WaterGirl

JanieM

My old camera was retired last winter first and foremost because it didn’t take RAW images. But in fairness, it could have done more than I ever asked it to; only rarely did I try anything beyond “point and shoot.” Once or twice I used the macro setting to take pictures of flowers, and occasionally I activated the flash, though I didn’t know how to make good use of it. Now and then I focused the camera to get a certain exposure, then moved it to get the composition I wanted. Tricking it that way didn’t get me far, but at least it made me pay attention to exposure at a rudimentary level. (Not that I knew it was called exposure.) Other than that, I ignored the camera’s more sophisticated capabilities.

Then Steve from Mendocino came along and pointed out, in effect, that though I took some nice pictures, I could take better ones if only I would consent to learn a few photographic concepts and techniques.

I was retired, there was a pandemic on, I didn’t have much to do for fun. I thought, Why not?!

Little did I know.

It was a deep plunge into a new and confusing world, especially for a former math nerd who likes problems with clear answers. Algebra, for instance, can be lovely that way.

Steve edited a whole OTR post of fall color pictures the day WaterGirl put us in touch, explaining what he was doing via email. When I didn’t understand the explanations, he (and Google) clarified the vocabulary. Over the next few weeks I learned about clipping and burning and hot areas and filters and deliberately directing the viewer’s eye in certain ways. It seems obvious enough now, but it took a while for that idea to sink in, even though I knew that a written text does something like that, so why not pictures?

The process is ongoing. I’m learning to think more consciously about exposure and depth of field, and that it’s a good idea to walk around a subject before taking out my camera, to think about how I might want to shoot it. I’m starting to notice the difference between eye-catching patterns and pictures that tell a story. Lately I’ve started using the flash a bit and taking pictures of people, which I had mostly been avoiding.

And then there are the Lightroom and Photoshop lessons. New information doesn’t stick in my brain as readily as it did when I was young, but fortunately, fun and friendship are part of the package, keeping frustration mostly at bay.

On The Road – JanieM – The Barn, #3Post + Comments (23)

Light, geometry, sky.