I really enjoy photography as a hobby and it complements my other passion, travel, very well. But there is a very technical side of photography that does not come very easily to me.
I've taken photography classes to learn exposure settings and composition, with the latter being my favorite. I really enjoy composing my photos and taking workshops at travel shows to learn about things like the Rule of Thirds.
And learning how to frame my shots to make it look more interesting as well as capture the story behind the images better. This is also one of the reasons why I enjoy PhotoHunting because it is fun and I enjoy learning how other photographers capture their images and the creative takes everyone has for the weekly themes.
Since my technique isn't the best, prior to my trips I like to research the subjects I want to photograph. I'll Google the images to learn from other photos and then I like to practice with getting the right exposure and finding different focal points to capture my images.
But while traveling there can be factors like some very uncooperative weather that can affect some of my best laid out plans. In those situations, I just try to do the best that I can.
When in doubt about my technical skills, I will admit to throwing my camera settings on the green auto button to take a few "just in case" shots. But rather than calling it cheating, I like to consider these shots insurance just in case my manual settings don't do the subject justice. After all, I may not get another opportunity to return to the country I'm visiting to photograph these images again.
To see more PhotoHunters, you can visit Gattina's Keyhole Pictures website HERE!
I'm off for my B2V weekend . . . but I'll check in to see what other's did with this theme. I found it challenging and it took me a while to figure out what my take would be. I googled, I searched in my photo library. Nothing. And then I saw my camera. :)
Wow, Kathy, you are a lot technical with your camera than me. Among other things, have to confess that I've never ever taken photography lessons! :O
ReplyDeleteHi hi YTSL you have a great natural eye and capture such wonderful and interesting shots especially your landscapes and close-ups.
DeleteThanks so much for comments. Have a great weekend.
Great post! I also have more trouble with the technical end of things and often revert to the P setting when unsure. Better to get a pretty good photo than a badly manually set photo! I loved reading about how you prepare. I often check out the postcards when I arrive in a new place to learn more about the "photogenic" places :) Hope you had an awesome weekend!
ReplyDeleteA great take on this difficult theme. I often revert to auto settings too!
ReplyDeleteHope your B2V weekend was lots of fun!
Hi girls, thanks so much for your comments. Sorry for the delay in my replies, but I had my B2V event this past weekend and I think recovering from that is worse than recovering from Jetlag.
ReplyDeleteGirasoli, checking out postcards are a great way to capture those money shots. That's a good tip. I remember once in Cesky Krumlov I asked the tourist office person where were the best vantage points to photograph their picturesque town. That's also another great way to find great shots.
Annie, I found this theme really difficult and it wasn't until the very last minute that I thought of my take. I really got down to the wire on this one. :) My B2V weekend was fun and exciting as usual. It's a lot of hard work but it's also fun at the same time.
Thanks so much for your comments girls. Hope you all have a great weekend.