Hi all. I am interested in hearing about peoples' experiences in perfecting their photographic craft. Obviously, the summary statement would be "the more pictures you take, the better you get at taking pictures." I guess my real interest lies in how people achieve this. As am amatuer with a non-photographic day job, I think about setting up projects for myself, consider, maybe carrying a less expensive camera "everywhere" I go, just in case I see that wonderful scene or composition appears before me as I drive to work. Am I nuts? Do other amatuer photographers think about, and or do these things? I would be most grateful for your insight. Thanks. Deb

-- Debra Rozin (PhilnDebra@aol.com), July 05, 1999

Answers

I believe that perfecting your craft is a never ending cycle for amateurs and pros. I have been at this craft for 20 years. I have shot all formats with several types of cameras.

You are on the right track by shooting as much as possible. Photography is like any other art form, you must work at it to improve. As you take pictures, you realize both what you like and what you don't like. Similarly, you will learn what techniques work and which do not.

I try to shoot 3 to 4 days a week. I often leave the house with no specific agenda in mind; going where my heart takes me. Sometimes I return to a location that I may have passed earlier when the light was not as good. Sometimes I see an object that stimulates my artistic juices and I immediately envision a setting for it.

The goal is to open your mind to external visual stimuli. It may be a reflection in a puddle or the expression of someone's face. Once you become attuned to them, they will become quite clear to you.

Good Luck!!

Harold Todman

-- Harold Todman (htodman@yahoo.com), July 06, 1999.

I agree fully with the last answer. You can't take too many pictures, and film is cheap. Do have a camera with you as often as possible. The fun thing to do is to think and see photographically. Even without a camera, image what you could do with all the things you see. Also, try to do something photographic everyday, not necessarily taking a picture. See as many museum and gallery exhibits that you can. Think visually.

-- chuck k (kleesattel@webtv.com), July 06, 1999.

Working on specific projects will help you grow much more quickly than photographing at random. Spend about $12 or so at amazon.com and get the wonderful little book "On Being a Photographer" by Bill Jay and David Hurn. It will give you a help and direction.

-- Dave Jenkins (djphoto@vol.com), July 06, 1999.

Shooting a lot is only part of what you can do. (I always have a Minox 35 with me, about the size of a box of cigarettes, but with a magnificent lens.) You should also make notes to be able to learn from your mistakes. You may be as creative as you wish, craft will always rely on technique, too.

I also recommend reading books by other great photographers (Ansel Adams is a good starting point.), going to exhibitions as often as you can manage, and just contemplating your own photos.

-- Thomas Wollstein (wollstein@compuserve.com), July 07, 1999.

Yes, keep a camera of some sort with you. Then it will be there when you do see that "gotta have it." I carry a Zeiss Ikonta which is a folding, rangefinder focussing 120 camera (square format) It fits a jacket pocket, or hangs under my arm comfortably. 12 exposures are just right for a day's "seeing" without the nag of what to do with the other 12 or 15 frames.

-- Tony Brent (ajbrent@mich.com), July 08, 1999.

Hi Deb,

I also have a day job and found myself in the same situation not so long ago. Just as the posters above, I also always carry a camera with me. I make a habit of always carrying a small day pack with an old Nikon EM with a 50mm lens, a flash, a couple rolls of film and a pair of binoculars. I had the same feeling about wondering if I was nuts for carrying all this crap around with me. Well, I carried more around when I was in school, I suppose.

But hey, the day when I almost physically bumped into John Glenn along with the whole shuttle crew who he flew with when he was last up in space, I HAD MY CAMERA!

Of course, you don't have to wait for astronauts and rock stars to ambush you. I find that little things like flowers that bloom around where I work, icicles in the winter, etc. can be interesting photo opportunities. Sometimes even the squirrels can give humorous or interesting shots.

So, you never know.

Sometimes it's nice to have a camera while out and about to do what I call "exploratory photography". The results can stimulate ideas that spurr you on to start a more serious project and further hone your skills. Lately, I have the notion of taking my 35 mm stuff out with the idea of returning later with medium format or 4X5 if the 35 mm results look promising. I think this will help me shoot more and search for ideas without blowing tons of cash on 4X5 film.

-- Bill Riemenschneider (willir@hotmail.com), July 13, 1999.

GO OUTSIDE THE LINES; OUTSIDE THE BOX, OUTSIDE THE DOTS.

I'M RECENTLY RETIRED AND HAVE MORE TIME TO DO WHAT I DIDN'T DO ENOUGH OF DURING MY WORKING YEARS. THE ONE THING I HAVE TRIED TO EXPERIENCE IN MY PHOTOGRAPHY, ESPECIALLY IN NATURE, IS TO SEE BEYOND THE IMAGE THAT PRESENTS ITSELF IN THE VIEWFINDER. IMAGINE. VISUALIZE. FRAGMENT THE IMAGE YOU SEE. LOOK AT THE PARTS AS WELL AS THE WHOLE. RECOMPOSE THE IMAGE YOU SEE FROM A DIFFERENT ANGLE. SHOT THE SAME SHOT A DOZEN OR MORE TIMES FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE. IMAGINE.

IN OTHER WORDS, WHAT I HAVE TRIED TO DO IS GET BEYOND CALENDAR OR POSTCARD SHOTS AND SEE THE WORLD IN A DIFFERENT WAY. IT SEEMS TO WORK FOR ME, BUT IN ORDER TO DO IT, BE PREPARED TO BURN A LOT OF FILM.

