JoeW
Been spending a lot of time on here!
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2013
- Messages
- 2,065
- Reaction score
- 1,003
- Location
- Northern Virginia
- Website
- 500px.com
- Can others edit my Photos
- Photos OK to edit
First, I think an incredibly valuable assignment for new photographers is to spend a week shooting with just a prime (but not a 50mm prime). Since generally speaking, a 50mm is human vision, I'd advocate a 35mm or maybe a 75-80mm prime. What this does is teach perspective. You learn how to look at a scene and see it differently. So even if you are using a zoom (or even before you decide something is "picture worthy") you see it differently than with typical human perspective.
Second, I get the points about tools for the right job etc. and don't disagree with that point in general. We talk about get it right "in camera" rather than edit in post production. I'd suggest what the OP is somewhat saying is to get it right in your head before the camera even comes up--surveying a scene and composing the shot mentally in your head (which therefore means deciding before the camera even comes up what you're trying to do, the type of picture you want to take). And that, is a good thing.
That said, you can also be too rigid. I generally prepare my ass off before a shoot. I've been known to scout an area a week before to check out light and shadow before I go there to set and and shoot. That said, I totally embrace the possibility of the spontaneous accident. Case in point: I was just shooting a dragon boat race on the Potomac last week. Generally happy with my shots. But I think my best work was of Arena Stage (the architecture of the building) which I didn't realize was there until I was figuring out before I left where I'd need to park to get near the dragon boat venue. And my favorite shot from the entire experience is a group of construction cranes next to the seafood sales area (Maine Avenue) taken from the 14th Street Bridge. So determining "this is a shot for 75-80mm on my zoom" and then refusing to experiment and try out other possibilities is a shame. I even sometimes just figure I'll waste some pixels and discover to my delight when I get it up on my computer screen that I didn't see something interesting in the photo worth going for...a shadow pattern, a squirrel with it's head caught in a yogurt cup, a couple in the background kissing (and behind her back he's looking at texts on his phone).
So my advice would be: evaluate and plan the shot. And then experiment.
Second, I get the points about tools for the right job etc. and don't disagree with that point in general. We talk about get it right "in camera" rather than edit in post production. I'd suggest what the OP is somewhat saying is to get it right in your head before the camera even comes up--surveying a scene and composing the shot mentally in your head (which therefore means deciding before the camera even comes up what you're trying to do, the type of picture you want to take). And that, is a good thing.
That said, you can also be too rigid. I generally prepare my ass off before a shoot. I've been known to scout an area a week before to check out light and shadow before I go there to set and and shoot. That said, I totally embrace the possibility of the spontaneous accident. Case in point: I was just shooting a dragon boat race on the Potomac last week. Generally happy with my shots. But I think my best work was of Arena Stage (the architecture of the building) which I didn't realize was there until I was figuring out before I left where I'd need to park to get near the dragon boat venue. And my favorite shot from the entire experience is a group of construction cranes next to the seafood sales area (Maine Avenue) taken from the 14th Street Bridge. So determining "this is a shot for 75-80mm on my zoom" and then refusing to experiment and try out other possibilities is a shame. I even sometimes just figure I'll waste some pixels and discover to my delight when I get it up on my computer screen that I didn't see something interesting in the photo worth going for...a shadow pattern, a squirrel with it's head caught in a yogurt cup, a couple in the background kissing (and behind her back he's looking at texts on his phone).
So my advice would be: evaluate and plan the shot. And then experiment.