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Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Take Your Best Shot


I love looking at beautiful blogs where expert photographers display their photos of pets, children, sports events, fireworks and all those challenging photographic "Kodak moments". I've upgraded to a better camera several times, but I know I need a more sophisticated camera to produce results like the ones I envy online. I am learning to play with light settings, ISO, shutter speed, focal distance, and all those other little settings on my camera. Sometimes I even RTFM.
 

My great frustration is in finding a great opportunity to photograph, but my light setting might be wrong, or my shutter speed is wrong. Maybe I needed to do a macro of a flower. Other frustrations are in trying to take pictures of my grandchildren who constantly move about and don't like to pose for cameras. Sometimes I turn on the video and just take movies of them. I have played with the movie making software and pulled out a freeze frame still shot, but the quality isn't what I would want for a photo album or to put in a frame. I have played with Photoshop and a half dozen editing programs to try to improve focus, color, or lighting.

I once took a mini course on digital photography and came away with a few guiding principles that were helpful. The instructor said, "Take a deep breath, depress the shutter button halfway to allow it to auto-focus and squeeze it to take the picture to avoid camera shake." Standing still is very difficult so I often lean on a column or whatever is handy. Consequently, my photos often are out of focus and thank goodness it is digital rather than film, because I delete more than I use. Sometimes I take a dozen pictures or more to find one I can accept. The ones that are out of focus frustrate me when I expect a photo that looks as my eye sees something. I like a small camera and I don't like to drag around a tripod.

For those of us who love photography but struggle with our amateur status, help is on the way. In Science News, January 28, 2012, an article called "The Digital Camera Revolution" details a jaw-dropping list of innovations. Even though there are now cameras that take pictures around corners, or others that can make an image look like a 3-D image, the one that appeals to me is the new Lytro. You can focus the photo after you take it. How did they know I needed that? Cameras for Dummies.

I know where there are innovations, there are ways to manipulate great technology for nefarious motives. I already look at photos with skeptical eyes and fancy I can tell which have double images or have been Photoshopped into something that doesn't exist. Seeing is not always believing. Nevertheless, I look forward to the camera that will make my photos look as great as I want. I want to freeze that moment when my grandson pops a bubble with his nose and I want it focused.

8 comments:

  1. I hear you, R.J. I also delete more than I keep, and I do enjoy taking pictures, even when they are less than stellar. My latest camera is not as easy to use as the one that was stolen, although it's the exact same camera a few years later. I am grateful for iPhoto's ability to help me change the exposure, etc. But I still have to get it in focus! :-)

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  2. It does help to have an excellent camera instead of an inferior one. I just can't afford one. Although I have Photoshop, I don't know how to use all of the features.

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  3. I'm always envious of everybody's gorgeous photos too. I do occasionally photoshop dark or crooked photos.

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  4. I saw something on the Lytro. It's unreal! I'm not sure I understand how it can possibly work, but it does look amazing.
    I am just fine taking a lot of crummy pictures of special moments. Sometimes I'll get a great shot that I might want to frame, but sometimes I don't care about that as much as I care about capturing a memory. Honestly, my best pictures are when I'm not trying to get a particular shot but am just taking pictures to see what I end up with. As for the kids, I've discovered that it's easiest to get pictures of them when they are doing something quiet like coloring or watching a movie. Otherwise they move at the exact wrong time!

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  5. Digital photography is harder than it seems sometimes! Still I'd never go back to film just for the convenience. The focus is the toughest thing!

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  6. Well R.J. I learned a lot here today and I will definitely check out the Lytro camera. i have been using the same Sony Cybershot camera for years and I really need to get one that is more modern with better functions. It has a Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar Lens and has 4.1 Mega Pixels. It's nearly impossible to get a real nice closeup shot of something...I mean a macro closeup....I put it on Macro but I cannot get that close without blur. I have to do the same thing that you do as far as leaning on a post or something so I don't get a blurry photo. I also delete more than keep. I find that if one is blurry than probably most are. My camer does have some neat features I have played around with in the past but never bothered to really learn enough about them. I am not technologically savvy but my husband (who fixes computers for a living) is...so I am always asking him for help! You seem to have a desire to learn...that's great! You will definitely end up with some awesome photos! Can't wait to see what happens...

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  7. I wonder about photographs all the time. One thing for sure, you shouldn't bet the farm on one no matter how real it looks.

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  8. Take a picture around a corner? Amazing. I am not up on the new camera stuff at all. You speak for so many of us who love good photographs but are unable to take them with our little digital cameras. But what I have is good enough for now. In the meantime, I enjoy the blogs with excellent photos.

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