Seven by Five

The Black & White Photo Show Off Thread

Scott — Thu, 17 May 2012 14:00:35 +0000

If you haven’t heard yet, Leica did something that no other camera manufacturer can get away with.

That’s right, they released a camera that only photographs in Black & White. The Leica M-Monochrom is very similar to the Leica M9, boasting a killer 18-megapixel sensor and rangefinder design.

But is a Black & White only sensor really needed? Does the industry really need a camera that only takes Black & White photos?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a Leica shooter and I love my M9. The question should not be answered in words. So here goes my quest to find the answer.

Do you prefer to shoot in Black & White only?
How do you feel about the new Leica M-Monochrom camera?

Tell us your feelings on Black & White photography and comment below with a link to your gallery of Black & White photographs.

Feel free to cast your vote on the poll below, answering which you prefer: Shooting color or black & white in camera.

Copyright Information

Please note that The Black & White Photo Show Off Thread and all Seven by Five content is copyright 2001-2011. Seven by Five Photos in our flickr group remain the copyright of the original photographer. This RSS feed is provided for personal, non-commercial use only.

10 Tips on How To Create an Impromptu Portrait Session with Strangers on the Street

rcooper — Tue, 15 May 2012 21:32:56 +0000

Sometimes, I just like to go out with my camera, a couple of lenses and walk through some of the streets in certain areas of the city where I live, Mexico City: the biggest city in the world! Funny thing is, I take four lenses and end up using only one: my trusty Canon 50mm f/1.8. Also, the cheapest lens I have (I highly recommend it). This lens is great for shooting portraits, not only for it being such a light-catcher when you open it up all the way, but also because it creates a beautiful bokeh, thus separating your subject from the background, pretty much blurring everything else.

So, here are 10 tips – going from the technical to the creative – on how to create a quick, 2-minute or so impromptu portrait session with strangers on the street:

Be prepared: if you have the idea of going to shoot portraits, don’t have your wide-angle on the camera but be prepared with a good portrait lens, such as the aforementioned 50mm, ready for action.
Open it up but hold it steady: open the lens to 1.8 and – leave the camera in Aperture priority so it takes care of the rest if you don’t want to worry about exposure times – and make sure you hold your hands next to your body so there’s no blurry picture for you to come back home to on your computer.
Focusing on autofocus: if you believe you’ll have luck, have your camera on autofocus in order to make the shooting go by fast. If not, go for manual and make sure to focus on the eyes, the center of attention when shooting portraits. If not, there’s a chance that (especially with autofocus on) the lens will focus on your subject’s nose and well… the eyes and the rest will end up being out of focus.

© Sergio Mendoza Hochmann
Who to pick: this one is pretty much up to you. Look for the kind of face that you’d be interested in hearing a story from. It doesn’t necessarily have to be the prettiest woman or an extremely handsome man that you’ll go for. Look for a face that interests you and you believe will speak to the camera.
The approach: be courteous and civil. Don’t go for the person that looks as if they’re in a hurry because chances are you’ll get a negative answer. Someone sitting down in a bench by themselves is always a good choice. Or it could be a couple of people slowly ambling by that don’t look as if they’re right smack in the middle of an important conversation.

© Sergio Mendoza Hochmann
What to say: “Hi, I’m out taking pictures and I love taking pictures of people who look interesting. Do you think it would be okay if I take two minutes of your time and take a couple of pictures?” I tend to say something like that (in Spanish) and things work out well.
To pose or not to pose: if you get a positive answer to your picture-taking question, your stranger might ask you if you want them to pose. This, again, is up to you. Sometimes I feel that the person looking directly at the camera will give me something to work with. But there are some occasions in which I’ll tell them to carry on with what they were doing and then I’ll snap a few photos.
Don’t take too much time: if a person let’s you take their picture on the street, that doesn’t mean that it’s ok for you to steal 5-20 minutes of their time, unless your gut instinct tells you that they’re REALLY into it. Besides, in two minutes you can usually get what you wanted. Also, do remember that it is supposed to be an impromptu session and not a long-winded, 15-pose shoot.

