I was out last week photographing with a private client and we were stuck with a foggy, hazy, morning. Some photographers would just give up and head to breakfast, but I knew we could get something (maybe not perfect but still something) working in those conditions so we went to work.
Category Archive: Insights
If there’s one benefit to sharing a passion for music AND photography, it’s recognizing that muscle memory plays a significant role in the success of both.
You need to look at your camera as a user interface that you can modify. Everything about it is yours to understand and control.
I decided to try making a few macro images with my Ernie Ball Music Man StingRay short scale bass. I used the Olympus OM-D E-M1 MK III body with the 60mm macro. This is a very lightweight combo that is easy to work with.
I know that not everyone is as dedicated to photography as I am. But I am still convinced that even a modest amateur/beginner can benefit by keeping a practice log.
The way you get better at anything is to practice. This is well-known for things like playing a musical instrument or sports, or languages, etc. But I rarely heard it talked about in the photography realm and it should be.
(They want to know WHY you photograph…)
I’ve written about the WHY of things before. And most of my inspiration for those posts is from Simon Sinek’s book “Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action” (https://amzn.to/32pU0sr) It’s one of the most important books I’ve read in terms of moving both the financial and the creative side of my life.
Today I want to talk about the simplest application I can think of for Simon’s book.
All-star wedding photographer, Roberto Valenzuela says “Perfect Practice Makes Perfect” instead of the more common “Practice Makes Perfect.” I have thought a lot about that since I heard his talk at WPPI many years ago. As I grow older, I realize that there are times when I was “practicing” my photography but practicing the wrong things. Not everything you do with a camera in your hand will necessarily drive you to your end goal.
Today’s photo is designed to illustrate the value of using symmetry in your compositions.
It’s also a good illustration of repeating objects.
The subject is my Danelectro Longhorn bass guitar. The composition tightly frames only a small portion of the instrument. This particular guitar has a very unique shape.