Saturday, August 25, 2007

Maintain Your Focus

The Most Important F-Word Is Fun

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON


A few hours ago a US blogger, Jenera Healy, got in touch with me, saying she felt her photography was not making progress. I immediately emailed her back. I told her to take a close look at her most recent work and compare it with her photographs from six months ago and to gauge how much progress she's made.

I guess my advice to all budding photographers is simple. If you look twice at something - photograph it. If it's caught your attention, chances are it'll catch our attention as well. If you are a beginner and you are frustrated by working in harsh daytime light, then take some pictures early in the morning and late in the evening, when the light is much softer.

Use your surroundings and look all around you, because sometimes the best angle is not necessarily the one you are instinctively drawn to. And most of all, have fun with your camera. Don't be shackled to tradition. Don't be afraid to experiment.

Have a look at the photograph I've posted here and you'll see what I mean. My first frame showed only the glow on this building. Then I walked backwards for about three metres, found this slender bare branch - and it gave the shot an added dimension.

13 comments:

RUTH said...

Great advice for us would-be photographers :o) Thanks for your sweet comment on my Blogbirthday post
Rx

none said...

Thank you, I needed that advice myself.

fuzzbert_1999@yahoo.com said...

I'm tempted to get another SLR (digital this time) and get back into "real" photography, but my little Nikon makes it so simple these days.

Interesting shot David!

~**Dawn**~ said...

I so agree with you. Play, play, play. And change your perspective. Shoot from above. Crouch down & shoot looking up. Zoom in. Stand way back. Tilt. Take the subject off center. Sometimes when I play, I don't get the shot I originally saw, but I get one that I love because I never would have thought of it.

Lin said...

That is a stunning shot! If you ever make it up our creek, you will die and go to heaven at the photo opps out here.

david mcmahon said...

Hi Ruth,

Always happy to help. You know you have a special place in my heart, for many reasons.

We are your family now, you know.

Keep smiling

David

david mcmahon said...

G'day Hammer,

No worries at all. I'm just one comment away if you need any help. But you knew that!

True power is knowledge shared, not knowledge selfishly guarded.

I guess that's my credo ...

Keep smiling

David

david mcmahon said...

Hi Dawn,

You and I think along exactly the same lines. You're so right.

Keep smiling

David

david mcmahon said...

Hi Lin,

Thank you for that very kind praise. I would love to be in your neck of the woods - it sounds so much like my kind of place.

I think you would also like Jindaroo Creek - the fictional Outback hamlet I created in my novel Vegemite Vindaloo. And it's surrounded by real geography. Just stunning!

Keep smiling

David

david mcmahon said...

Hi Mushy,

Nothing wrong with your photographs. 'Tis not the camera that counts, but the mind and `eye' of the person who holds it.

Glad you liked this shot.

Keep smiling

David

Anonymous said...

Great advice David! I have recently hit a slump in my photography...much like writer's block I suppose for authors ;)

karoline in the morning said...

wonderful advice david, your photos are always eye catchers!

:))
k

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