| Many people get into the business of photography | | | | how your camera's distance from the subject will |
| because they enjoy the creativity. They love the | | | | change the story in the photograph. I find this |
| chance to express themselves thru their | | | | helpful when I have what I consider a boring |
| photographs, their prints, their "artistic vision". | | | | subject to photograph. |
| Other people get into photography from the | | | | Often times I'm hired to photograph the setup of |
| technical side. In the days of film it was the | | | | a corporate event, the decor before a party |
| appeal of chemistry, or the mystery of the dark | | | | starts. But when I show up all I see is a few |
| room work that drew them. In the world of digital | | | | flowers on the tables and some lights on the wall. |
| photography it's often the technology person who | | | | It doesn't inspire me at all. This is especially try |
| loves to play with the images on the computer. | | | | when the previous job was something very |
| Regardless of why a person gets into | | | | extravagant. So what do I do? I hear my |
| photography, there comes a time when they | | | | teacher's voice telling me to think of the basics. |
| need help finding some inspiration. How do you | | | | The basics in photography are light, color, contrast |
| keep from letting another assignment be "just | | | | and composition. So I pull out my favorite lens |
| another assignment"? How do you find the beauty | | | | (the lens really does make a difference) and start |
| and uniqueness in what you need to photograph? | | | | looking thru it. Since I like flowers, I get up close |
| I like to share the lesson that my high school | | | | and find some nice form. I try different |
| photography teacher taught. A good way to | | | | composition and angles. Sometimes the light is |
| develop a creative eye is to limit the tools at | | | | different on one side than another. As I back off |
| your disposal, and to focus on one subject for a | | | | I might find a way that the flowers on the table |
| while. The example given was to go out into the | | | | relate to the scene in the rest of the room. |
| desert (this was Palm Springs High School). Once | | | | Maybe the stage is lit in a way that compliments |
| out there, take only a single fixed lens and find a | | | | the flowers. Or maybe I can angle the photograph |
| plant or flower that might be an interesting | | | | so that the stage and table tell a story of what |
| subject. This is the hard part: spend a full hour | | | | the room felt like. Before long my time is up and I |
| taking photographs of that subject. Try all kinds | | | | feel like I just barely started. There is so much |
| of angles. Crop the image one way, then try | | | | more to photograph! |
| another. | | | | It all comes from going back to the basics. |
| This really does work. Before long you understand | | | | Thinking simple. Breaking it down to small parts |
| how your lens can determine the image's look and | | | | then before long, inspiration will come! |