© Sergio Mendoza Hochmann
Groups or solo acts: if you see a group of, let’s say, three people, and you only wanted to shoot one of them, no problem! Approach them and ask them if you could take some portrait shots of all of them. You never know if you end up getting the best pictures from the person you least expected them from!
One last tip: I always ask people if it would be okay for me to get their email and name so I can email them the picture in both color and black and white (I go for b&w in my portrait shots). It’s not a big effort to mail them their pictures and not only can you make a new contact for your Facebook Page, for example, and maybe even get business coming your way (if you’re a professional), but you also share in the joy of letting someone have a nice picture of themselves in a day in which they were not expecting it. And for free!

I hope you muse over these tips that I’ve given you and see what suits your taste in picture taking of strangers on the street. Do remember to take under consideration the area in which you live and the kind of people you’ll approach. A person with 5 bodyguards might not be the most approachable or appropriate!

Take care and may you shoot sharp… unless you want blurry!

Sergio Mendoza Hochmann is a photographer who’s also a teacher of literature and communication skills, a signed songwriter and a jingle writer. Born in Chile, an Austrian-Mexican-blood mix, lived in 10 countries and has an Ecuadorian heart. He shoots everything, but specializes in cars, architecture and portraits.

Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/FotoHochmann

Blog: fotohochmann.wordpress.com

Copyright Information

Please note that 10 Tips on How To Create an Impromptu Portrait Session with Strangers on the Street and all Seven by Five content is copyright 2001-2011. Seven by Five Photos in our flickr group remain the copyright of the original photographer. This RSS feed is provided for personal, non-commercial use only.

Photo Profile: Davide Luciano

7X5 Editors — Thu, 10 May 2012 14:30:47 +0000

Looking back at my childhood everything makes perfect sense, I spent countless hours playing with toys, creating stories and imagining different scenarios. Today, nothing has changed except my toys have been replaced by friends, family and models and I create large-scale photographic prints that are meticulously staged to create humor and awareness. School was never a priority nor an interest until I enrolled in film school, which was the beginning of my journey. I instantly found my voice, passion and vision to express my views for the world to see. After writing, directing and editing a few short films which were well received with praise and accolades, I realized I wanted to challenge myself and create “mises en scenes” with a single frame.

My work has been exhibited in solo and group shows across Canada and the United States in cities such as New York, Toronto, Montréal, Washington and Kentucky. I have had the honor of winning numerous awards, including an award of excellence from Megan Fontanella, curator at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City.

In my most recent photographic series titled “Sheep Nation” I explore a society that is desperate for uniqueness and originality, but ultimately succumbs to “following the herd”. Behind every mask lies a personal truth, an innocence, a sense of individualism and a longing to be seen and heard.

This large-scale photographic series includes twenty three intimate and introspective portraits of “sheeple” and six mises en scène depicting people unable to stand alone and be unique. The subjects have allowed the influences of different forms of media to undermine their own identity and wander mindlessly in herds, like sheep.

Links

Website: www.davideluciano.com , www.mypotholes.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/davidelucianoartist
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/davide_luciano

Copyright Information

Please note that Photo Profile: Davide Luciano and all Seven by Five content is copyright 2001-2011. Seven by Five Photos in our flickr group remain the copyright of the original photographer. This RSS feed is provided for personal, non-commercial use only.

Photo Profile: Miss Aniela

rcooper — Wed, 09 May 2012 14:30:46 +0000

I pour my mind into everything I create, and always aim to push the envelope with consistently compelling imagery with the highest production value possible, whether I’m shooting with huge budget or with just my own body and a remote trigger. Photography is always my ‘living’ whether I am working on personal or commercial work, because it is creating that keeps me feeling alive.

I am a photographer based in London, UK. I produce work primarily as an artist, but also for fashion and commercial projects. I am internationally exhibited and the author of 2 books. I also run an event called the Fashion Shoot Experience.

My series ‘Ecology’ is about our world, and the place of humanity within it, at once a beautiful and polluting form. The images play with growth and disruption of growth, with ‘utopia’ and its opposite: dystopia. In this series I want to stir people to question and to think, intelligibly – about the problems, the beauty, and the conflict between them, in the world around us. The images are an evolution of my playful self-portraiture from 2006-2009; it is a way to express a troubled outlook on the world, through quietly sinister and even unnerving distortions.

