Many people dread picking up the family camera to grab that perfect moment. Much of this is said to come from their misunderstand of the equipment. It can also be because people misuse the best camera of all, their own eyes. To become a great photograph 'taker' you need to have an appreciation of what goes into making a great photograph. Being a professional photographer I often see this king of image produced by beginners.
Seeing a wonderful Peak District scene is something that we all enjoy but often we do not realise that the camera does not see the way that we do. Human beings look about; our eyes constantly rove a scene picking out interesting elements which either appeal to some hidden primaeval emotion or an interest we currently have. Put these elements together an you have a wonderful scene to photograph.
For example in the Derbyshire Peak District you will find some great landscapes (primeval emotion), we will also see wonderful properties (current themes and aspirational). Often people will reach for a camera to record this image because it presses a few pleasure centres for us. We might even think that the image will look terrific on our lounge wall. The bad news it that we didn't see the quarry and Peak District limestone processing factory in the middle distance. The result is that when we review the image back home there is an amount of disappointment.
The point being that before you pick up a camera you really need to survey a scene. Look for the things in the prospective image that will cause problems when you take your photograph. quarry's (unless that is the subject) might be one to look out for. Equally there are lamp posts which have an unnerving habit of sticking out of people heads. If you are taking a portrait this is even more important, as it is so easy to have a branch of a tree poking out from the side of some person's head.
Equipment is another consideration. These days cameras can produce clear sharp results in a range of locations and conditions. It really isn't that important to invest a small fortune to get the right results. Many high street store will a mass of cameras; when you are starting out get a modestly priced model. many professional photographers use high end equipment because they are designed for constant use and will produce images able to be enlarged to poster size. Most people really don't need this functionality and simple 'point and shoot' camera will do. Some basic tips would be to look at your scene, don't try to fit everything in; pixels are cheap so just take more photographs. Bring the camera up to your eye whilst looking at the scene, not at the camera. This will ensure you don't have to search around with the camera to find the shot you wanted in the first place. Relax your arms and most importantly of all, squeeze the shutter button don't stab at it, this will cause camera shake and your picture stand a chance of coming out blurred.
Enjoy your photography and remember to enjoy it. Photography is an art that requires practice and with the era of digital photography upon us the art has never been so ap to have a go at.
David John King a photographer working and living in the Derbyshire Peak District, United kingdom http://www.davidjohnking.co.uk/
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