What is shutter speed

Shutter speed is what you want to change when you want to show movement in your picture or when you want to take an incredibly clear shot, a moment in time, without any blur of movement at all.  The slower the shutter speed is, the more movement the camera will capture.

The three main adjustable parts of your camera are ISO,aperture, and shutter speed.  Aperture and shutter speed together are what determines exposure because they both affect how much light is taken in while the picture is being taken.  The most basic definition of shutter speed is how long the shutter takes to open and close.

Your camera’s shutter speed is measured in fractions of seconds.  If you set your shutter speed to 1/1000 of a second it will be much faster than 1/10 of a second.  Typically you won’t be using a shutter speed slower than 1/60 because any slower and you would include motion in your picture, making it blurry.

As you start exploring the different speeds you can use keep in mind, that you use a shutter speed slower than 1/60 you will need something to stabilize your camera, such as a tripod.

If you are trying to take a picture with no movement you want to consider how close you are to the ‘action’ you are taking picture of.  The closer you are to it the faster you want the shutter speed so that you won’t miss your shot.  For example, if someone throws a ball right past your face you hardly see it but if you are a good distance off you see the ball the entire time.

When determining what you want your shutter speed to be, you have to know if you want to see movement in the finished picture or if you want a frozen moment to take with you.  Just remember, the slower your setting, the more movement and motion you will see in your picture.

SOME ARTICAL'S

Basically Holding on Your Camera

·         Put both hands around your camera. Do it in a way that feels natural to you. Watch for fingers finding their way in front of the flash or the lens on tiny cameras. Check yourself in the mirror to see where your fingers naturally fall to see if they are getting in the way.

·         Press the camera to your face. Tight is good, but don't push it in so close that it's uncomfortable.

·         Drop your elbows down so they're against your body. This will help you steady the camera.

·         Plant your feet firmly on the ground, about shoulder-width apart or slightly less. You can shoot from other positions, but this one is the most solid.

·         When shooting, take a breath, exhale fully, hold your breath, then squeeze the shutter release button smoothly.

When you're using a fully zoom or telephoto lens, use your left hand to support the lens by cupping it around the lens close to the camera body. Hold on your camera in your right hand so you can activate the shutter.

Steadying the Camera

Small cameras are harder to hold than big cameras, and, without the inertia caused by the weight of larger cameras, they're more likely to move when you press the shutter. This can result in blurry pictures as the image captures both camera movement and the movement of your hands. The suggestions will go a long way toward helping you keep your camera steady as you're shooting. For slower shutter speeds or when you're not using a flash, make sure you brace your elbows against your body. You can also lean on a steady support to minimize movement.

Adjusting Your Camera

Spend some time working with the various dials and buttons on your camera so you know what their functions are and how to operate them. Some will have multiple functions and submenus. Never force anything into position; doing so may damage your camera or, in the case of conventional film cameras, the film. Camera controls should work smoothly, but if yours don't, take your camera into a good shop and have it looked at. If it is still under warranty, contact the manufacturer.

Holding the Camera Incorrectly

Camera shake can be reduced by holding your camera correctly. Whether you use a point-and-shoot or SLR camera, this hold is basically the same.

·         Hold the camera close to your body

·         Tuck your elbows in against the side of your body

·         Keep a firm but relaxed grip on the camera

·         Stand with your legs approximately a shoulder-width apart

The goal of these points is to stabilize your body and the camera so that the camera is as still as possible when shooting.

Common Technique Errors
There are some common mistakes during shooting that can increase camera shake. Avoid these common errors and your images will be much clearer.

·         Stabbing the shutter release button instead of pressing it

·         Moving the camera from your eye quickly after a shot instead of holding it at your eye a moment after the shutter is complete

Slow Shutter Speed
While slow shutter speed is generally necessary in night photography, it is a huge cause of blurry images. Slow shutter speed is generally considered the greater of 1/60 of a second or anything under the focal length of the lens. For example, if you are using a 300mm lens, a shutter speed of 1/300 of a second may still be too slow for a clear image. However, if you are using a 28mm lens, 1/60 of a second is considered slow. Slow shutter speeds are a problem because the human hand is not steady. Large lenses such as 300mm increase the weight on the hand and create shake. Using a high shutter speed decreases the amount of time of the exposure and the amount of shake that can be transferred to the film.