‘The Fourth Soil’ was created in the forest near where I live, helped by my partner Matthew who took the shots of me standing at a distance between the trees. I knew at the time that the images would be black and white, but they took on a surreal organic life force of their own to make the final image. To me, the image represents re-discovering our connection to and almost complete dependence on nature, which has been muddied and often even dismissed, like a ‘tall story’, by the attitudes of modern medicine and lifestyle.

In my ‘Surreal Fashion’ series, fashion portraits become immersed into fine- art surrealism. I make bizarre interactions between models and other elements such as paintings, drawings and objects that are found in the location in which the model was shot. The surroundings of the model echo, distort and appear in unexpected ways in each situation. This is my attempt as a fine-art photographer at making fashion shoot situations more artistic, imaginative, and thought- provoking, and to take the easily-mimicked ‘in camera’ fashion shot several innovative stages further.

‘Storm Door’ was created during an event at Weston Park in the UK, with models dressed in semi-Regency period costume. The image of the model was shot with just the light from the modelling lamp, and stitched panoramically from two shots. During the event I had gazed at the paintings around this stately home, inspired by them more than anything else. I had photographed a classical painting of ships on the wall, fascinated by the drama in the ocean, and the tungsten hue which permeates a lot of my work. In post-production, I spontaneously combined my photograph of the model with the shot I’d taken of the sea painting. I saw that the dress could be manipulated to flow out into the waves as though the sailors were being thrashed upon it, by Mother Nature or a Helen of Troy-like figure, biting a string of pearls that fit the nautical imagery. I was also inspired by the C.S. Lewis story ‘The Voyage of the Dawn Treader’, with the fitting notion of a painting coming to life, through a door.

Links

Facebook: www.facebook.com/missanielaphotography
Website: www.missaniela.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/missaniela
Flickr: www.flickr.com/ndybisz

Copyright Information

Please note that Photo Profile: Miss Aniela and all Seven by Five content is copyright 2001-2011. Seven by Five Photos in our flickr group remain the copyright of the original photographer. This RSS feed is provided for personal, non-commercial use only.

Behind the Scenes: Making ‘Understanding Exposure: Perfect Exposure on Your EOS Camera’

7X5 Editors — Tue, 08 May 2012 14:31:45 +0000

Behind the photos

I took this photo several years ago in the city of La Plata in Argentina. The gothic cathedral is the largest cathedral in the Americas and took around 100 years to build. They only finished it 20 years ago. It illustrates the concept of exposure perfectly, as the church and statue are backlit by the setting sun – a challenging situation when it comes to deciding the optimum exposure.

I recently spent six months in Shanghai, China – some of the photos I took on that trip appeared in the book. These two photos were taken in Lingyin Temple in Hangzhou. The main attraction in this city is West Lake – a beautiful lake surrounded by low hills, forests and ancient temples.

Both photos are close-ups – I used an 85mm lens on my EOS 5D Mark II fitted with a 500D close-up lens. That’s a +2 diopter close-up lens (or filter) that lets me get closer to the subject. I like this style because it lets me concentrate on details like the incense sticks and candle.

I took this photo of the three monkeys at Dongtai Road Antiques Market in Shanghai. Dongtai Road is a narrow street lined with market stalls and shops. The guides say around half of the stuff sold there is fake – but there are lots of genuine items there too if you know how to find them. I don’t – but as my interest is in taking photos, not buying antiques, all I cared about is whether they were photogenic. The market stalls holders were friendly and not as pushy as I expected, and happy for me to take photos.

The Idea

Writing the body of the book was the easy part – it only took a few days. The hard part was planning what to write about and then finding good photos to illustrate it. Caption writing, diagram creation, putting tables together and fact checking all take a lot longer. I rewrote the first draft several times until I was happy with it. The book also had to be designed, which I did myself with Adobe InDesign.

I got the idea for ‘Understanding Exposure: Perfect Exposure on Your EOS Camera‘ after reading a couple of books about exposure. One was meant to be for digital cameras but had clearly been originally written some time ago and the author hadn’t taken the differences between film and digital cameras into account. The other book divided exposure into around 12 exposure scenarios, and I thought that overcomplicated things.

