The aim is to take a good shot of any activity you see happening
or are involved with as recently when I was at the Boxing Day Dance Out for Sharp and
Blunt and a Mummers performance at Adderbury, on a bright cold day when my
enthusiasm for anticipated shots was high.
Hanging around for the action to begin, I snapped away at
chimney pots, buildings, corners, alleyways and crowed scenes, warming up for
the main activity and getting matters into focus.
Most of these early shots are not memorable but might be
useful for stock photos for future use, for blogging activity and scene
setting, and they will be noted down in my Stock Photo book. There’s no point in keeping stuff for future
use if you can’t find it in a hurry!
I define a good shot by its appeal to me when it’s first
viewed, for clarity of vision, composition and general interest and lack of
telegraph blunders i.e. poles, notices etc. intersecting the main view or
severed heads! I open with the automatic
viewer and just snap away until I’m at ease with my camera. Being at ease with myself when working is
something else indeed and my feelings will soar or flop at any stage of the
process. I become very self-conscious,
not daring to move from a spot, even if a shoulder is impairing my view, which
rather dams the shoot. Why this should
be is an annoying puzzle which I have to work with each and every time I’m out
with my camera. I believe it’s partly a
fear of being held accountable for my work but also a fear of visibility and of
annoying other watchers by blocking their vision. Let me explain. If you capture a “good” shot you should share
it with others, for any occasion, event or happening is a day to remember for
all sorts of reasons. Being visible
renders one memorable and accountable for the shots you’ve created, making it
imperative to take far more than needed to get those few “good” shots, ensuring
a successful job of work when you connect
to your computer to sort, keep, crop, re size or remove before you detail every collection in your record book. I keep a record of every photo-session with
detailed best shots and views. I try but
often fail to keep events separate so often an upload will include a variety of
events and notables which must be logged individually, for future reference. This is the boring but essential aspect of
any shoot, for what’s the use of any such material if you fail to utilise it
but, I would much prefer to be out there, taking more photographs
The good shot is, I imagine, all down to your own particular
ideals, hopes and aspirations and your camera skills, so the best regular
process to engage in, is the walk-photo-shoot outing. Venturing out with your camera, on a point and
click operation, until you get a feel for what your vision and skills can achieve
For, just like any other skill, the way
to improve and perfect, is to keep doing what you like doing, making sure you
engage with available written or video skills lessons along the way.
So just what is a good photo I hear myself persist, for I
need to clarify this question for myself and my reader! A good photo is one that shows to perfection the
visual content, of people, landscape, seascape or any ‘scape vision” you choose
to showcase. But, wait a minute,
sometimes that “good photo” is a gift, gloriously and unexpectedly made
accessible to your view finder and lens.
You snap away in a moment of extreme abstraction, totally unaware that
you’ve captured and created a gem shot which, not until you plug your camera
into your computer, is its presence discovered, waiting your attention and
tender care.
Finally, how do your achieve that good shot? The photo you know for certain your
camera-shy friend will love, the photo that’s going to look great on any
website, printed material, Face Book page and in your album? Indisputably, it’s down to organisation,
diligence, camera-care, practise, persistence plus an intelligent approach to
the where, what and how of the intended content of your next shoot experience. A
good working knowledge of how your equipment’s knobs, dials, lens and
projection work, plus an understanding of yourself and your capabilities, being at ease with yourself and
your surroundings, being sensible of the
day’s brief and matching your takes to
that brief. All of the above, plus without
doubt, that essential dollop of good luck!
I would add, I’m not technically blessed in my use of any piece
of equipment, my brain is simply not wired that way for some reason, but
persistence, enthusiasm and determination often eases the way forward. To my delight on this day, I found the
“continuous shot button” enabling a rapid almost-non-stop continuous action
shoot. It seems to produce a
“video-like” sequence
I’ve missed good shots simply by not being comfortable in my
surroundings, failing to see a vision
from all angles, missing that house view, failing to engage fully with the
moment. Thankfully, focused remembrance about
past failures prompts the hand holding the camera.
Here's one of my "good shots" from that day .....
