Last of the (non-project, projects):
These first three "projects" should really have been just an introductory chapter. But this last one is designed to get the photographer to understand the importance of other photographic works and the photographers who created them.
We are instructed to "spend time in a good bookstore or library". I am sure that's not meant the way it sounds....you dirty minded people (and Republican Senators).
But hey, that's how I found this book! In addition to learning 'how" to photograph, it is also necessary to understand "why" to photograph and how others see their imagery. According to Easterby, we should not only become familiar with the work of other photographers, but also "to consider carefully what each photographer has to say about their work."
I'd like to also add the Internet to Mr. Easterby's list of places to study other photographers, as well as various magazine publications.
Here are some of the photographers I study:
Ansel Adams (of course)
QT Luong (the first photographer to photograph all 58 National Parks), on display at the National Gallery http://www.terragalleria.com
Rick Sammon: http://www.ricksammon.com
Steve Sieren: http://www.sierenphotography.com/
Gary Hart: http://www.garyhartphotography.com
Next week, we'll return to the Projects with the first of the real world applications and "assignments".
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Project 2: Your mind as a cognitive camera
So Project One didn't take long. Here is Project Two:
"Imagine that you have a camera inside your head and that your eyes are the shutter."
Here we are supposed to learn to look for opportunities for good photographs and to be subjective about when to snap the shutter.
To illustrate his point, Mr. Easterby gives an example like this:
"Try to spot interesting photographic scenes, such as this horizon through the plane window."
I'm sure you are saying, "Well isn't that what photography is?"
The answer is yes. But unfortunately, most people don't seem to know the difference between the horrid little snap shots they take with their cell phones and post on the internet and "photography".
"Imagine that you have a camera inside your head and that your eyes are the shutter."
Here we are supposed to learn to look for opportunities for good photographs and to be subjective about when to snap the shutter.
To illustrate his point, Mr. Easterby gives an example like this:
"Try to spot interesting photographic scenes, such as this horizon through the plane window."
I'm sure you are saying, "Well isn't that what photography is?"
The answer is yes. But unfortunately, most people don't seem to know the difference between the horrid little snap shots they take with their cell phones and post on the internet and "photography".
Project 1: Practice framing your scene
The first project is to put your fingers together in a rectangle and practice seeing only an area of a scene, and then to try both vertical and horizontal, "to see if the shot will work or not before taking a picture."
Here is Shia Labeouf helping to illustrate the point...and looking fabulous doing it!
Okay, at first this seems rather mundane and silly. But the reality is that we too often forget to consider ONLY an area of what we see with our eyes. This is the one thing that annoys me most when I see people taking pictures with their cell phones WAAAAAYYYY out in front of their faces, more focused on working the phone than the scene (my friend Christopher being the exception of course).
Or worse yet, those people you see sticking their heads out of cars or while riding bikes snapping away randomly. I'm sure they eventually get a good picture...but why am I forced to see all of them on FaceBook?
Now you don't REALLY need to put your fingers out in front of you to get the point. The point is, simply look at areas of your total scene and consider cropping to that area before snapping the photograph.
If anything, this project illustrates one good point: try to get the right photo from the camera FIRST, without having to edit, crop, photoshop later.
Here is Shia Labeouf helping to illustrate the point...and looking fabulous doing it!
Okay, at first this seems rather mundane and silly. But the reality is that we too often forget to consider ONLY an area of what we see with our eyes. This is the one thing that annoys me most when I see people taking pictures with their cell phones WAAAAAYYYY out in front of their faces, more focused on working the phone than the scene (my friend Christopher being the exception of course).
Or worse yet, those people you see sticking their heads out of cars or while riding bikes snapping away randomly. I'm sure they eventually get a good picture...but why am I forced to see all of them on FaceBook?
Now you don't REALLY need to put your fingers out in front of you to get the point. The point is, simply look at areas of your total scene and consider cropping to that area before snapping the photograph.
If anything, this project illustrates one good point: try to get the right photo from the camera FIRST, without having to edit, crop, photoshop later.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
The Beginning
Hello,
Welcome to my great experiment. With this Blog, I am going to attempt to follow the advice from a book called, "150 Projects to Strengthen You Photography Skills" by John Easterby.
In much the same way a Julie Powell did with the "Julie & Julia Project" where she cooked her way through Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking"; I am going to complete the 150 projects suggested in this book while Blogging about the experience and posting the results.
I am giving myself a full year to complete the tasks, which will allow me to advantage of a full year of different types of outdoor lighting.
Follow me on my journey to better photography:
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