I started thinking about simplifying the topic of exposure, and came up with three basic exposure scenarios which cover any situation a photographer will encounter.

I also thought about the differences between film and digital cameras. Part of the reason people get confused about exposure is because digital sensors react to light differently than film. Photographers who learned their craft with film have to relearn many of the basic principles. Of course, now that digital technology has matured there are many photographers who have never used film cameras, and I took care to ensure that the book is just as relevant to them.

These ideas are the heart of the book. I also decided to make it EOS specific. It meant that I could go deep and explain to EOS camera owners what the various metering and exposure modes do on their cameras. That separates it from generic books about exposure. It’s the second in a series that will develop into a comprehensive library of books about the EOS system.

Download the eBook Now for only £7

Andrew S Gibson is a freelance writer and photographer. He is the Technical Editor of EOS magazine and writes for photography websites, magazines and book publishers.

Copyright Information

Please note that Behind the Scenes: Making ‘Understanding Exposure: Perfect Exposure on Your EOS Camera’ and all Seven by Five content is copyright 2001-2011. Seven by Five Photos in our flickr group remain the copyright of the original photographer. This RSS feed is provided for personal, non-commercial use only.

Photo Profile: Marjolein van Noort

7X5 Editors — Fri, 04 May 2012 19:27:53 +0000

Telling a story with a single picture has always fascinated me. Growing up, I had my own simple camera enabling me to capture family holidays. However, the switch to a more sophisticated one came years later. Just to see whether my old love was still there, I bought a digital camera. It was. And it brought me to the point where I am now.

Over the last two years I have been photographing a lot, capturing all kinds of scenes. Finding out that my heart lies with street and portrait photography. Not a single country is an exact copy of another country, not a single person is an exact copy of another person. We differ in so many ways and are yet so similar to one another. That to me is a continuous source of inspiration. Showing local scenes. Capturing local habits. Just to help us understand a bit more of the world we live in.

Having a camera in my hands makes me a very happy person. I felt that taking pictures while traveling wasn’t enough anymore, so autumn last year I decided to launch my website and explore a career in photography. Since then I have been asked for various assignments.

My starting point in every project or assignment is an optimistic one. True, we don’t live in a perfect world. Not even close as goes for some areas on this globe. But there are many courageous, innovative, ambitious, beautiful initiatives that make a difference. Those are the ones I love to have in front of my camera.

For that reason I am currently working on two independent series. The first which I recently have started focuses on integration/ diversity in four major European cities. The project takes me to Paris, London, Berlin and closer to home, Rotterdam. The second has light – daylight and artificial light – as a starting point. These projects take me to familiar places and places yet to become familiar.

Links

Website: www.theworldinfrontofmycamera.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/mlvannoort

Copyright Information

Please note that Photo Profile: Marjolein van Noort and all Seven by Five content is copyright 2001-2011. Seven by Five Photos in our flickr group remain the copyright of the original photographer. This RSS feed is provided for personal, non-commercial use only.

31 Images of Reflection

rcooper — Fri, 04 May 2012 01:21:07 +0000

Rain, mirrors, lakes… a face contemplating life… We asked our Flickr followers to post an image they interpreted to illustrate ‘Reflection’.

If you want to comment on an individual photograph click on an image to be taken to it directly on Flickr. We all appreciate the feedback. You can find out more about our flickr group here.

1. Becky

2. Dan Bailey Photo

3. Lens Artwork

4. paul downing

5. Rina B.

6. jezconk

7. LeftyRodriguez

8. Stephen A. Wolfe

9. misund007

10. DaveFrost

11. sena10

12. Greg Schmigel

13. Greg Schmigel

14. klwalton

15. Shamrockah

16. 50mm_Streettog

17. pratiphotography

18. tobyct

19. ~~Lou~~

20. OKCorralPhoto

21. theblackstar

22. shoeless LindaB (HEMEEE)

23. Tim Green aka atoach

24. [ f_stopper ]

25. mr._martini

26. fomu

27. Colin Gallagher

28. dthomasd

29. Abhinav Singhai

30. The Neepster

31. adamjefferyphotography
Anyone can take part in our monthly Flickr themes! Check out our previous themes and find out more: 7×5 Flickr group page.