Unstable Support

Setting the camera on an unstable support for long exposure times is a very common cause of camera shake. While using a remote release is a great way to reduce shake from support issues, there are some supports that will never be stable.

·         Overextended Tripods

·         Vehicles That are Running

·         Boats and Floating Docks

·         A Friend's Back

Find a stable support, such as a soft backpack set on a flat rock, and use a remote release to overcome camera shake from unstable support.

Related Articles

·         Image Stabilization - How to Choose the Best Camera Image Stabilization

·         Self-Timers/Remote Controls - Digital Photography

·         Moon Photography – Getting Great Moon Pictures

·         A Step by Step Guide to Night Photography - Shutter Release

·         Camera Body

shutter release connection

1.    Finger - The standard way you are used to taking an image. Press the shutter release with your finger. In night photography, you need to be especially careful to press the shutter as gently as possible to reduce camera shake. This is the least desirable way of releasing the shutter in night photography but with practice, you can produce good images this way. One way to improve your finger release images is to use the longest exposure possible. This will minimize the visibility of any initial camera shake.

2.    Remote Release - Remote release is the most preferred method of shutter release for night photography. There are two options for remote release. These are a cable release and an IR release. The cable release is a cable that fastens into a mount on your camera and has a button at the end of the cable. The IR release is a remote control like your TV remote. It operates on infrared light and must be pointed at the IR sensor on the camera to work.

3.    Self-timer - This is a great work-around for those who do not have a remote release. The self-timer allows you to press the shutter button and remove your hand from the camera before the shutter is released. This prevents camera shake very well.

Night photography can open a whole new world to you and I hope you will give it a try. Like everything else in life, it takes some practice but the rewards are well worth the effort!

photographer Problems

Exposed Skin

·         What is in Danger?

We all know to wear a coat when we go outside in the cold, but we often forget about our hands and faces. For your face, consider a ski mask to reduce the amount of skin exposed to the wind and cold. This can also help reduce the amount of water vapor you breathe onto your camera. A photographer's fingers and face are the most endangered in cold weather shooting. Often a photographer will take off his/her gloves while shooting in order to better handle the camera. This exposes your fingers not only to the cold but also the wind. Even if the ambient air temperature is not below freezing, the wind chill may be cold enough to cause frostbite.

·         Protecting Your Fingers

Fingers cause a bit more problems for photographers. Fear of dropping the camera and difficulty in managing the controls with heavy gloves often leads photographers to forgo gloves altogether. This leads to quickly numb fingers and is a fast track to frostbite. Depending on how cold the conditions are, you may even be at risk for your fingers freezing to the metal on the camera. Layering your gloves is an excellent solution to frozen fingers. Wear silk or other fine mesh gloves first (even women's nylons with a few extra seams make great first layer gloves). Over these gloves add a pair of fingerless crafter's gloves. These not only add warmth, but can also help cut down on hand fatigue. The final layer is your normal cold-weather heavy gloves. These will be removed whenever you are shooting so a cord to hang them around your neck is needed to prevent losing them. Your fingers will still get cold with the crafter's gloves and under gloves (but more slowly).

How To Capture Natural Smile

Capturing a natural smile in your photographs can be difficult. All too often people grimace or give a forced smile when asked to smile for the camera. This is a natural reaction when asked to imitate what is normally a spontaneous emotional reaction. Each person's natural smile is slightly different but most have a few common features.

Relaxed Face - Most natural smiles are accompanied by a relaxed face everywhere but the mouth and the very corner of the eyes. A face that has furrowed eyebrows or drawn in cheeks triggers instinctual programming that tells us this is not a happy smile.

Slight Eye Involvement - A natural smile almost always involves a very slight narrowing of the eyes and tiny crinkles at the outside corners of the eyes. This is due to the smile pushing the cheeks up and not due to tension in the eyes. Some people will naturally widen their eyes just a bit to compensate for the reduced visual range from the pushed up cheeks.

