The most important thing I've learned in the last year is that photographers shouldn't ignore centuries of art history just because the world largely treats photos as somehow separate from other visual art mediums.
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The most important thing I've learned in the last year is that photographers shouldn't ignore centuries of art history just because the world largely treats photos as somehow separate from other visual art mediums.
Film is cheap, locations are plentiful and when the magic hits you, be ready to take advantage of it.
Sorry, that should read 'relatively cheap'.
Don't get caught up in all the details (mathematical calculations, measuring this, measuring that.)
Get to know your camera and the ground glass extremely well... it'll serve you in good stead!
Lastly, shoot, shoot, shoot!
And... have fun!
Cheers
If you cannot find anything interesting to shoot, the problem is not the place itself but you.
Light is generally categorized as "hard" or "soft" when in fact light presents itself in infinite variations. You have to want to see the difference between open shade, a leaden overcast, the mixture of sunlight screened by thin cirrus and the fill provided by
some bright object nearby, etc. etc. Once you start noticing and perhaps even anticipating these subtle changes, and seeing an improvement in your vision as it translates onto film, you will begin to wonder why you utterly WASTED so much time on useless techno-geek nonsense.
be prepared and resourceful
be willing to experiment with everything you can (film, paper, developers, etc.)...not to find a magic bullet, but to learn. that sort of willingness will keep you inspired and working.
Putting the principle into practice: Expose for the shadows, develop for the highlights.
Some of the most useful things I've learned is the value of making and using a little cardboard viewing card for discovering compositions....I'm lost without this, and also just as important for me was discovering how to make a great little scale/dial that wraps around the focusing knob of the camera to quickly and easily determining the optimum shooting aperture for the scene....no more time wasted messing with a tape or ruler. Lastly.......... when magic happens breath deeply and relax:)
kev
Fine Art Photography is of NO interest to 99.99% of the population.
The .01% is other photographers. It took me disproportionate amount of time to come to that eye-opening realisation.