Thomas Fitzgerald Photography » Photography Tips

Just Take The Shot

Thomas — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 09:59:12 +0000

I made it out first the first time in a few weeks the other day (I’ve been battling a bad chest infection) and as always I brought my camera with me. (My trusty D90 and 18-200 lens for anyone who is interested!) Having been cooped up inside for some time it was good to get some fresh air and it was good to get the feel of a viewfinder again. I hadn’t gone out specifically to photograph but some interesting things caught my eye. It got me thinking though. I realised that I have a particularly bad habit when it comes to being out and about with my camera. I have a tendency to see something interesting, but for some reason I won’t take my camera out to take the shot. Usually it’s because there’s some distracting element, or I think to myself, I’ll come back and get it later. But the words of a recent interview I saw with a well known photographer were ringing in my ear: “take a lot of photographs”. They had gone on to explain that they didn’t just mean, take lots of shots of different things, but to take lots of shots of the same thing. Try different angles, different framing. I realised that there was one more thing I could add to that. Take the damn shot to begin with. It doesn’t matter if it’s not perfect. It’s still good practice.

Here’s an example. This isn’t a great shot because the bollard behind the bike is throwing off the composition. I could try and Photoshop it out but it’s a fairly complicated job and not really worth it. I could have just not taken the shot. After all, it’s not perfect and I’m sure lots of people online would be quick to point that out (using far less friendlier language) Instead though I decided to see what I could make of it.

Here are some shots from different angles, different framing, close-up, wide, portrait and landscape. It’s all good practice to help you see subjects in different ways.

I think people have this idea that pro’s turn up to take a shot, take one and it’s done. That’s not the case at all though. I remember a few years ago I was at the Apple Expo in Paris and they had a fashion shoot in the middle of the floor. I was amazed at how much set up and test shots the Photographer did before he got the look he wanted and before he even started. If you read a lot of forums and certain blogs online you might get into the habit of thinking you’re a terrible Photographer if every shot isn’t perfect first time, or if you spend too long trying to get the shot. I think this is also a problem when you work or shoot with friends who aren’t photographers. I can’t count the number of time’s I’ve been asked to hurry up, or “why are you taking so many pictures”. This can lead (for some) to disenchantment and not taking the shot at all. It’s ironic, because the reality is the exact opposite.

But it’s worth it to take lots of shots. Move around. When you think you’ve got it covered, try one more thing. Be constantly trying to get out of your comfort zone. Here I saw this nice shot of some flags that were being back-lit. I tried a few different angles. Eventually I was about to move on but instead I got up on the path and right in against the wall (and in the way of a none to pleased busker) and took it again from a different angle

Here’s some of the cool multicoloured building behind.

Again, these aren’t spectacular images, but at least I took something, and it helped me think outside the box.

Sometimes too you’ll see a shot that might look a bit interesting but you think it will be fairly bland and you’ll think to ignore it. But don’t. Even if you don’t like it you can always try different versions in post production. Sometimes what looks dull and bland in colour can work really well as a black and white. Doing this can help you see texture and depth beyond the colour you normally see.

Not that interesting in colour, but here’s the same shot in black and white and it’s much more interesting.

At the end of the day, especially if you’re shooting digital, remember that if a shot’s not perfect it doesn’t matter as long as you have it. You can always throw it away later if you don’t like it. You can’t though if you never took it in the first place. And, when you do take the shot, take a few more while you’re at it. We all hear the suggestion, but it’s easy to forget to do it. If take just one thing from this rambling hodge podge of suggestions let it be this. The next time you are out with you’re camera and you see something interesting but don’t think it’s worth taking you’re camera out for – take the it out anyway, and before you move on take at least one extra shot of it from a different angle or a different framing.

D-Town TV Returning in January

Thomas — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 18:26:26 +0000

One of my favourite podcasts, D-Town TV is returning in January after an extended hiatus. The show, presented by Scott Kelby and Matt Kloskoswki was originally focussed on Nikon cameras and accessories but they are expanding it to cover all digital camera brands and all aspects of digital photography. While I liked the fact that the show was focussed before (on Nikon) I can see the appeal in opening it up to a broader audience.

Some Useful SEO Tips for Photographers

Thomas — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 08:22:02 +0000

“A Pictures Worth”, the blog over at Photoshelter has an interesting article on search engine optimisation for Photographers. The post has highlights from a recent webinar on the subject and contains some useful tips on potentially increasing your traffic. Related posts:Photography related links for September 28th Photography Related Links for July 21st Web Roundup for [...] Related posts:

Shooting Stock Photography on a Budget

Thomas — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 20:10:09 +0000

Here are some of the final shots from my impromptu Stock shoot that I alluded to the other day. I think they turned out fairly well considering I didn’t really plan anything. All natural light with the window behind the subject and a reflector providing bounce. Im happy enough with both of them but I really like the first one. I’ve always liked shallow depth of field for food images and the area of the beans in focus really stands out. I know the coolish tone might be an odd choice but I kind of like it. It has an “early morning” feel to it.

I know I probably break every rule in the book some times when it comes to shooting these kinds of images. For a start much of the equipment is home made, but you know what, you don’t need a huge budget to get good quality shots like this. My diffuser is a piece of foam board with a whole cut in it and tracing paper. I use a big piece of foam board as a bounce and the background is a sheet of white card. All of this can be bought at a DIY store for about €20. It’s crude but it works. Would life be easier with studio flashes, giant soft boxes, proper stands and proper diffusers ? Would I like to have lots of professional studio and lighting equipment? Absolutely, and I aim to gradually increase my collection as things go on, but if you don’t have all that equipment that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. Photography can be an expensive hobby and an expensive career, especially when you’re starting out, but don’t let that put you off. There are ways around a lot of things if you’re willing to think outside the box.

The one area you can’t skimp though is on good glass. The lovely soft bokeh and shallow depth of field on the first one is courtesy of Canon’s excellent 100mm Macro Lens. To get high quality images you need a good sharp lens and more importantly a fast lens. That and a good tripod. The proof of the pudding is always submitting to the stock agency. If your images have any technical defects they will be rejected.

Luckily both of these were accepted (here and here)