Head Movement - Many people will instinctively tilt their heads slightly (either front to back or to the side) when producing a genuine smile. While a slight head tilt can enhance the look of a smile in a photo, be aware of your timing so that you do not wind up with a blurred face due to motion just as you trip the shutter.

Now that you know what to look for in a smile, let's find out how to capture that smile.

As you can see in this example photo, the smile is forced. As we discussed in step one, this smile has furrowed brows, too narrow eyes, and tension in the face. This type of smile, to some degree, is what you generally get when you first ask a subject to smile. This is rarely deliberate. Because a smile is an emotional event it can be difficult for your subject to imitate that emotion on cue. This is especially true of children. As people age them generally become more aware of their face and are better able to approximate expressions without the backing emotion.

The dilemma is that if you ask them to smile you get this forced caricature of a smile but if you don't' ask them to smile you get a depressed looking photograph. To get past this you need to put your subject at ease. A nervous subject will rarely produce a genuine smile. How you get your subject to relax will vary from person to person but in general you should be aware of what is making the subject nervous. Are they constantly straightening a sleeve that they think isn't sitting right? Are they rubbing their tongue across their teeth as though they are worried about how white their teeth are? Are they worried at glare on their glasses? By paying attention to your subject's mannerisms as they enter the studio you can get vital clues as to what is making them nervous so you can help calm their nerves.

When photographing people, the natural instinct when faced with a forced smile is all too often to tell the subject, "no, smile right." This just confuses your subject. For adults it will annoy them greatly in most cases and with children they will be completely confused. This is because people do not realize they are giving a forced smile. The result when told to "smile right" or some version of that instruction is to next give a confused mix of facial features. Brows are furrowed as the subject concentrates on trying to be natural, the lips do not spread widely, and the overall look is one of confusion or concern.

As photographers we need to be very careful in our instructions to our subjects. Just as we often have to pose them in ways that seem unnatural to get a good portrait, we often have to trick them into smiling naturally in an unnatural situation. Instead of telling them they are doing something wrong, offer praise and say something funny before the next shot. As we discussed in step 2, relaxing the subject is very important.

Own that we understand the smile and the reasons for "bad" smiles in portraits; we can capture that "perfect" smile. It's time to put everything we've learned together.

1. Put Your Subject At Ease - A nervous subject will never give you the smile you need to capture. Pay attention to their mannerisms and find the best way to put each individual at ease.

2. Don't Confuse the Subject - Even the most cooperative subject will not produce a wonderful smile if they are confused. Try to avoid telling them they are smiling "wrong" and instead work to make the subject happy. If you must tell those specifics try to ask them in a positive manner. For example, "Can you widen your eyes just a touch?" instead of "Don't squint like that."

3. Trick them if you need to - Sometimes the only way to get a beautiful natural smile is to trick the subject. Either snaps the photo as they relax their face from a forced smile or get them to laugh. With children it's easy to get them to laugh with silly props or by having they say crazy things instead of "smile." With adults a self-depreciating joke often works. Sometimes though, the best way to get a true smile from a subject is to smile you. Like yawns, smiles can be contagious.

What is Red Eye
there are probably millions of family albums with red eye in the photographs. Red eye is a term commonly referring to a bright red pupil in photographs. The common reason given for this is that the light reflected off blood vessels in the back of the eye. More accurately, the light is reflecting so that you are seeing the light illuminating the back of the retina.

Causes of Red Eye

Red eye occurs when light enters the eye at almost level with the eye. Because light reflects at an angle equal and opposite to its entry (in layman's terms, it makes a "V" shape) if bright light (such as from a flash) enters the eye at almost no angle it will be reflected back, or visible to, the camera. This most often happens when the pupil of the eye is dilated and gives the light more room to enter and exit the eye.

Red Eye is Most Likely to Occur in These Situations
Built-in camera flash
Pupils dilated
Camera lens is level with the eye

Preventing Red Eye

Preventing red eye is not as difficult as you might think. To prevent red eye you just have to alter the angle the light enters/exits the eye or change the harshness of the light.

