Cool Young Artists

You may be an amateur or a professional, but both should always think about creativity.  Anyone thinking about how to become an artist must think about creativity! Especially with digital photography, once you have the equipment, experimentation only costs you your time.  Admittedly, time is a an important and often a costly commodity; however, your competition will be creative, so you must be creative also.  Let’s explore some ways to do so.

The following is a list of ideas.  Try some and dismiss some, but do read through the whole list of bolded items.  It certainly is not a comprehensive list, but read through the described thoughts, ideas and examples of the unique results.  (Example graphics will be inserted when available.)

• Color vs. B&W

These are obvious alternatives, but have you ever tried combining both?  Emphasizing just one or two objects with a bright color in an otherwise B&W photograph may create a very unique appearance.

 

• Stop Fast Moving Objects

A fast shutter speed may require plenty of light, but unique special photographs may bc created as water is sprayed, as an eagle is landing or taking of, as a hummingbird is flying and wings appear, as a deer is running, as an accident is happening or as your friend crosses the finish line in a marathon or other race.

[Example graphic to be inserted here.]

• Allow Slow Moving Objects

A slow shutter speed does not always mean a poor blurred image.  Consider using a tripod, if you are using a shutter speed less than a 60^th or 80^th of a second.  This will assure that immovable objects are not blurred, but still allow: waterfalls to be smoothly blurred; vehicles to appear to be in motion; only a bird’s wings to be blurred; only a horse’s, or other animal’s or person’s, legs to be blurred; or a dog’s tail to appear in motion.

[Example graphic to be inserted here.]

• Short Depth of Field

Out of focus objects in the foreground, or more commonly in the background, often produce a more pleasing appearance and will emphasize your subject, while de-emphasizing or even eliminating foreground or background objects.

 

• Long Depth of Field

A small aperture in bright sunlight in a landscape shot may often produce a unique affect if you focus on a nearby object, assuring that object will  be in focus, as well as everything beyond it.

[Example graphic to be inserted here.]

• Greatly Reduced Exposure Almost Into the Sun

Unique light effects can be achieved, even if (during the split second the picture is taken) you really see nothing to photograph with the naked eye because the sun is just too bright, but experiment with this!  I have had a bird’s wings appear translucent, discovered a unique glow appear around a silhouette or had a bird (or other animal) appear in a unique pose (e.g., a mouse hanging from an eagles claws), which also was not evident to the photographer.

 

Study Camera Settings and Features

It is common for amateur, and some professional photographers, to overlook many of the settings and features of their equipment.  Learn how to use “manual” mode; experiment with selecting AF points (automatic focus points); study how to use time exposures; set different ISO speeds; select different white balance settings; select a different metering mode; and learn to use the self-timer operations.  These are but a few of the settings and features in a typical digital camera.  Take the time to study your camera manual.  It will be time extremely well spent and will supply you with even more “New Ideas In Photography.”

All comments, from amateurs and professionals, are most welcome and encouraged.  Thank you for reading!

Artists constantly should be striving for new ideas.  This may involve a new subject to paint, a new scene or object to photograph, a new shape or color for a project, a new setting or combinations of settings for computer or electronic equipment, or simply a new perspective for viewing the world around us.

You also may be exploring the possibility of becoming an artist, changing to a different form of artistry, looking at a given artistry from a new perspective or even innovating a new form of artistry.  We will be attracting artists of all kinds to this site, supplying you with ideas from other Cool Young Artists, as well as some ideas from some cool, older and more experienced artists.

Artists often want to explore different types of their chosen form of artistry.  Painters in oils may want to try water colors; color photographers may want to try black and white photography; nature artists may want to try their skills at landscapes; writers may want to change from fiction to non-fiction or vice versa, or sculpture artists may want to change subjects or size of their creations.  Therefore additionally, we will explore the ramifications of such changes, which may give you additional ideas or considerations before making large investments in time or money.  These are only a few of the suggestions for change, and descriptions of the ramifications of the change, found here at Cool Young Artists – A Variety of Ideas.

A famous American science fiction writer once said,

The only constant is change, continuing change, inevitable change, that is the dominant factor in society today.  No sensible decision can be made any longer without taking into account not only the world as it is, but the world as it will be.
Isaac Asimov (1920 – 1992)

And another writer said, “Variety is the spice of life.”  This site will capitalize on these truths, “the buzz” and the 411.  We will attempt to keep you apprised of the many changes in artistry of all types around the world.  References will often be made to the best traditional and the best online colleges and schools of artistry as well as their students and faculty.

So do come back and visit Cool Young Artists – A Variety of Ideas at HooplArtistsBlog.Com.  Articles will be posted weekly.  And all comments, suggestions, questions and ideas are most welcome and encouraged.  Thank you for reading!