Learning to be a Photographer - DPChallenge Forums

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0 L USM

01/17/2005 10:55:05 PM · #1

Being a photographer means always having your camera on you, right? Or at least, it helps! Well, everytime I leave my camera at home thinking "I won't need it"....I miss a photo op. Tonight I was litterally RACING the sunset home. I didn't make it. But I did get a few great shots of fog descending over the Hudson River in New York. Figured I'd share.

Stephanie

dsidwell

Canon EOS-5D

01/18/2005 01:20:01 AM · #2

Nice and brooding. Really super work! thanks for sharing!

scottwilson

Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT

Canon EF 28mm f/2.8

01/18/2005 01:32:14 AM · #3

Great photos, I like the last one in particular.

Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

01/18/2005 09:37:36 AM · #4

Thanks everyone for your comments. I appreciate it. :)

Nelzie

Canon EOS-30D

01/18/2005 09:55:52 AM · #5

Nice shots, I wonder what the 4th image would like with an infrared filter applied to the image... (One part wonder, one part please do it so I can see the results...)

01/18/2005 10:00:54 AM · #6

Originally posted by Nelzie:

Nice shots, I wonder what the 4th image would like with an infrared filter applied to the image... (One part wonder, one part please do it so I can see the results...)

I will try to do so when I get home tonight. Thanks :)

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0 L IS

01/18/2005 10:05:30 AM · #7

nice work, stephanie! i was wondering, though, on the last set, what you meant to convey by shooting the utility pole?

Artifacts

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

01/18/2005 10:24:15 AM · #8

I understand what you mean about missing a great sunset.

For me the images you did get work best in black and white. Low clouds and fog often do. To me it looks like you oversharpened the images a bit. I find haloing and digital oversharpening a distraction in good shots. USM of 100%, .3 and 0 in PS works well for most shots.

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM

01/18/2005 10:26:24 AM · #9

Originally posted by skiprow:

nice work, stephanie! i was wondering, though, on the last set, what you meant to convey by shooting the utility pole?

Um...was going more for the train tracks. Utility pole kind of unavoidable, and didn't feel like taking it out.

Marjo

Canon EOS-7D

01/18/2005 10:27:46 AM · #10

Originally posted by skiprow:

nice work, stephanie! i was wondering, though, on the last set, what you meant to convey by shooting the utility pole?

I like it.

I would guess, because it's there, it's part of the scenery, shows the whole picture, gives it perspective and depth, adds interest and
e. all of the above. :)

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G IF-ED

01/18/2005 12:33:45 PM · #11

Originally posted by atsxus:

Originally posted by skiprow:
nice work, stephanie! i was wondering, though, on the last set, what you meant to convey by shooting the utility pole?

Um...was going more for the train tracks. Utility pole kind of unavoidable, and didn't feel like taking it out.

the reason i asked was because, lately, i have been spending more time thinking about composition at the time of the click than i have before, not just in my own images, but in other's.

i like the ansel adam's quote on SDW65's profile to the effect of there being two people in every image, the photographer and the viewer. when shooting, there is usually an overlap of "how much of this image is for me" and "how much of this image is for them". some people shoot exactly what they want and don't care what others see or think. some people compose solely for the purpose of pleasing as many viewers as possible.

when i saw the utility pole, i wondered, did she include it because:
a) she liked it
b) she did not like it, but
1) was not able to move to a better perspective, or
2) did not have time to remove it post-processing
c) it was there, and it was caught in the momentary document without regard to whether or not she liked it

i am not looking at this critically, just curiously, nothing more, nothing less.

Xilebo

Nikon D200

01/18/2005 01:18:35 PM · #12

Very nice shots....the utility pole?? The photo would be out of balance without it. Beautiful sunsets around this time of year...sun is still rather low and slow in setting....love the pink hues.

Canon EF 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 II USM

01/18/2005 01:33:13 PM · #13

Originally posted by skiprow:

c) it was there, and it was caught in the momentary document without regard to whether or not she liked it

i am not looking at this critically, just curiously, nothing more, nothing less.

That's the best answer. I went down to the train station as it's right on the water - not thinking that wow...the temp. is about 10 degrees colder by the water. Consequently, I was rushing through my shots. Also, as it was getting darker and I didn't want to take out my tripod, it was click, turn, click, turn, move to the left, click.

Then as I was crossing over the tracks in my car, I glanced towards the bridge (no - the bridge is not in this shot) and saw the way the tracks wound around the hill and was struck by it's beauty. So I jumped out, and ran off a few quick shots, trying to keep a tree out of frame. I think the Pole does lend a certain charm, as it's related to electricity/power/weather. Could be storm clouds on the horizon.

So no - it wasn't a thought out shot. Just...wow...that looks nice, wanna capture it.

Hope that helps.

Stephanie

Message edited by author 2005-01-18 13:38:14.

mpalitang

Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT

01/18/2005 01:43:22 PM · #14

Originally posted by atsxus:

So no - it wasn't a thought out shot. Just...wow...that looks nice, wanna capture it.

This is how I take most of my shots :)

GoldBerry

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM

01/18/2005 02:16:08 PM · #15

I never carry my camera - bad photographer! bad photographer! *slaps own wrists*. It's true...

01/18/2005 03:55:52 PM · #16

Originally posted by mpalitang:

Originally posted by atsxus:
So no - it wasn't a thought out shot. Just...wow...that looks nice, wanna capture it.

This is how I take most of my shots :)

Ok! This is where things start to get interesting in terms of how I am seeing myself as a photographer and how I am gauging my own development. Until I joined DPC, the closest thing I had ever attempted at a set up shot was "ya'll stand still and smile." I did, however, concentrate on trying to compose snapshots that documented my family's life in a somewhat interesting manner.