LIGHT AND FILTERS

THEORY OF LIGHT AND OPTICAL PRINCIPLES

Light is the photographer's image of a pattern of light recorded on film? The photography means writing and drawing with light. Without light there could be no vision or photography because it is light reflected from the world around us that makes things visible to both our eyes and the eye of the camera. The nature of light has a critical effect on the pictures. Actually understand much about light. But they are not alone. Scientists have never been able to agree fully. However, certain useful things are clear and well understood about how light behaves. Light is a form of electromagnetic radiant energy to which the eye is sensitive. It travels at tremendous speed from its source, such as the sun, a fluorescent lamp, an electronic flash, or whatever source is used. It has an effect on the materials it falls on, skin becomes tanned, and fruit is ripened by the light of the sun. Depending on the way in which light is received or rejected, a complex pattern of light, shade, and color results. Other types of radiant energy, such as radio waves and x rays, are similar to light but the eye cannot see them. Thus they are not light. By definition, light is electromagnetic energy visible to the human eye. All other electromagnetic energy is invisible, therefore, is not considered light. Ultraviolet and infrared radiations are two such invisible radiations that are of concern to the photographer.

LIGHT-SENSITIVE MATERIALS

  Many substances are affected in some way by light. The light-sensitive substances used in photographic film to record an image are silver salts and are called silver halides. The silver halides react to ultraviolet radiation,

Violet and blue light only; however, they can bemadesensitive to other colors of light and infrared radiation by the addition of dyes. Depending on the amount of
light and the type of silver halide, the light produces a visible or invisible change in the halides of a film or printing paper. An invisible change is made visible by
development. Photographic films and papers are composed of two basic parts: the emulsion and the base, or support. The emulsion is the light-sensitive portion of a film or paper that records the image. The emulsion contains the silver halides and any special sensitizing dyes suspended in a binder of gelatin. The gelatin holds the silver halides evenly dispersed and prevents action by a developer until the silver halides have been made developable either by exposure to light or chemical action. Also, the Gelatin acts as a sensitizer for the silver salts.

In photographic films and papers, the primary Purpose of the base is to support or hold the emulsion in place. The base, or support, may be transparent or opaque, depending upon how the recorded image is to be used. A transparent base is used for transparencies that are viewed by transmitted light and for negatives that are printed with transmitted light. An opaque base is used for prints that are viewed by reflected light. The latest state of the art in light-sensitive materials Used in photography is the use of the electronic medium.
Video disks do not contain an emulsion or a base. When electronic mediums are used, light is converted to electrical impulses and these impulses are stored
magnetically on a tape or disk. Since it is the camera itself that converts light to electrical impulses, the recording medium and all stages of the photographic process can be carried out in normal room light.

PHOTOGRAPHIC FILTERS

Filters are used in all the various steps of the Photographic process. Though often neglected in the Shooting stage, the use of filters can tremendously
enhance the final product in both black-and-white and color photography.

PURPOSE OF PHOTOGRAPHIC FILTERS

The purpose of photographic filters is to alter the characteristic of light that reaches the light-sensitive emulsion as light is transmitted through a filter; at least one of the following alterations occurs:

Ø The color of light is modified.

Ø The amount of light is reduced.

Ø The vibration direction of the light rays is

Ø Limited.

           The two most important reasons for using Photographic filters are to create an effect with an emulsion and to control the exposure of an emulsion.
Interlocked with the use of filters are characteristics of light and characteristics of photographic emulsions. The effectiveness of a filter depends upon the ability of an emulsion to respond to the color of light transmitted by the filter. Colored filters modify the way colors are recorded. Without the use of filters, black-and-white panchromatic film records colors as gray tones. These gray tones correspond roughly to the tonal range as seen by the human eye. Colored filters selectively brighten or darken these tones. In color photography, colored filters are used to correct or distort color balance. Filters of a specific color transmit most of the light of that color and partially or completely absorb light of
all other colors. For example, a red filter transmits red light and may partially or completely absorb blue and green light,

Color (fig. 3-1). Likewise, a yellow filter transmits red
and green light and partially or completely absorbs blue light. Remember, a secondary color of light is produced by combining two primary colors of light. Red and green equal yellow; thus a yellow filter passes red and green
light.

