I used this handout for a workshop I conducted a few years ago. I decided to use all Pug photos for the workshop. The people liked it, I hope you find it helpful. I once did a photo workshop using only one photo…it was the Polaroid photo in this handout. That one was taken at P.J.’s first dog show…about 30 years ago. He didn’t do very well that day, but eventually he became a champion. I miss him.
Pug Photo Tips that apply to all cameras and all subjects…
Most of us are facing colder weather…soon. Those lovely flowers won’t be there much longer. Preserve your garden memories by taking photos now. Make prints and hang them up to admire them during the winter. They also serve as reminders of where you planted what. Go ahead…preserve your garden memories!
The number it doesn’t show is the number of prints I have made in the last month. Zero.
It dawned on me that shooting with the fastest camera I ever had, my iPhone, hasn’t produced many worthy (in my opinion) images. So…I decided to slow down and create a new talk called “Point-and-Shoot vs. Point-and-Meditate.”
Today, you can take out your iPhone, find a mirror, or just hold out your hand and take a selfie. This “selfie” was taken with a Polaroid 195 camera and a flash that was pointed to the ceiling. Cool!
Years ago, when I was a wedding photographer I used a Hasselblad. It took 120 or 220 film. As a wedding photographer (way back in the 1980s) we used flash for just about all of the photos indoors. If you used a rectangular format camera you would need to shift the flash every time you changed from vertical to horizontal. Very annoying. That’s what was great about the Hasselblad. It took square photos…no shifting needed.
Now, if you use an iPhone, square is an option. It’s the option I used most of the time. It allows you to “crop” in the camera (iPhone). It’s one of my favorite features. If you don’t already shoot in squares try it. Maybe you’ll become a square like me.
One of our Pug’s was named Missy. After she died my wife found a flower called Little Missy. She’s been growing it ever since. This morning, for the first time in at least four years, Little Missy had a flower. I immediately took a picture. It’s amazing the detail you can get with an iPhone. Look at the center of the flower. Not many cameras could have done better. I think Missy would have been proud.
Although I’m not a big fan of rain I do recognize there are interesting possibilities for taking pictures. One of my favorite photos was taken just after the rain.
My wife and I were leaving the house when she called me over say, “Look at this.” She was pointing to the hood of the car. I reluctantly walked over and looked at the car. I liked what I saw very much. Here’s what I saw, with a little help with saturation from my Mac’s Preview app (which happens to be my favorite photo app).
Reflection off the car’s hood…
When I entered it in a photo contest I had to put an arrow on the back so they’d know which way was up. It got a blue ribbon. The only time I’ve ever entered a photo contest. 🙂
Incidentally, entering a contest doesn’t hurt. The worst that can happen is that you don’t win. But, you never know unless you try.
Years ago, when I had a Hasselblad 500C (which I loved) I got a pen with the name Hasselblad on it. I don’t remember where I got it. I never saw another one like it since.
Sometimes, little signs are very interesting. This one we found in a local laundry when our washing machine was broken. We had to go to the laundry for a few days until the repair person showed up. This was on the washing machine. And, no I didn’t try to get inside.