April 23, 2007
Irony at its best
One site that I visited this morning is American Photo Journalist; but as I was looking it over, I noticed a bit of a faux pas on their part…probably unintended:
I just love it… “Nice picture eh? This image is one we thought you would like seeing, shot by the photographer listed above. To view more of his or her work, click on image or name above.” Of course I’m sure this is being automated by some web app, but they seem to have missed something along the way.
I don’t always like to see broken images, but this one was mildly refreshing.
I think this paid membership-based website is starting to collect cobwebs and losing some appeal. By the looks of their forum, calendar, and their classifieds, there isn’t much activity going on there. I guess photojournalists—whether professional or hobbyist—have better things to do with their time and money.
On a slightly different, but related note, my interest in photojournalist/documentary style photography has been increasing a bit…maybe not so much like you’d see in newspapers, but things you’d see in the original Life Magazine (which is now ceasing all further printed editions). I’m not sure what I want to do with photography beyond becoming a much better hobbyist; but it is an art form that I’m gaining more and more appreciation for and enjoy doing.
This last weekend, I spent some time working on some exercises in the fundamentals of exposure and depth of field (DOF) as covered by author and photographer Bryan Peterson in his book Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film or Digital Camera
I particularly enjoy his books because they have the need-to-know information along side practical exercises and assignments to apply that information. In a way, it’s like having an independent study class with small assignments to apply what you’re learning. Of course it is missing the student-teacher connection, but it’s still something worth buying if you want to improve your photography at all.
One thing that I think would be fun to get plugged into is a like an informal photography club or something like that, where you get periodic assignments or group challenges and you compare work with one another and learn from each other. I’m sure there are some flickr, yahoo or google groups out there. But everything is online these days—and that gets kinda old.
April 23, 2007, 11:33 am
Filed under: General, Photography
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coderforchrist said,
April 23, 2007 @ 12:47 pm
So…any suggestions on books for a beginner who currently has only a point-and-shoot digicam (haven’t been able to justify throwing down the money on an SLR…yet)?
Michael said,
April 23, 2007 @ 1:19 pm
This is a definite, must-buy:
Understanding Digital Photography: Techniques for Getting Great Pictures
, which is also by the same author. He has good illustrations, helping you distinguish between good choices and bad choices in photography.
Also, chances are, if you have a newer digital point-n-shoot, you can do some of the advanced things with your camera, such as Aperture Priority, Shutter speed priority, or maybe even manual. You’ll have to consult your owner’s manual, though.