One of the most compelling reasons that I blog is because it gives me a purpose for all the photographs I take.
With five children, I obviously don’t need a reason to take photos. But aside from the usual family ones, I have (thanks to my blog) developed a love of photographing flowers, veggies and my allotment and quite frankly, have no idea what to do with them.
It’s such a contrast to nearly four years ago when I first got my digital SLR. Then I thought any picture without a person was a waste and loved using the black and white setting on the camera.
Not only am I over those two styles but I also like to play around with the picture (I am saving up for Photoshop). I used to think it was cheating (see, another change) but now I think of it as I do make-up and hair dye – fun and enhancing. Picnik is a great online resource for playing around with your photos.
I am also, and this is another first, starting to realise that I may be good at taking photos. Agh, that sentence was hard to write because actually I think I’m just OK. I look at the photographs of Susannah Conway and Karen Walrond who use flowers a lot and think “hmmmm, so what’s your style Deb?”. However, I was pleased with the photos I took at Chelsea, considering it was so incredibly crowded.
I’m hoping my style is evolving and I’m a finalist in the photography category of a national blogging competition, which is a huge boost. If you’d like to vote for me I’d be really grateful. The closing date is June 6.
So here’s what I remember when I’m taking photos:
* Don’t shoot in direct sun. The light seems to bleach the colour and it’s too harsh. I can now tell “good” light in my kitchen and reach for the camera to photograph a vase of flowers, which isn’t very helpful to you but experiment – usually evening light or first thing is a good time.
* Never, ever use a flash.
* Read the manual by all means but there is no substitute for just using your camera, a lot.
* I move around a lot, rather than just zooming the lens in and out. A slight change in position can sometimes make all the difference. Don’t be afraid to get muddy or look silly either.
* I don’t take heaps of pictures of the same thing. I think digital cameras can make you lazy, thinking less about the composition perhaps, or light. Less sometimes is more.
* Some things are just hard to photograph well – in my case it’s my allotment as a whole, daffodils and snow.
* Practise taking photos of one thing - I take a lot of flowers and, in the autumn I take loads of cow parsley.
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Image a day
Helen
Good tips, I am trying to improve my photos and hope to get an SLR in the next year,
frazzledsugarplummum
Thanks for the tips. I have 5 children too but am semi retired now. I enjoy your blog and posts very much.
Karen
You are a very good photographer and have an excellent blog! I keep thinking I will start blogging and post the thousands of photos I have accumulated instead of just leaving them to wilt in the computer.:) Thank you for the inspiration!!