The deliberate act of taking a photograph

Snakeguy101 · Dec 14, 2010

Thanks. I think there is a better word for it than "intimate". Maybe reluctantly closer is more suited.... haha. As far as emailing it, I am pretty sure it wouldn't make a difference so I have made a mental note to never go back and just leave it at that.

Im not exactly a beginner but I am far from advanced too. I think that anyone could take on this sort of challenge and have great results with just a bit of knowledge of their camera.

enzodm · Dec 15, 2010

pgriz said:
Can I ask whoever is inspired by this thread to post their pictures? I am looking for insight in two areas - (1) did the process described help you work through the different choices? and (2) Having done the process and seen the results, what improvements to the process can you think of?

I will do it, but I need a little of time. Being all of this sort of slow-shoot, let me take the right time

. Most steps are those I know I already do, but implicitly. And thanks.

myko5 · Dec 16, 2010

Well I finally got some time to try to take on this task. My dog volunteered his services with no complaints. I don't think I quite nailed it as well as snakeguy, but I think its an improvement of photo.

1. The snapshot:

2. The deliberate act:

pgriz · Dec 16, 2010

myko5 said:
Well I finally got some time to try to take on this task. My dog volunteered his services with no complaints. I don't think I quite nailed it as well as snakeguy, but I think its an improvement of photo.

1. The snapshot:

2. The deliberate act:

Mykos5, I agree. The second shot is more interesting than the first. I really like the way you caught your pooch eyeing you, with enough light on the eye, and enough clear focus, to really see his (her?) eye. Dark-hair or furred animals are difficult to photograph, and you use the shine off the hair nicely to delineate the form. The niggle that I have is the out-of-focus cushion in the lower part of the picture. You could crop that out without sacrificing any pictorial quality. Also, you need to keep an eye on the background, as in the door handle peeking in at the upper right. Thank you for trying this exercise. Now, to ask you the two follow-on questions: (1) did the process described help you work through the different choices? And (2), what improvements to the process can you think of?

myko5 · Dec 16, 2010

(1) did the process described help you work through the different choices?

Yes, for the most part it definitely did. I had aperture, ISO, and shutter speed settings in my head while trying to make a better photo.I realized I had sufficient ambient light from a window, so a low ISO was a good starting point. This let me play with the aperture and Shutter speed as I liked. I really didn't need the fast shutter speed, because he is that lazy and doesn't move much at all.

Along with this I also kept in mind the angle of the shot, and the story it would tell. The snapshot, while telling the story of a lazy dog, just didn't seem to have the same appeal nor did it have the same image quality.

I honestly didn't take into consideration the shine off of his fur, but that is something I will keep in mind now.

(2), what improvements to the process can you think of?

I think spending as much time focusing on what is or is not in the background is just as crucial as the subject. I could have either PP the doorknob and cushion out easily, or perhaps found a slightly better angle so it wasn't there to begin with.
I also feel I should have put more emphasis on slowing the process down. I didn't notice at the time, but I was definitely rushing things a little too much. One thought that did cross my mind was wondering if this picture might look better in B&W.

smackitsakic · Dec 31, 2010

Good point for a page. I think I could benefit from this if others take in the opportunity to take a snapshot photo, then take a deliberate photo.

I'm a beginner, but i'll try to take part in this in the near future as well.

pgriz · Dec 31, 2010

Over the past two years, I had been a member of an active and varied photoclub of about 150 people, ranging from newbies with point-and-shoot cameras, all the way to professional photographers of various persuasions. Prior to joining the club, I knew a lot about the techniques of photography, but I really had no clue how much effort goes into making a really good photo. Since the club has frequent presentations by various professionals, we as members get to see the equipment, preparation, workflow and end-results that give these professionals their edge.

A nature photographer showed us that it takes him up to several days to set up a "simple" shot. Besides the obvious, he also had to wait for the right time of the day, the right atmospheric conditions, etc. etc.

A fashion photographer showed us how she can spend up to a month preparing for a shoot.

A wild-life photographer showed us the effort involved with photographing snow owls close up. He spend about two weeks at it, and at least one day spent the better part of the day buried in a snowdrift, waiting for the right moment.

A street photographer surprised me with the amount of preparation he did to scout out appropriate locations and the right time of the day, as well as the preparation for the actual shoot. The end-result looked very spontaneous, but he told us that sometimes it takes him several hours before he gets the shot that is "it".

Every photographer we talked to in these presentations emphasized that all their light setup, exposure settings, WB settings, etc. were determined ahead of time. As one sports photographer said "if I have to think when action's happening, I've lost the shot - so it's all a matter of preparation and anticipation".

The bottom line for me was that to create a photograph, you have to actively "make" it. That effort does not guarantee that you will have a great shot, but it improves the odds in your favor.

smackitsakic · Jan 10, 2011

Alright, i'll play ball with this thread, which I think is a great idea!

Photo 1 is the image I saw walking downtown. I'm simply standing there, pointing my lens to the building and snapping away.

Photo 2 is the deliberate act. Repositioning to a lower point of view, zooming in for a tighter crop, and giving the composition a tilt to break up the photo. I edited the colours for a slight saturation boost and overall sharpening.

pgriz · Jan 10, 2011

Well, the second is much more interesting than the first. Sharpness is good, colors are good, composition is much better with converging and diagonal lines, and the second pictures says "BANK" much more emphatically than the first. I'm wondering if stepping back a little would have showed the decorative frieze above the horizontal overhang some what more clearly. I really like the diagonals you've created. Good job!