Browsing all posts in shooting.

Plan Your Shots Ahead of Time

Often times we find ourselves just being wherever we are, taking advantage of what light is available, taking pictures of what sights are available. We use a combination of timing, luck, and skill to capture the depths of what we’re feeling, or the awe of our surroundings. We may think to ourselves, “I’m so glad [...]

Ask Yourself Before You Click

Consider asking yourself any or all of these questions, before you click the shutter, and see how much your photography improves! What is my subject? This may seem like a rather obvious concept, to some. After all, we’re taking a picture of something, and that something should be the subject, right? However, we may find [...]

Play Games With Your Camera

Since the long Memorial Day Weekend is upon us (here in the U.S., anyway), entertain yourselves with these fun games you can play with your camera! The Acrobat Project: What you’ll need: A D-SLR with a timer and/or a remote shutter release, a tripod, comfy clothes, and a suspension of self-consciousness. The intent: To catch [...]

Hot Weather Photography

Back in December we talked about cold weather photography, and ways to protect your gear (and yourself!) from the elements. Well, June is almost upon us, so now we’re going to talk about hot weather photography. This is a subject that is very pertinent to my life, since living in Arizona means we experience 115F/46C+ [...]

SOOC Challenge

This weekend I challenge you to share your “straight out of camera”, or “SOOC” shots. Sometimes we all need a little motivation to get back down to basics. We sometimes tend to allow our post-processing skills make up for less than perfect shots. We think, “Well, the exposure isn’t quite right, but I’ll fix that [...]

The Finer Points of Focus

Most of the time, unless we’re trying to achieve some sort of differing photographic effect, photographers are shooting for tack-sharp pictures. Here are some tips for taking sharp and well-focussed pictures. 1. Stability is key. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. If you want to take a picture that is perfectly focused [...]

The Story Behind the Photo

Photography provides us with the ability to freeze a moment in time; to make it static and permanent. Every photograph has a story behind it that is just as much a part of the picture, even though it may be unseen by the person viewing it. For instance, this is a photograph that I took [...]

Six Tips for Photographing Wildflowers

Spring is just around the corner (well, for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere – our friends in Australia will be coming up on wintertime in a couple of months!). With spring comes wildflowers. I live in the desert of Arizona and we’re about to reach our peak wildflower season. Here are some tips [...]

Curing Photographer’s Block

Writers aren’t the only folks who suffer from a “block” on occasion. It happens to photographers, too. There are times when we pick up the camera but aren’t inspired to shoot. We know we want the satisfaction of clicking shutters and full memory cards, but we’re just not feeling it at the moment. Here are [...]

Composition Tips – Simplicity

When composing a powerful or memorable photograph, keeping things simple often accomplishes the highest impact. The viewer can identify the subject of the photograph more easily, and appreciate its qualities. A photograph that is composed with simplicity in mind will often draw the viewer’s attention and emotion in a more significant way than a shot [...]