Figure 3-1.­Red and yellow filters.

Filters are available in three forms: optical glass Disks bound with metal rims, lacquered gelatin film squares, and glass squares. Glass disk filters are the most
practical for general use. They are available in different sizes called series numbers, such as Series 4,5, and 6 or in millimeter sizes, such as 52mm and 59mm. Glass disk filters attach to a camera lens in two ways. Some have threads and screw directly into the lens barrel, and the others are held on the lens barrel by an adapter ring. Gelatin filters and square filters made of glass are either
inserted into special filter holders that are part of the camera, or they are held on the camera by a square filter Holder.

FILTER DESIGNATIONS

Filters are usually identified by numbers. This System of designating filters is used to identify Kodak Written filters. It uses designators, such as No. 6, No.
8, and No. 11. Some filters have a descriptive name rather than a number; for example, polarizing, skylight, and neutral density. Color compensating and color print filters have yet another designation system.

FILTERS FOR BLACK-AND WHITEPHOTOGRAPHY

Filters used with black-and-white film are classified as contrast, correction, and special purpose. All contrast and correction filters have a noticeable color. It is
important to note that a filter must be used with an emulsion sensitive to the specific color of light it transmits. Colored filters should normally be used with
black-and-white film only. Special-purpose filters for black-and-white film

May be colorless, contain a hint of color, be noticeably colored, or almost visually opaque. Some special- purpose filters can be used with both black-and-white
and color film. Special-purpose filters are covered later in this chapter.

Contrast Filters Contrast filters are available in all colors and are designed to exaggerate, reduce, or eliminate specific colors of light. As their name indicates, these filters are used to increase or decrease contrast in a negative that
provides differences between tones in the print. To illustrate this, compare a red apple and a yellow banana in a black-and-white print. With a red filter over
the camera lens, the apple appears lighter on the print hand the yellow banana. Both objects in this example reflect the same intensity of light. When you look through a red filter, the filter definitely appears red. This color is the effect it produces in your eye and the reason it is called a red filter. The red filter is transmitting most of the red part of the spectrum, some yellow, and some magenta. The color it is not transmitting is cyan. If you think of this red filter

as an anticay (blue and green) filter, you will better understand the way it works.

When a red filter is used, most of the reflected red light from the red apple is transmitted through the filter and recorded as a dense area on the film. Only a portion of the yellow light is transmitted, so it is recorded as a less dense area on the film. Only some of the yellow light is transmitted because the reflected light from the banana consists of red and green light. Although the red portion of the yellow light is readily transmitted through the red filter, the green portion is absorbed to some degree. Thus less light from the yellow banana reaches
the film emulsion. When the negative is printed, the two print images Have separation in contrast because of the differences in negative densities. The print image of the apple is lighter than the print image of the banana because the negative image of the red apple is denser than the negative image of the yellow banana. When using a specific color of contrast filter to provide separation between black-and-white images of colored objects, you should also take into account what effect the filter has on the images of other colored objects in the scene. For example, when there are blue and green objects in the scene, the red filter absorbs some or all of the reflected blue and green light. The red filter renders the negative images of these objects as low-density areas. Thus the print images have darker tones or densities. Contrast filters can also be used to filter out an image or filter out the image of a transparent stain on an original document by copying it. This filtering-out process takes place by blending or matching the density of the image to be filtered out with the image density of
the surrounding area For example, to eliminate the image of a yellow line on a white background, use a yellow filter. The yellow filter should be as deep (same
color density) or deeper in color than the color of the line. The yellow filter reduces the intensity of the light reflected from the white background by absorbing blue light. The intensity of the light reflected from the yellow
line is not greatly affected since the yellow filter readily transmits the yellow light. The reduction of the intensity of the light reflected from the white background and the intensity of the light reflected from the yellow line produces equal densities on the negative and thereby does not render an image of the yellow line. Conversely, when the yellow line is on a black background, a blue filter does not allow yellow light to be transmitted. Therefore, light from the yellow object is not allowed to affect the film emulsion. Thus the line appears as a thin area that matches the black background and is thereby "eliminated" Stains on a drawing or a picture can be filtered out whenever the stain is transparent and reasonably pure in color. The filter should be approximately the same color as the stain. The stain may still show in the negative but, in the case of line material, proper paper contrast and printing exposure get rid of the rest of the stain image. Remember, the color of filter required eliminating the image of an object or stain is determined by the color of the object or stain and the darkness or lightness of the
surrounding scene area. Also, always use a filter that is as deep as or deeper in color than the color of the object.

