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!