Moonrise in Bisti Badlands
This photograph was made in Bisti Badlands, New Mexico, May 2008.
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I’ve made a 10-minute video tutorial showing how to create an HTML Web Gallery in Lightroom.
Click here to download (9.3 MB)
A few days ago I posted an article about the importance of writing about your work in order to improve it and to be able to more easily talk about your work to others.
Another suggestion: look deeper. Closer. Harder. More intensely. And then back off again. Control it, plan it, then let it flow. Create a rapport with your environment.
Try these writing exerciseswhen you’re out in the field making photographs:
1. Get a pen and paper ready. Find a comfortable spot. For 5 minutes sit with your eyes closed. Listen. Feel. Smell. Hear. Do everything but see. Then, open your eyes. Pay attention to your reactions. After a minute or so, jot down a few impressions of the experience.
Then, for 5 minutes, make photographs that reflect your impressions of what you saw when you opened your eyes.
2. No pen and paper necessary for this one. Select a spot (different from #1) that you find photographically intriguing.
For 5 minutes, take as many pictures as you can. Different compositions, different exposures, depth of field, etc. Don’t review anything, just shoot.
In the next 5 minutes, make only one picture. Find a subject and look closer. Then from another angle. From farther away. Consider artistic/creative intentions. Plan your photograph. When you’re ready, make the exposure.
Always keep a pen and paper to jot down ideas, thoughts, notes, impressions. Review your notes periodically and apply what you’ve learned to your photography.
A question from a client:
“Doing your Photoshop course has told me it is time to get an SLR. I was wondering a) if you had any recommendations or b) if you could recommend a good photography shop in the area that I go in and find out some options.”
My answer:
Your choice of DSLR depends largely on finding the right balance between budget and the features you absolutely need. For me to make a recommendation on a specific camera I’d need that info. You’ll want to consider how you will use the camera and what lenses/accessories/features you will need for the kind of shooting you do.
But generally speaking, you’ll get great results with any of the consumer- to prosumer-level SLRs from Canon or Nikon. You get a bit more for your money with Canon; Nikon’s quality is also excellent though; just a bit more pricey.
Canon: 30D, Rebel XTi
Nikon: D80
You might also want to check out at DSLRs from Pentax, Sony and Olympus – they are very good, too, and you get a lot for your money.
There’s an excellent online resource at DPreview
And you can go to local camera stores to hold them in your hands and see how they feel and how the controls work.
All modern DSLRs have essentially the same features and capabilities; the main differences are in the feature specifications, resolution and image quality and build quality. It’s worth shopping around a bit before purchasing.
When you’re ready to buy, I highly recommend B&H Photo.
Badwater, Death Valley
Badwater, Death Valley National Park, California, USA, February 2008
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Many of my students as me how they can make their photographs better. Usually, my answer is “put it into words”.
When you write words about your photography it lets a different part of your brain engage in the creative process. Jotting down notes about your creative process, documenting ideas, making sketches, etc. can really solidify a creative concept and help get rid of the clutter, resulting in stronger, more well-conceived photographs. Plus, when asked, you’ll be able to easily describe your work to others.
Language is essential for people conveying complex concepts to one another. A picture is worth a thousand words? Most photographers want to make pictures that people can talk about.
In the same way, when you write about your photography, you are communicating with your self, and the work becomes a third party. (I believe the work needs to have “a life of its own”.)
Writing makes the creative process easier to understand; ideas become more clear and concise. And you may even learn new things about yourself.
Writing while shooting in the field or studio can really energize a session. Writing about your work at other times, such as during editing or after waking from sleep, creates stronger connections in your mind and allows you to more quickly generate ideas.
The real point of writing is to learn to think about your photography more frequently and in ever-expanding ways. Actively participate in the creative process; be the director. Integrate writing into your photography and I’m sure you’ll be pleased with the effects on your photography.
I’ve just released a new collection of abstract photographs titled “Drydock I”. This is one of the images, all of which depict closeups of boat hulls.
I’ve mentioned this topic in several previous posts, now I’m devoting this entire article to the critical issue of Lightroom database backups and, to a larger extent, the nature of the .lrcat and databases in general. (Admittedly, this isn’t sexy stuff, but you need to treat your Lightroom Catalogs with loving care!) This article will help you understand the Lightroom Catalog and to develop healthy workflow habits for maintaining the Catalog in optimum condition.
Note: in official Lightroom-speak, the database is referred to as the Catalog. In this article I will use the two terms interchangeably… Catalog = database.
Data at the Core
The database/Catalog is one of Lightroom’s great strengths. Not only does it make finding and organizing things easier, it’s what allows the wonderful flexibility of non-destructive editing using metadata. The unlimited History maintained by Lightroom is one example; another is Virtual Copies – also one of Lightroom’s greatest features – made possible by the database.
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