Introduction of Photo Graphic

Photography:

Introduction:-

One of the great things about landscape photography is that the possibility is endless on where you can go, what to take a picture (Photo) of and it all starts with a few steps from your own back door. Simply the horizon is your limit. 

Lighting speaks volumes in landscape photography. Getting up with the sun at dawn, watching the animals hurry around as they gather their food for the day, and while the sun is just peaking its face over the background would make for great photo with perfect light. When the sun is on its way down, this is great for a landscape picture of peace and serenity. This time of day is when animals and people are heading home for the night where the land is clear of "clutter" and the trees, skies and land are open. Shadows will add depth to any photo of the landscape and give it more of a three-dimensional feel to it. 

Landscape photography should be relaxing and fun to do. It also requires some time to get the precise composition. When a camera is slightly shifted one way or another way, you can see how it will dramatically improve the picture you are looking to take. When it comes to taking a picture of the landscape, taking one photo is just as good as taking ten. You do not have to waste film on something that can be done right the first time, this can be achieved with a bit of patience, and some practice. 

When photographing landscapes, give your photo a feeling of depth by including close objects in the frame as well as the distant objects. 

A fine lens for landscape photography is the 50 mm lens that comes as standard equipment on many SLR cameras. But if you are seriously interested in photographing landscapes, a good lens to have would be a wide-angle lens.

Losing detail due to camera shake is the biggest problem in landscape photography. So, a tripod and a shutter release cable are very helpful tools to have. 

Only 7 Steps for Great Photographer.

We are inspired by the Greats.  From Shakespeare to Leonardo, the Greats instill a sense of awe and wonderment in us that in turns inspires us to achieve our own greatness.  The world of photography, short as its history may be, has its own greats - Ansell Adams, Henri Cartier - Cresson and Richard Avedon to name but a few.  What is it about the Greats that capture our attention and imagination?  More specifically, what makes a great photographer?

In this article I will explore the characteristics that all great photographers share.  Read on about how you can use these insights to be a great photographer yourself in 8 steps.

1: Always be Learning

The art of photography is so expansive that there is always something new that can be learned. No one person can possibly “know everything.” Even if it were possible, there will always be new advances, new technology and new developments in the world of photography.

A great photographer is always learning. They never let a lack of knowledge prevent them from developing their passions. The great thing about knowledge is that it can always be learned. Ask questions. Be inquisitive. Have a beginner’s attitude when it comes to photography.

2: Always Practice 

Great photographers are always practicing. They are constantly honing their craft, refining their technique and developing their weaknesses. If you are not taking photos, then you are not a photographer. Go out there and practice.

If you find that you are not taking enough photos, then maybe you are viewing practice in the wrong light. Practice is not something that you should dread. Most of us look at practice as a chore - work that MUST be done.

However, that is the wrong way to look at it. Practice is something we do, because we enjoy the craft of photography. Practice is play. We are spending

time doing something we love. Great photographers love taking photos and therefore, they are always practicing.

3: Always be Growing

Great photographers are always growing. A great photographer has never arrived at her destination, she is always traveling. There is always that great new thing just out over the horizon to be explored.

Don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone. In order to grow you must be willing to venture out into new territory.  Identify your limits - and then surpass them.  

Great photographers turn their limitations into opportunities - opportunities for growth and advancement. They seek to constantly improve by challenging themselves.

4: Develop Your Passion

As you grow in your photography journey, you may find that your motivation wanes. It is a perfectly natural thing. The reasons why you got into photography may not be the same ones that make you stay.

