This is just a last minute reminder that for tomorrow’s Photo Walk at Westminister Ponds you should be wearing appropriate foot gear.
By appropriate I mean something that you can navigate natural dirt/rocky trails in and something that will project your feet from branches, bushes etc.
Wear something that you aren’t afraid to get dirty either.
See you all tomorrow.
After talking over the past week to a number of people about the photowalk and why they should come out I have realized that many people may be discouraged about coming out for the walk for any number of reasons.
Some make comments that they do not know the first thing about photography, others that they do not have the expensive gear that is needed in order to produce some meaningful images. Before I hear these two “excuses” anymore I want to try and dispel these rumors right here, right now.
Let me start with the second point, that expensive gear is needed to produce meaningful images. This is the farthest thing from the truth and I have already commented on it in a previous post so instead of repeating myself take a look the post Photography: Not About Expensive Gear if you are thinking that your camera is the most important factor in creating great imagery.
Now to the first point, that people do not know the first thing about photography. This is the perfect reason to come out for a photowalk in my mind. I’m not going to lie; I don’t know all that much about photography and I find it overwhelming to say the least, but this is exactly the reason why I wanted to start a photowalk in London, so I could learn more about photography and practice with others who enjoy this hobby/profession as well.
It is true that there are so many things to think about: white balance, ISO speed, aperture setting, shutter speed, shot composition etc. Personally I struggle day after day when taking photographs to try and remember what each setting does, how they interact with one another and when to change one setting over the next, but the fact of the matter is that I am not going to learn (nor is anyone else) if I don’t take the time to learn about all of the settings and what they do.
I would be lying if I said you could learn everything over night, because from personal experience I don’t think you can, but if you learn one new thing every time you are out for a photowalk that is 12 new things learned per year and I think thats a step in the right direction.
With that said, what better place to learn about about photography than from others that enjoy it much like you. There is no pressure, no tests, no instructors to tell you that you are doing something wrong, all the photowalk offers is a group of people that enjoy taking photos (some professionals, most are not) and helping one another to produce images that highlight London.
Even after only have been (and have held) one photowalk I feel like I know a little bit more than I did before and this is exactly one of the reasons I am going to go it again in a weeks time.
Expensive gear & Lightroom… that’s all photography’s about, right kids? Plz disagree.
Its time to dispel whatever rumor is going around that photography is about expensive gear, complicated editing software and about attracting an audience. Lets be honest, for some it’s about these things but for the majority of the people it shouldn’t be.
Some of the best photos I’ve taken were captured on simple point and shoot digital cameras, most of the time happening by chance (some have even won awards). Some of the photos that I most enjoy and have found on Flickr are ones that were not taken on expensive DSLRs but with the “run of the mill” digital camera you can pick up for just over $100.00, nothing fancy about them.
Before I go any further let me be clear: I’m not a photographer, I don’t make money off my photos and at this point in my life I don’t intend to. I wouldn’t even consider myself an amateur photographer because when I’m out there shooting I have little to no idea what I’m doing. What I would label myself as is someone who has found a joy in stealing people’s souls looking at the world through a glass lens and capturing memories to enjoy later on in life. Its that simple.
When it comes to photography (in my opinion) the last things someone should be concerned with is what “hardware” they are using to capture the photos, this isn’t what photography should be about. Photography should be about seeing the world in different ways and being able to capture the images you see so you (and perhaps) others can enjoy later on.
You can shoot with a old school 35mm film camera and do amazing stuff, or even, we can revert back to the days of pin-hole cameras (my first camera by the way) and be creative, sometimes all you need is a cell phone camera and a keen eye. It isn’t about having the most expensive camera and trying to figure out how to use it, its about learning how to utilize what you’ve got.
Jason Fredin said it very well in his PodCamp London presentation Fixing Your Photography….for less than you paid to be here, that buying a bigger, “better” and more expensive camera won’t make you a better photographer, learning the basic skills, tips and tricks will. Just check out his presentations (slides only) from PodCamp to see how he turned a basic E-Bay “product shot” into something uber-professional with little to no work or cost.
Some might cite that the software out there is super complicated and they don’t know where to start, I’m one of these people myself. Without a word of a lie, time and time again, I find myself reverting to one of the most basic and FREE pieces of software out there for managing and editing photos. Picasa in my opinion offers anyone, professionals, amateurs and non-photographers alike an interface that is quick and easy to learn and can make the difference between a “crappy shot” and pure gold.1
Now I’m not saying that there isn’t a time and place for more expensive (and professional) gear/software. If you are doing this as your profession then you want to invest in tools that are going to give you the most control over your photos and that you can rely on, but even then there is a point where you can over do it with gear and software.
The point of this is all is that for the everyday person a simple point and shoot is probably really all you need to start taking photographs and being creative at the same time. Buying more expensive tools (equipment and software) is not going to make you better at it and its not going to do the important work for you. Learning how to use what you’ve got and learning how to use it in new and interesting ways I think is the most important thing.
Personally, I bought a DSLR because I spend money on stupid things and I thought “why not”, but truth be told as of yet I still do far more creative, artistic and meaningful photography with my point and shoot.
