Updating and upgrading your photographic knowledge for 2009

If you are like me there is a list in your mind of things you want to learn or try with photography. Doesn't it seem as if there is always something that gets in the way of learning those new things?

Well, it's a new year and it's time to move forward in our photography thinking!

For some it might be as easy as finding the information that you need to execute a new photographic tool. For others there may not even be a list yet for you don't know what to learn. There certainly seems to be a whole lot to learn! Don't allow that thought/feeling to overwhelm you. Start small!

If you don't know what to learn I would suggest learning everything about your camera first. It's the central device that will be apart of every photo shoot you will ever do. You could learn about external flashes, but you don't always need those for a shoot, but you will always need your camera.

Read the manual, find something you don't know about and make use of it. I still read my manual for my camera and flash from time to time to refresh and apply tools that I haven't used before. Take it with you when you do laundry or to the DMV, it's usually a gurantee you will be waiting there for awhile!

The image above is of Ty. Since there was one prop nearby and I didn't want to use it as it's typically used I had Ty hold it to the side. He rocked this shot in only four frames!

Shooting with Vision

While having a conversation with friend and studio owner Jeremy Sparling from imagei we came to the same conclusion of how we create our favorite images.

Our conclusion was that there has to be something to inspire us. Something to create a vision in our minds before we can fully jump into a shoot and create what we want. It's hard to shoot when you can' t feel what you are shooting. You have to have a vision that will drive how you will shoot that next image. Without vision you get that feeling...

You know, that feeling you get when behind your camera and you have no idea what to do. You start to look around for no reason and play with camera buttons and say things like "uuuuuuhhhhhh" ...and nothing else.

VISION is the key to warding off that above awkwardness! How do you obtain vision? PRACTICE!

The image above is Laura. It was shot during this years Peoria Supershoots event. There were 4 big studio setups next to each other. I was two sets away when I looked over and instantly had a vision. Even though the lights were white and the background was brown, I saw BLUE all the way!