Getting the best shot

For an amateur, getting the best shot can be very difficult. For most professionals some shots are very time consuming. If you really have an interest in photography or any type of art, you must have patience. The creative process takes time. You go through phases. Most amateurs, buy a bunch of equipment that they use for a week or so and they may never pick it up again. It's one of those had to have it phases. Then there is the what do I do, where do I begin, phase. Writers get writer's block, but artist in general go through a phase where they just can't think of anything new to shoot. I prefer to shoot a few pictures at a time. I study my pictures. I look for my own flaws. The things that most people wouldn't see. If I'm photographing a subject, I want to make sure it is only the subject in my picture and no one else. If there is enough room perhaps I can put the subject off to the side. Most books will tell you to center your subject. What has made me different is that I don't follow those rules. I don't do the typical potraits or wedding photos. I don't use the standard backdrops and I like using natural lighting and lots of colors. The contrasts of the finished product is what makes it art. Here are a few shots I took just this week. They just popped into my view and I went for it. Some shots do float around in my head for a while, but those usually involve a model. All of the photos are digital.

1)This first image was taken on my visit to the St. Louis Cemetary #3. The sun was two my right side. I stood at an angle right up on the statue to get this shot. The auto white balance was on for all of the shots you will see. The time of day also adds to the effect of some photos. This was taken between 9 and 10 AM. 2) This image was taken indoors with natural lighting. It's a lizard caught between the screen and the iron gate. I thought it was an interesting scene and decided to capture it. One of the reasons to always keep a camera handy and loaded with film. The thing about digital is you don't have to worry about film, but you should check your batteries and always keep spares with you. Most cameras over $100.00 will hold the memory of the photos if you're not using a card. So if you're batteries go out you do have some time to change them, but don't wait too long. Most cameras when hooked up to a computer don't drain the battery.3) My signature photo, it's me waiting for the bank to open. I don't believe in wasting time, just as well be creative. 4) The trolley, or Street car as we call them has expanded to other areas of the city. This is at the start of the line at Wisner and Esplanade Ave. at the entrance of City Park. It was a nice sunny morning and the red bursts from the car. Bayou St. John is in the background. 5) The camera was set for cloudy as it was this morning. This shot was taken on my way to run errands. I'm still learning about my camera. It can do so much, I just have to figure it all out on my own at my own pace. 6) After watering the plants I watched the water form and decided to capture it. My brah had taken some photos in his macro mode and it gave me an idea. My camera doesn't have a macro mode. The 35mm can capture things, but not the digital. Somethings just aren't meant to be seen my the naked eye, like the micro organisms that live on our bodies. 7) A closer look at one of the leaves wet 8) A view in City Park, it's one of my favorite spots to photograph. I like the way the trees almost touch, like 6 degrees of separation. This was also set on cloudy mode and taken this morning. 9) Even trash can be made to look like art. The camera can do some incredible things and black and white images do look so much better. There was a time when I stayed away from black and white photography. I just didn't have the right eye for it the way I do with color. I could always take a colored photograph and know it would look good in black and white. There was a process that could do that. Now with digital you can go back and forth, getting your technique perfected. The world of digital holds so much to be explored. The creation of art, the creation of life, the creation of you as an artist. The possibilities are endless. 10) These are a few houses in my hood, on the opposite side of the street. On a clear day you can see the skyscrappers downtown. I'm only a hop, skip and a jump from the French Quarter. Well that's D's photo tips for today. Tune in next time when we delve into another realm of digital photography as I learn it hands on. LOL. Thanks for stopping by, stick with your dream and create some art. Most of all, keep an open mind.