In the 2004 film, “What The Bleep Do We Know?” hearing-impaired actress Marlee Matlin portrays Amanda, a professional Photographer who has been assigned to photograph a wedding by her employer.
At the reception, a little girl approaches saying “When I grow up I’m gonna become a photographer just like you!! Got any tips?”
Amanda replies “Take lots of pictures!”
“Thanks” says the little girl as she runs off.
While this may seem at first to be a moment of comedic relief, it makes more sense than I had initially considered.
The best way to acquire and improve upon a skill is through repetition; practice!
Whether taking photos, playing a sport such as hockey, or perhaps a Musical Instrument, or even creating videos for YouTube, repetition leads to greater skill; hence the expression, “Practice makes perfect.”
In Photography, taking lots of pictures, is what leads to greater skill.
Now, what we take pictures OF will further define us as Photographers. In 2020, I engaged the expertise of my friend John Draper to teach me some shortcuts to becoming a better photographer. When I approached him on this matter, he asked “What do you want to DO with your photography? Weddings?Portraits…?”
“Hell no!” I replied… Those have PEOPLE!” I was, and still am, more interested in Landscapes, bodies of water, and the natural world.
When a friend’s child asked me to offer some tips, I asked the same question John asked me; “What do you want to DO with your photography?”
“Nature” was the reply.
I immediately responded with another question, “What elements of Nature?” since Nature is a kind of blanket term that could cover the Landscapes and waterways I so dearly love, but it can also encompass the wild creatures that inhabit these places.
Wildlife Photography is a whole different field from Landscapes. Landscape photography requires different techniques but there is less urgency. Landscapes rely heavily on the weather and time of day, and while the time of day also plays a role in Wildlife Photography, the photographer also must be very patient; often sitting hidden for hours until the subject comes along.
Sudden movements can ruin the perfect shot of a Deer at the water’s edge, while the water’s edge will always be present for the Landscape Photographer.
Wildlife Photography also requires some different equipment. In order to get that once-in-a-lifetime shot of an Eagle plucking a Salmon from the river, the camera must be capable of shooting several rapid-fire shots in a row.
My Canon T6i can only capture five frames per second, but since my subject is not moving, this is plenty, but that Eagle is flying at 160 km/h, so the more frames per second, the more likely you’ll get the shot you want.
Sports Photography is much the same as Wildlife with the exception that you won’t be waiting for the subject to appear; it’s always there, but always on the move. Again, you’ll want a fast camera to get the basketball as it touches the net, or the Formula 1 Race Car as it passes your position.
Astrophotography is yet another genre that requires a specific mindset.
While those super-sharp 400mm shots of the Moon’s craters are awesome, they do no justice whatsoever to the Milky Way.
For that, you’ll want a wide-open aperture and a wide-angle lens with a super slow shutter speed and a moderately high ISO.
So, before you go out and buy a camera to replace your iPhone, ask yourself what it is you want to photograph.
What moves you?
The answer to that question, will help narrow down your choice when you get to the Camera store.
Have a reasonably clear idea of what you want to do so the Sales Clerk can better assist you.
You might want the coolest looking dslr with a huge lens when a bridge camera (with a fixed lens) will do.
Some people like the convenience of a Point ‘n’ shoot that fits nicely into a purse or jacket pocket.
Don’t get too hung up on Megapixels either. My Canon EOS Rebel T6i has 24.2 Megapixels, which isn’t a lot by some standards, but it’s the most I’ve ever had, and I have taken some incredibly satisfying images with it.
I have managed to shoot some really nice images with an Olympus Camedia Point ‘n’ shoot with a 3.2 megapixel sensor.
Granted, not every shot was what I’d hoped it to be, but it was enough to inspire me to move up to a camera more suitable for the photos I wanted to take.
So think about what you want to do with your camera while keeping an eye to the future. You might start off photographing Flowers in a summer meadow and gradually decide to photograph the bees and dragonflies that come to rest on the petals. Having a camera that does both will be more satisfying.
Also, bear in mind that storing your images on your camera’s SD (Memory) Card is rather unproductive. High resolution images deserve to be shared and enjoyed!
It’s better to upload them to a computer or at least a laptop. Perhaps you’ll want to also edit them. Resizing your images (cropping) or otherwise manipulating the final result can only be done using an editing program.
The most common are Lightroom and Photoshop which are subscription based, but I use a software program called Affinity Photo.*
It’s a one-time purchase and can be loaded onto as many computers as you have access to. Meaning I can use it on my desktop, my laptop, and my niece’s laptop in New Brunswick if I choose to. (and if she’ll let me)
Affinity is available for only $94.99 Canadian and once you have it, it’s yours to keep! They even offer a 6-month free trial!
Whatever you choose, get out there and “...take lots of pictures!”
*I am not sponsored by Affinity, but I believe not enough people are aware of this amazing software.
To see this in video format, go on over to my YouTube channel by following this link:
https://youtu.be/nEz4a4UWhH0