Copyright Information

Please note that 31 Images of Reflection and all Seven by Five content is copyright 2001-2011. Seven by Five Photos in our flickr group remain the copyright of the original photographer. This RSS feed is provided for personal, non-commercial use only.

Photo Profile: Ivan Lieman

7X5 Editors — Wed, 02 May 2012 19:15:09 +0000

I have witnessed the very meaning of daily struggles, having grown up in Kenya. Photography became a passion at a very early age as a way of documenting the hardships I saw unfolding in front of me. This helped me to develop my style; candid shots that tell stories of the happiness that can be found in adversity. I’ve always appreciated the fact that no matter their situation, people are thankful for life.

For the last two years I have traveled extensively throughout East Africa, India, Morocco and Sri Lanka, building a large portfolio of work documenting life stories, culturally significant events, political contexts and areas of beauty. In environments that were at best challenging and at worst hostile, I have learned to use situations to their best potential and create photos that capture the raw essence of the moment. Travel, alongside photography, is one of my greatest passions, and I think they compliment each other perfectly. There has been no better teacher for me than travel itself, and the constant surprises and challenges it brings.

Having just returned from India, my recent work documents the stories that I found unfolding there. I was lucky enough to be able to cover Holi festival, one of the most colorful and engaging events in the calendar of religious festivals in the country; an incredible experience that I´ll never forget.

Back in the UK, I have a number of ongoing projects that allow me to use my creativity and experiment with different mediums, techniques and situations. Tryptographs and panoramic have been a particular point of exploration for me, expressing the continuation of a moment or a scene through a collection of stills. Alongside this idea of continuation has been my diary of faces and voices; documenting an individual’s portraits and voice clip with a new character every day. I have also created my own short films and continue to use this medium in addition to my photographic projects.

Watching my first photo develop from its negative is a memory that has stuck with me throughout my photographic career; that excitement and anticipation is still at work with every new project I undertake. I appreciate that there is never a bad day in the field, as there is a lesson to be learned from every photo. I am looking for the chance to make a meaningful contribution to the world of photography; getting there is a journey that I am most enjoying.

Links

Website: http://ivanliemanphotography.com/
Twitter: @ivanliemanphoto
Blog: http://ivanliemanphotography.wordpress.com/

Copyright Information

Please note that Photo Profile: Ivan Lieman and all Seven by Five content is copyright 2001-2011. Seven by Five Photos in our flickr group remain the copyright of the original photographer. This RSS feed is provided for personal, non-commercial use only.

Photo Profile: Edwin van Nuil

7X5 Editors — Tue, 01 May 2012 14:30:26 +0000

I am one who loved technology and gadgets. That still is me, but now my greatest passion is photography. Back in 2008 when I told a good friend I wanted to stop taking snapshots and start making “real” photos he advised me not to buy a entry DSLR plus kitlens (what I wanted to do). Instead he told me, buy a point and shoot with manual control and study photography.

So I did; I bought a Canon G9 and read every book, website, blog and listened to every podcast I could find about photography. I was hooked from the beginning and the more I read about the principles of photography and the more I brought those principles into practice, the more hooked I became. So after a year I bought my first Canon DSLR and it’s been photography all the way.

I have tried every form of photography I came across. Working in black and white after reading Ansel Adams and Henri Cartier-Bresson; I did Macro photography after hearing about it in a podcast; I tried street photography after reading the blog of Eric Kim; dabbled in shooting portraits with speedlights after visiting the websites of David Hobby and Bert Stephani; shot actions photo’s after seeing videos of Chase Jarvis. But mostly I take photographs of the things I see around me.

What I like about photography in it’s current state is that I can use both my technical skills (computers, software, social media, etc.) and my creative “skills”; the actual taking of the photographs. In the past years I mostly advanced technically and now I’m at the point I’m trying to find my own look and advance creatively.

One of the steps in achieving that goal is joining a local photo-club. I’ve been a few times now and it’s great to talk with people that are also very enthusiastic about photography. I hope to get constructive critique from the members, especially on the creative side. I have noticed that most online photographic communities tend to have the principle: you say something nice to me, then I say something nice to you. Maybe good for the ego, but less for advancing the skills.