Great photographers are constantly working at maintaining and strengthening their passion for photography.  For them, photography becomes a labor of love rather than work.  It is not a means to an end, but the end itself.

If you should ever find your motivation fluctuating, ask yourself, "what do I love about photography?"  What is it about photography that excites me?"  "Why do I want to be a photographer?"  See if you can come up with new reasons to re-ignite your passion.

5: Develop Your Style 

The truth is, we are all unique individuals. Yes, it is perhaps the biggest cliché, but that doesn’t make it any less truthful.  All the greats have unique styles. There is no confusing a Leonardo from a Picasso, a Shakespeare from an Emerson, a Jordan from a Bryant.  

Your goal is to discover that same greatness within you and aim to express that in your photography. We all have a unique perspective to share. A vision that we want to express. A personality that we wish to convey. Let your unique “magic” shine through in your photographs. Use the photograph as an extension of your desire to express yourself. 

Great photographers have discovered and taken the time to develop their unique style. This is not to say it is an easy task. It is perhaps the greatest challenge for photographers of all experience levels to surmount - nonetheless, it is a challenge worth taking.

You might be lamenting, "But I don't want just one style, I have many styles."  Well, that in itself is a style.  Your style may be flexibility and fluidity.  You see, we all have a unique style.

6: Don’t be Afraid of Failing

Photography can be an intimidating art. As a beginner, you may be worried about where to start? What camera to buy? Where to begin learning about photography? Even as an experienced pro, there are always new frontiers, breakthroughs and developments that you will have to explore. The very thought of venturing into the unknown is a scary proposition. And most of us tend to play it safe, beached in our comfortable surroundings.

We are afraid of failing and that fear prevents us from ever taking the necessary first step towards success, which causes us to fail in the first place.  Obvious as this vicious cycle may be, many of us seldom seem to recognize its stranglehold on our success.  

Here’s what you need to realize in order to come to terms with the fear of failure:  recognize that mistakes are a part of life.  Instead of trying to run away from mistakes, embrace them.  Take them as a sign, not that you are heading further away from your goal, but that you are one step closer towards its achievement.  

Mistakes may be our greatest learning tool.  Thomas Edison, when asked about his failures in creating the light bulb replied, "I have not failed.  I've just found ten thousand ways that won't work."

Don’t let that fear of failing control your life. Let go of the need to always be right and instead of asking yourself, “What if I fail?” ask yourself, “What can I achieve?” 

Great photographers take risks.  They succeed where no other before them have.  They dare to cross boundaries and challenge the status quo.

7: Don’t Make Excuses

There will always be obstacles, shortcomings, road blocks and detours on your photography journey - but you can’t let that stop you from moving forward. Great photographers make solutions, not excuses! 

Don’t have models? Use your friends!  When I decided to purchase my own set of studio lights, I needed a model to shoot. Instead of lamenting the fact that I couldn’t possibly get a professional model, I asked my friends on face book if they would be interested in modeling for me. To my surprise, I received many positive replies. 

Don’t have a camera? Borrow one!  The photography class that I wanted to take in college required a camera to enroll and at the time, I didn't have a camera or the means to afford one. I didn’t let that stop me from registering. I simply asked around, and as luck would have it, my roommate's dad had an old manual SLR film camera that he agreed to let me borrow.  It wasn't the best camera, but it was perfect for my needs.

Don’t know anybody with a camera? Buy a used one!  There are many places on the web to find used cameras. Visit our gear for sale forum to see if there’s anything our members are selling.

Don’t know anything about photography? Take a class!  As a kid I always had an interest in photography. I enjoyed being the person who took the photos for my family. Despite my enthusiasm for photography, I never really did learn the basics. In my freshman year of college, I decided to take an introductory photography class. 

That class was an invaluable learning experience for me on my photography journey where I learned the basics and fundamentals of photography. What I am most grateful for, was being able to work with film and print my own photos in a darkroom. Because just a few years later, digital became mainstream. 

Great photographers find a way through their adversities.  Not all of us are lucky enough to have all the resources we want or need.  Instead of using your lacks as excuses, learn to make use of what you do have!

Apply These Steps to be a Great Photographer.

 

 

 

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