On the lengthy list of things I want to work on and improve on this year, photography is one of them.
I know my camera well and I’ve been shooting in manual mode since my first DSLR 12 years ago. I know my studio lights well and I’ve got a plethora of backdrops.
And even with all that knowledge I feel as though I’m missing something, perhaps the emotion of the photograph. You can’t hear that my child is giggling like crazy, so how can I convey that more fully in a picture. How do I frame it differently? How do I compose it differently? How do I see it differently? I go in and out of photography ruts. Sometimes I love it, I feel it and I see “it”. And other times its a chore. I see a great moment and I pick up the camera and I can’t seem to capture it. It’s flat. It’s boring. I’m just documenting time.
I’m not much of a post-processing (editing) person. I know you can take any photo and manipulate it to pop or to add drama. But I want the emotion to pop. I don’t need 500 close up pictures of my kids where their eyes sparkle (although I hate to pass up the opportunity) but I want my pictures to tell stories. Stories that my kids will love to see years from now. I’ve done it a little bit in my “Childhood moments” pictures, but I want more pictures like those. Less staged beauty, more real life. More moments.
So I’m on a mission. I am going to attempt to capture life differently with my camera. I’m reading blogs and photo websites to find the inspiration. I have the technical side down but I need to focus in a new way. You may never see a difference, but I hope to see it and more importantly I hope to feel it.
Hi there. I think you take great pics. What kind of camera do you use? What kind of dslr camera would you suggest for a beginner?
Typically people fall in one of two camps – Nikon or Canon – I happen to be a Nikon fan and have used their products for years. I think both brands have great entry level cameras. I don’t think you can go wrong – the key is learning how to use the camera. Take an online class and practice, practice, practice.
Have you heard of Ashley Ann Campbell? If you don’t follow her, you might want to. I think you’ll like her style.
http://www.ashleyannphotography.com
I’ll look her up, thanks!