Fire away, it’s digital
Posted by: Rich in Digital Cameras, Digital Photography, Photo of the Day
I’ve been talking to several friends about taking pictures lately. Questions on a few shots I’ve taken, and on how to shoot. And I’ve finally learned one lesson that has taken me years to feel comfortable with.
It’s ok to fire away. It’s digital you know, and it’s not like you’re spending tons of money on developing. So, experimentation is ok, and through it you’ll hit some great shots just right.
Does that mean I take 300 shots of the same scene? No, not at all. I set up, set my favorite mode (often aperture priority) and get several photos of what I’m interested in. I’ll play with points of focus and then when I return home I’ll see what I like. It works out well, except for the hours of sorting pictures. But that’s ok. When looking through shots the evaluation process normally goes like this…..
Well, that’s ok, but check the next one….Ooooh, that’s better than the last. Arrow back to the last and delete it, keep the next…… Uh, not sure about that one. Flag it for later. Wow, the next one is a keeper, forget those other two!
So, is that an ok way to get the right shot? Or should I only take one photo of each thing, hope I set it up just perfect, and await the results when I offload my “digital film”? For me, multiple shots is fine. And according to everything I’ve read, it’s normal.
My next adjustment is using Photo Shop more often. I’ve never been big on editing shots, but after reading so many books on the subject it sounds like it is in fact a positive. And many folks out there edit the tar out of their photos. Something I usually avoid, but I’m starting to experiment with. If you have the tools, why not get a little more creative?
Why am I talking about this today? Simple, I’ve been sorting through photos from the past few weeks, finding the keepers, and considering some edits of shots just to see how they turn out. And I’ll share them here as I find just the right thing!
Oh, and the macros continue…..Why? It’s snowing outside now, and really cold. You know the Super Bowl is being played today here in sunny, warm…..uh, wait…..Arizona. Well, I could take a photo of the gray skies, edit it, and we can pretend it’s sunny here today!
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Just my $.02 worth (not adjusted for inflation). Learn how to use photoshop, but get good enough with the camera to never need to use it. Photochopped pictures often make me think the photographer was just being lazy or impatient when composing the shot. Fixing a flaw, getting rid of an artifact, no biggie IMHO but making big alterations in the picture seems wrong. I look at it this way. A picture should be an honest image of the people, place, or thing in the picture. Just my opinion……. I like the Marco pics BTW
keep warm!
I meant Macro
Brett,
Hey there! I agree, I’m not over developing anything. I do enjoy experimenting with the black and white / color shots like I posted a few weeks ago. That’s the kind of photoshopping I’m looking into.
But yeah, if it’s a bad shot that you tweak the daylights out of, I have no interest. Still there are some neat things you can do with it. For instance, taking 20lbs off a person (ooh, that could be fun).
Trying to stay warm, but it’s snowing. How’s FL????
I personally like it when you’re all set up and take a bunch of shots of the same thing…all while yelling, “DON’T MOVE!!”
Actually, having a bunch of shots of the same thing makes it easier and more fun to then sort through and choose your most favorite shot…Plus, don’t you think it’s super good practice with all the different ways you can use the camera settings for the perfect shots in the future? I am enjoying seeing how much you are improving with every shot you take as well…I think the macro’s are so wonderful though…and it’s going to be even more fun when you can get out and shoot nature…until then, keep up the good work!
Dude…can you seriously take 20lbs off of someone using photoshop? Extra chins? Cause there’s a few photos I saw recently…
You really don’t want to know how FL is. Ok, since you asked. Puffy white FL clouds, sunny with the current temp in the upper 70’s and humidity around 60%. Yeah I know it is tough, but I will gut it out and get through the weather here…..
I take so many photos it’s ridiculous. Probably at least 5 pictures for every 1 that I post. As far as photoshop, I think it is a great tool to fix problems that are inherit in some pictures. Noise reduction on long shutter photos, levels adjustments for gray-casts, etc. If I change the essence of the photo though, I always make sure to tag it as a photoshop piece, not a photography piece.
Yep - hi to Brett, FL is definitely great weather. In the 80’s today where I am, a great day for shots on the Pinellas trail.
Don’t you wish you were here???
I’m interested to hear what kind of processing you do, Gadget.
I shoot mostly landscape and outdoor shots and often boost the contrast and saturation to make the photo look more like what I remember. If I crop, it’s often to give the image a more interesting shape, usually longer horizontally.
Bill,
I’ve boosted the contrast a few times here and there. In Photoshop Lightroom I’ve used the Vibrance to get a little more blue on those hazy days.
I’m just beginning my experimentation with touching up shots. Until a few months ago I never considered it. But since I’ve started working more with RAW, & Lightroom, I’ve found that there may be some subtle creative things I can do.
Plus I’ve started reading tons by Scott Kelby, and I really like his work (the Photoshop guy). Interesting stuff.
As I experiment I’ll post the results here!
Rich