Thanks to DPC, I am much more congnizant of the various viewers that may come into contact with my images. While I still take a lot of shots that aren't 'that well thought out', I am finding that they are more circumstantial, where I am shooting on the spur of the moment at something that is highly fluid (like ripples on a pond, or people playing a game, or a passing storm).

Sometimes, I get lucky, and sometimes all I can do is say, "It is what it is." But, all the same, I find the more that I shoot, and the more that others question what and why I shoot, I find that I am trying to find that extra minute to get a couple more shots from one more perspective that might represent the perfect intersection between what I saw, what I wanted to capture, and what will grab someone else's attention for at least a moment.

01/18/2005 04:01:43 PM · #17

Originally posted by skiprow:

But, all the same, I find the more that I shoot, and the more that others question what and why I shoot, I find that I am trying to find that extra minute to get a couple more shots from one more perspective that might represent the perfect intersection between what I saw, what I wanted to capture, and what will grab someone else's attention for at least a moment.

Right. Which is why when I was standing there, freezing my shutter finger off, I was still taking the time to try and find a vantage point where the tree wasn't there. Because I knew I'd probably post it and people would comment on it. But you also have to remember that if you think something looks good, take the damn shot! In the end, you can't stand there wondering who is going to say what and what if this piece is there and what if that piece is here - because if it's a time sensitive shot you're going to loose it all together. Sometimes you just have to say (&(@* what other people think. If one person doesn't like it, someone else will. And then you have to decide...why are you taking the shot at all? To please everyone else, or yourself?

Still struggling with that last one myself.

01/18/2005 04:14:40 PM · #18

Originally posted by atsxus:

And then you have to decide...why are you taking the shot at all? To please everyone else, or yourself?

I all depends on who's paying for it ;-)

Or, more rationally, it depends on what motivated you in the first place. Almost all of my images are shot for me. When a challenge really strikes me, I am shooting for DPC. When there's something going on (a party or some other family event), I'll shoot primarily in fully-automatic 'snapshot' mode (even though I'll try to sneak in a few for myself, knowing full well that most family members don't understand my need to take tilted, blurry images and call them art!).

I think the best answer comes down to practice. The more comfortable you are with your camera and basic composition, the better prepared you will be to satisfy both you and the viewer, regardless of the situation you are in. However, whenever in doubt, try to shoot twice--once for you, and once for them!

Fujifilm XF 23mm f/2 R WR

01/18/2005 04:27:28 PM · #19

Originally posted by skiprow:

I think the best answer comes down to practice. The more comfortable you are with your camera and basic composition, the better prepared you will be to satisfy both you and the viewer, regardless of the situation you are in. However, whenever in doubt, try to shoot twice--once for you, and once for them!

Well said.

aznym

Fujifilm X-T5

01/18/2005 04:29:36 PM · #20

Going back to the inital question, having a pair of scissors with you all the time doesn't make you a barber. Having a camera with you all the time just makes you someone who's got a camera all the time.
Does it help carrying it all the time? It does some times. All depends on how you approach, your photography and what you want to capture. If you are going to work, already late, and you see a space ship landing and a few little green men and you are the only person with the camera, of course it would help if the aliens are friendly enough and you don't forget that you are supposed to take pictures.
There are different types of photographers. Some are employed and given a camera to run around famous people. Some will shoot anything and try to sell. Some spend most of the year thinking and planning and doing reseach. Some spend the time trying to get it right. Some get paid for freezing a moment in any given day that matters to a selected few ... and so on.
Learning to be a photographer? Try to capture your vision. If you can present things in a photograph, the way you 'see' them as real as it can be or improvised to hell and back, you are a photographer.

Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM

01/18/2005 04:45:04 PM · #21

Originally posted by xion:

Going back to the inital question, having a pair of scissors with you all the time doesn't make you a barber.

I didn't mean to suggest that all you need to be a Photographer is a camera. Just saying if you want to take a picture it helps to have it on you. LOL. As is a given, whenever I do have my camera, there's no opportunity to take a picture. Just like I'm sure to miss an opportunity when I don't have it. Murphy's Law. If I could afford to spend my days taking pictures without a care in the world, I'd be doing that. I don't care what the subject is. I love art in all forms. Painting, Sketching, Photography...But you can't paint without paint, and you can't take pictures without a Camera. That's all I was saying. :)

SteveJ

Canon EOS-7D

01/18/2005 04:53:48 PM · #22

Utility pole?? Should it be in the photo??

Damn it, yes...it is part of the scene!!

Are we photographers recording what we see, or are we becoming slaves to art?? Telegraph poles are part of our landscape, as are electricity pylons, houses, aerials etc. I think we are losing track of our hobby.

Look back at old B&W photos that recorded the scene at the time, nothing is edited out...so decide if this is a photographic site or an arty farty site.

I prefer to record what I see, not create a canvas of only the elements I think should be there for an arty shot. If I am wrong, then this isn't the site for me any longer!!

01/18/2005 04:58:31 PM · #23

Originally posted by Formerlee:

I prefer to record what I see, not create a canvas of only the elements I think should be there for an arty shot. If I am wrong, then this isn't the site for me any longer!!

I agree, Formerlee, but she was asking what my motivation was for it being the subject, since it does seem to be the primary focus of the shot. She wasn't asking why I didn't photoshop it out. :)

Kylie

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35

01/18/2005 04:59:28 PM · #24

Originally posted by Formerlee:

I think that DPC is primarily art, not photojournalism. I love seeing both, and try both myself, but I would be thrilled to have a "DPC" all for photojournalism. That is where my heart really is, and what I personally would like to improve and learn in. There are us out here with similar feeling as yours!! Stay with us, please!