I also joined the Scott Kelby Worldwide Photowalks both days this year with Frank Doorhof and did a few workshops. These experiences were great, so I try to do more photowalks and workshops.

Links

Website: http://vannuil.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/evannuil
Flickr: http://flickr.com/photos/evannuil

Copyright Information

Please note that Photo Profile: Edwin van Nuil and all Seven by Five content is copyright 2001-2011. Seven by Five Photos in our flickr group remain the copyright of the original photographer. This RSS feed is provided for personal, non-commercial use only.

How To Stop Worrying And Start Loving Your Photography Gear

7X5 Editors — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 19:22:30 +0000

Whenever I look at a great picture in a magazine or in a gallery or even on the web, almost instantly there’s a voice in my head that says, “I should try that. It looks so good. I’m inspired.”

99% of the times there’s a much louder voice that checks me and says, “Only if I had the proper gear and the access to a studio and props and models and lenses and camera…”. The list goes on.

If you have experienced the scenario mentioned above or any of its variants, you should read further.

One of the biggest photography related hurdle I have experienced apart from ‘Photographer’s Block’ was the inability to love my gear. To come to terms with the fact that whatever lenses and camera I have are great. To accept them wholeheartedly and love every moment I spent with them. The need and inaccessibility of newer gear leads to a dissatisfaction with your present equipment.

Most of us are crippled by the thought of technologically advanced sensors and bigger and better camera and faster lenses. Ask yourself – Is my current gear really making me lag in the wonderfully adventurous and exciting photographic journey I once undertook?

Here are some of the things I did (and you should too) to overcome this hatred (if you may) of the gear I have:

1. Learn What You Have
I think it has been emphasized enough everywhere but I’m going to say it again – Read the manual. It’s the best piece of documentation you have on your camera. If you haven’t read your camera manual yet, do it and you’ll be amazed at what you can learn from it. There must be about 50 functions you don’t know about your camera yet. What does that little button next to the pop-up flash do? What’s that symbol on the display? How do I lock the focus on the subject? There’s just one answer – Read the manual.

Knowing your camera is like knowing a person. Once you know you are close and know them inside out, it’s hard keeping yourself from loving them.

2. Do-It-Yourselves and Make your own gear
Don’t have access to a studio? No problem. Make your own home studio with some white sheets and lights. Don’t have an external flash to light your portraits? No problem. Flash Lights galore!

There are many DIY websites that help you design many photography accessories yourself for cheap (external flashes, lightboxes, backgrounds – you name it!) It’s fun to make anything new and you’ll be surprised what your current gear has to offer you and how you can enhance it by just some simple DIYs. They’ll make you love your camera more and open up new genres of photography too.

The motto here is to make your own gear. You can. I did.

3. Look At Your Shutter Count
Have you used your camera enough? Are you sure you’ve exhausted and taken the most out of the kit lens before you go for that prime? In most cases it turns out we haven’t even used the current lenses and camera to their maximum potential. Check the shutter count of your camera. If you find it too low (say less than 15K), then you haven’t really used it enough and chances are you won’t be using your updated gear either.

Have you shot light trails or tried light painting? How about self-portraits? Abstracts? HDRs?

Get out with your camera and start clicking.

Light Paintings are a fun way to explore and learn your camera funtions.

EXIF Data: Camera: Nikon D3000;Exposure:30;Aperture: f/11.0;Focal Length:18 mm;ISO Speed:100;Exposure Bias:0 EV;Flash:No Flash

4. Substitution
So, you’ve heard the 50mm prime lens is the best for street photography and portraits. Most of the street-photographers out there shoot at 50mm on f/4 and since you don’t have it you want to buy it so you can start off with your street photography. So how does the 18-105 that came with my camera body help me here? Simply put, you can use substitution. Just adjust to 50mm and there is a fair chance you can easily get somewhere close to f/4 – f/5. You can shoot excellent portraits with the kit lens.

You want to give Macro photography a go. But macro lenses cost a lot. And you’re not even sure if you’ll like that genre of photography and don’t want to invest money in the lens. Thankfully, we have the internet which is full of ways to help you out. Check out Diopters/Reverse Mounts/ Extension tubes and see if Macro is for you. There are many products available which can fulfill these special needs and are easier on the pocket.

