We started this assignment 30 days ago with the simple objective of taking and posting one "good" photo everyday for 30 days. Now I know there are people that do this everyday for months, a year and longer, and so I know that this wasn't going to be any great feat in the grand scheme of things. But for me, (like many of you), with a family, a busy schedule and many responsibilities, I recognized that 30 good photos in 30 days would be a challenge. What I didn't expect was the things I would learn along the way. Here are a few key realizations:
As the Boy Scouts say: "Be Prepared". Having known this previously (or I thought I did), I've always carried my Canon point and shoot with me. Naturally, for this assignment however, I brought my Nikon D90 DSLR, with either an 18-200mm zoom lens or a smaller 50mm lens with me everywhere I went. 30 days of carrying the "heavy hardware" made me respect true photogs: the dedicated hobbyists and true professionals. But having the Nikon etc. with me meant I was in a better position to capture the good pics. That's not to say that the camera makes all the difference - that's a discussion for another post. But better features like low light performance and higher megapixels allowed me to do more.
So with gear in hand, (or on shoulder or in briefcase or under seat of car), I set out to capture National Geographic-quality photos. But wait, just because I was ready to take the picture of a lifetime, didn't mean it was always right there, lying in front of me like a discarded winning lottery ticket on the sidewalk. As they say, timing and preparation are everything - many great photos are born because someone was in the right place at the right time and able to capture the scene. Did you see the first "Miracle on the Hudson" photo taken by a person on a ferry with his iPhone? He and others got their shots because they were there when it mattered, and had a way to capture the photo, even if it was only a camera phone. Photographer and blogger Scott Bulger has a great post on the subject here.
Some of my daily photos were captured only because I was there, aware and ready. Some examples are here and here.
You have to make it happen: But a great photographer doesn't only respond to random situations as they arise. Great photogs seek great photos and 
take steps to create them. That's the difference between "taking" a picture and "making" one. I recently attended a photo exhibit with my daughter at Boston's Museum of Fine Arts. I was struck by the number of photos that were of simple, everyday subjects, that we look at but don't necessarily see: the wrinkles on the back of an elderly person's hand or a woman dashing to an unknown appointment, a look of concern on her face. First you must see the potential around you then take steps to capture it in a photograph. I waited for an hour to take this sunset photo. I had no guarantee it would be any good, but I had in my mind's eye what I was trying to capture, and took steps (equipment, timing, knowledge and a patient wife) to make it happen. During this assignment, I learned to think ahead for everyday's opportunities, based on where I planned to be, anticipating the scene, the lighting (natural or not, considering weather, timing, etc.). As you can see, some days I planned better than others!
Varying your shooting style ain't easy: I found myself falling into familiar patterns during these 30 days - thinking about the day's shot in advance and gravitating to the places and conditions I was comfortable with and/or that were convenient. But for fear of having 30 pictures of the orchids in my office, I forced myself to vary what I was looking for. In retrospect, I think I could have done that even better. This post from the Digital Photography School has some good ideas for mixing it up. We expand our photographic knowledge and skills by stretching ourselves, by trying new techniques and subjects under differing conditions. I plan to continue "stretching".
In retrospect, I'm more than happy that I undertook this assignment with my brother Rey. I feel that I've learned a lot and have a few photos I am truly pleased with like this one, this one and this one, and others that were, shall we say, acts of desperation: this one, this one and this one, ugh.
Bottom line - like riding a bike or learning to cook, you have to actually do it and do it often. Challenge yourself to capture great photos everyday for a month. You'll be surprised at what you accomplish.
And Rey, if you're reading this - nice job. I especially liked this one, this one and this one.
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1 comment:
Nice job Ed and very well said. It takes a lot of stick-to-it-iveness to get this done. Congratulations to both you and your brother Rey.
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