How do you do it?

[Babs]

Just for fun and for amateurs only - how do you "do it"?

Do you always have your camera with you and snap on impulse? Or do you go out specifically to practice your photography when you're not working (or doing whatever you do)? Do you have favoured places you return to again and again to practice techniques, or do you like going somewhere new and seeing what you can come up with?

I'm a SAHM so I try to get out a walk most days and take my camera with me on the pram. There's not many places to go round here, but we do have a lake nearby which I use for trying different techniques and for trying out things I'm trying to wrap my head round! I try and carry my camera with me when we go other places too, so I can practice as much as possible. I was snapping away at a station the other day while waiting for the next train trying out different angles and reflections and whatnot. I'm sure people must have thought I was very odd and/or a train spotter and/or a terrorist I still have a pretty high reject rate, but at least now I'm starting to understand WHY things are rejected and what I can do to improve them.

So ... What's your favoured technique and how do you do it?

 

[kundalini]

Babs, you're on the right track. This is a time to play and explore for you. I would suggest the book Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson for a start. It will give you a solid footing on the fundamentals of exposure in easy to understand language.

We don't necessarily want to see all your ...... let's call them test shots...... , but if you are stuck in the mud about a certain issue, please ask.

My philosiphy is to shoot and shoot and shoot....... with a purpose. Find one aspect, whether it's aperture, shutter speed, ISO, composition, lighting.... whatever, work on that solid for a week. But only one at a time. Getting ahead of yourself causes twisted knickers. I've taken 500 shots or more of a bloody toothbrush to understand aperture.

It's not a quick game. Best of luck.

 

[KenC]

"Yes" to all of your questions about how and when to shoot. Once you get obsessed you do all of those things. As for a favorite technique, I can't say I have one or that most people shooting for their own amusement do. One develops an interest in different subjects requiring different techniques. Oh, and people do think we're odd, but what do they know?

 

[aprhockey]

I'm a student (not a photography student) so I don't carry my camera all day. It would be pointless. I try to pick a place that I want to go to, and when I have time (preferably around sunset) I go there. Many times I don't really know what is actually there other than the fact that it's a park, for example, so I don't really try to take a shot of something specific. Recently I've been focusing on getting pictures at really different angles, so I try to capture whatever is around me in a unique way. I guess all I'm saying is that I just pick a place and go there. If that places is boring, I won't go there again, if not, I keep it in mind for the future.

Also, is it just me or does anybody else feel like they can get away with being a bit bizarre (i.e. crawling on the ground, climbing on something, etc.) as long as a camera in hand? I feel like people just pass me and think.. "eh, he's just trying to be artsy."

 

[kundalini]

.........Also, is it just me or does anybody else feel like they can get away with being a bit bizarre (i.e. crawling on the ground, climbing on something, etc.) as long as a camera in hand? I feel like people just pass me and think.. "eh, he's just trying to be artsy."

I've struck up many an interesting conversation doing what I do when I do it and the way that I do it. No blood, no foul, I say.

 

[smlblk396]

I keep my camera with me most of the time when I find something that looks good or even could look good I try to catch it in the camera changing exp or what ever I think of. Learned a lot by doing that