This picture was taken using a pair of Diopters (Macro filters in popular internet language)

EXIF Data: Camera :Nikon D3000; Exposure: 13; Aperture: f/22.0; Focal Length: 60 mm; ISO Speed: 100; Exposure Bias: +2/3 EV; Flash: No Flash

The idea is not to stop but look for things that might stand in for real gear.

5. Google Your Gear
Most of the time, we find ourselves incapacitated not by our gear but by lack of ideas. The internet comes in handy here. Most of the websites (including Flickr) offer a search filtered on the basis of your camera model and lens. Search your camera/lens and you see what can be accomplished using your gear. Even a simple Google search of “ + sample images” returns a huge amount of images you can work on. Now you can’t tell yourself you have used your gear. Try to take pictures like these and then better their quality.

As I said before, there’s so much to explore yet and you can’t really hate what you don’t know.

6. Join a community group with the same gear or interests.

Join a community group on Flickr or any other website that concerns your camera or lens(es). This would open you up with people using the same set of equipment and taking breathtaking pictures. There are DIY groups that post tutorials regularly and answer queries. Be socially active. Ask them for any tips they have. Join a discussion. Learn and grow.

7. Read EXIF
Flickr allows a photographer to share his EXIF values with the viewers. That’s one of the best things about Flickr. Now that you have searched an image with your camera model try reading these values. You’ll get a fairly good idea how a certain picture was taken. This would not only make you content with your gear, it will also improve your photography.

Note: Some of the photographers are not that generous and don’t share EXIFs. Don’t lose heart; there are plenty of photographers that do (including me).

8. Learn Post-Processing

When I started photography, the web disheartened me. There were so many pictures that were so much better than mine. Pictures of everyday objects, with nice popping colours and
brilliant contrasts, deep blacks and tints. I was crestfallen. Why can’t I make that soda can look that pretty even though I did everything by the book? I got my answer after I spent a little time browsing through these pictures. PHOTOSHOP. Now I’m not talking about photo manipulation. That’s a totally different area. Learn the basics. Adjust contrasts and exposure. Play around with saturations and highlights and shadows. These are things that you can’t usually achieve in camera (OK! OK! You can but that’s discussion for another day). You’ll be surprised beyond imagination what 2 minutes in Photoshop (or any other post-processing software. GIMP? Anyone?) can do to your pictures. If your camera supports exposure bracketing (read the manual my friend) why not give HDR a go?

An example of what a little time spent in post-processing can do to an otherwise bland image. Total time spent in Lightroom : < 3 minutes. Parameters adjusted: Contrasts, shadows, highlights and saturation.

I’m sure if you think and implement what I have said in this article, you’ll not only enjoy your photography equipment more, you’ll also improve a lot. The idea here is to learn and enjoy your camera with all its shortcomings (if you still want to believe they are shortcomings). Just keep clicking and learning. And when you can take mind-blowing pictures with your present equipment at all times; when you can use your camera like a Samurai uses his sword (sorry for the lame analogy but you know what I mean); and when you want to exceed that – you’ll know when the time is right for an upgrade. So until then, love what you have and enjoy.

I am adding a little description of the camera and lenses I use. Be the judge yourself of how important gear is:

Nikon D3000 (I have read reviews calling it the worst DSLR Nikon ever came up with; I made faces when I read that and didn’t pick up my camera for a week.)
Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D (Doesn’t autofocus on my camera body; I used to cry about that.)
Nikkor 18.0-55.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 (The DX Model; No Vibration Reduction)
55.0-200.0 mm f/4.0-5.6 (The DX Model; No Vibration Reduction)

Never stop clicking!

Anant. (The Lensor)
-

Anant Nath Sharma, a 26 year old self-taught photographer based out of Pune, India. Currently pursuing street and fashion photography; taking pictures that tell stories and enjoying every moment of it.

Blog: www.thelensor.tumblr.com

Copyright Information

Please note that How To Stop Worrying And Start Loving Your Photography Gear and all Seven by Five content is copyright 2001-2011. Seven by Five Photos in our flickr group remain the copyright of the original photographer. This RSS feed is provided for personal, non-commercial use only.