Technique posts are about the way a photo is created including the process of taking the image. Generally it is not about how the image was post-processed.
This week I got a good reminder on the importance of perseverance and patience in photography. This wasn’t a new lesson but one I was happy to re-visit nonetheless. A useful reminder is something we all need occasionally to help keep bad habits from slowly tarnish our photography skills. You may have noticed that I…
Many images have more than one subject. Whether or not this is a good thing depends on whether the secondary subjects complements the primary subject or is a distraction to the primary. The subject(s) of a photo are those parts that are waving their arms and screaming, “Look at me! Look at me!” The most…
In one of my earlier posts, Slow Down – “Speed Kills”, I talked about not rushing the creative process either while taking the shot or when processing it. This included understanding the importance of marinating in the creative process. Marinating in this case means stepping back from your work for awhile. Because you are emotionally…
I recently ran across a very good article, Photo Editing Is No Substitute For Photography Technique, by Andrew Goodall, that refutes the recent trend emphasizing the importance of editing over getting it right in camera. This wasn’t a SOOC (Straight Out Of Camera) diatribe as the author recognizes the need for editing. Rather, he makes…
One of the age-old discussions in photography is whether or not photography is art. Personally, I believe that some photography is most definitely art and some is most definitely not art. Some of that is by design. Photo-journalism is intended an accurate documentation of the scene. At the other end of the spectrum, we have…
As one who really enjoys black and white photography, I admit I get frustrated when someone suggests that you “try black and white, maybe that can rescue the color photo”. This treats black and white as an add-on or afterthought to color photography. For me, black and white should be made with deliberate intent to…
“Interesting” may be the most over-used word in photography. How often have you heard something along the lines of “I saw this and it looked interesting so I decided to photograph it.”? And then you look at the photo and wonder, “What am I supposed to be looking at?” It’s like we’re being forced to…
A halo was originally defined as a bright circle around the head of a person that signifies holiness. That’s great for saints but not for photos. Assuming you haven’t photographed a saint, halos are “unholy” in photos. They’re flaws. They don’t belong and we need to eliminate halos from our photos. Halos appear as a…
Neutral density (ND) filters are used extensively in making long exposure photos. They create wonderful images with smooth water and streaky clouds in the sky. However, you might need to do some camera and ND filter math when using them. It’s not overly difficult but can be cumbersome when trying to set up gear while…
