable.

Chase told me about the steps of his process, beginning with “just looking, not through your camera but at the whole scene — from different angles and  heights.” His aim is to end up with,  what might have been a “good” shot, but take it and “turn it on its head”– with a result of a stunning shot. Check out his portfolio and you’ll see what I mean.

We also discussed the “creative gap, ” the gap between one’s vision and the final product.  He’s discussed on this on his blog  but hearing his descriptions adds depth to the concept, and of course how to close the gap, is the whole point of PhotoShow.

Check out his blog you’ll get behind the scenes with a hard working pro who really knows his stuff.

 Wedding in Franschhoek, South Africa

Look closely and you’ll see the steering wheel on the right side, where the chafferer is about to drive the happy couple off, over the rainbow.