OH. ONE OTHER THING. I ONLY SHOOT SLIDES. ITS MUCH MORE DEMANDING OF ME. I ALMOST ALWAYS SHOOT (35MM) ON MANUAL RATHER THAN ANY AUTO EXPOSURE IN ORDER TO ENHANCE MY OWN CREATIVE EYE AS I SEE THE IMAGE, RATHER THAN RELY ON THE AUTOMATION OF THE CAMERA TO TELL ME. SOMETIMES I'M RIGHT, SOMETIMES NOT.....BUT I DO GET BETTER.

GOOD LUCK.

-- LEN NADEL (ONE EYEJAK@AOL.COM), July 15, 1999.

Not only will shooting lots of film help hone your craft but look at as many pictures as you can. Go to galleries and coffee shops and look at other peoples work. Go to the library and check out all the books on photography and art in general that they have. Seek out others that shoot. But most importantly, open your eyes and your heart. That is where it all comes from. And if you can, always carry a camera or at least jot down your ideas and record your mistakes to learn from.

-- james (james_mickelson@hotmail.com), July 16, 1999.

I understand the above comments, particularly those on always carrying a camera, and taking as many pictures as possible, but I don't really agree. I used to carry a Nikon with various lenses, rely solely on its exposure meter, and allow the motor-drive to run the film through the camera on the belief - often repeated by other photographers - that at least one picture would come out great.

Most of the time this just does not happen. I think it is very important to understand the place that you are photographing, its light and nuances, and how the shapes of objects work together / contrast. It's normally best NOT to carry a camera while you are getting to know a place.

I now rely only on a 4x5 camera, with a spot meter, and the quality of my transparencies / negatives has improved dramatically. I would strongly recommend this focussed, concentrated approach, relying on your own interpretation of the subject and your own exposure calculation. Once you get over the initial shock of ditching the automation and convenience, you realise how important it is to have full control over the key decisions that really make a photograph, and you vow never to give that up again! Obviously this doesn't work for some types of photography, but that's a matter of personal taste. You need to decide whether you want to accumulate a large amount of mediocre shots that will never be viewed more than once, or create a small, high quality portfolio of pictures that resonate for you, and communicate to others.

-- fw (finneganswake@altavisata.net), July 21, 1999.

Procede with caution DEB! You've caught the bug....if it's the same bug I have you won't be well soon...I consider myself a rank amateur with a horrible affliction...addiction....disease. 3 large format cams, 3 medium format cams, and a half a dozen 35mm's later and the addiction only grows. Be prepared to be late to work when the light is "right", get nowhere on vacations or in the very least rupture every itinerary you've ever made. Become comfortable with loosing sleep and showing up for work groggy and wreaking of fix. Get used to depriving yourself of previous hobbies, interests and expenditures for the sake of "your craft". Soon you'll spend your entire workday dreaming of a way to make photography your occupation. The few loose magazines become monoliths...altars! The spare bedroom becomes a darkroom. The spouse or significant other becomes a photo-assistant and chauffeur so you can "look and load". Whew...get ready Debra...now that you've found your path don't run...and zoom with your feet!

-- trib (linhof6@hotmail.com), July 23, 1999.

If practical, do carry a camera as much as possible. A lot of point- and-shoot cameras take good pictures. And a picture taken of the right subject at the right time, even with an ancient Argus C-3, is better than an opportunity missed. Contact with other photographers can help. A camera club prods and sometimes inspires me to do more than I would otherwise. Exhibits of good photography can show you more of the quality of good photographs than you find in books, and books can help a lot. Above all, if practical, control the whole photographic process from camera to framed print. Sometimes the printing process lets one achieve the intended goal, while another printer might not understand just what the photographer had in mind. Remember, Ansel Adams said, "The negative is like the score to a piece of music; the print is the performance."

-- jim jones (jjones@greenhills.net), July 23, 1999.

Debra, that bit of advice is actually pretty good, but not because you might bump into a celebrity. Not all of us are after candid photographs - you may be interested in portraiture, and while you can lug a three head setup around with you all the time, it's not recommended ;-).

Having a camera with you offers the possibility that you might use it, and that encourages you to LOOK and develop your eye and sense of composition, timing, and all the other things that photographers need. Beyond that, take a class if that is possible, the basic concepts and skills are easily learned. Many writers set aside a period of time for writing each day, or each week, and force themselves to write. Do the same as a photographer. Learn to use focus, DOF, exposure and composition. BURN FILM. That is, take lots of photographs. It's not a waste of money to shoot a few rolls testing compositional ideas or dialing in a meter with a grey card. Even if you aren't going to process and print your photos yourself, educate yourself about printing. Check out amazon.com or visit your library and get a sense of what other photographers have done - and above all, trust in your own instincts, and distrust any impulse or inner voice which distrusts you - your eye, your motivation, your skill. Some photographers are graced with such a sense of composition, of color, or love of people, that they can claim to ignore the technical aspects of photography. Such people are rare and they shoot lots of film. Nevertheless, it's worth noting that these photographers are technically competent insofar as their skillset is sufficient to get them the photographs they want. That's what you're after, no?

-- August Depner (apdepner@uswest.net), August 28, 1999.