JNevitt Gallery

1 Plan. Planning plays a key factor in the overall success of any photography trip. Steve Uzzell talks about proper planning and perhaps has mastered this point. He is so obsessive about his planning that he calculates the precise moment the moon will rise, its azimuth and the declination in relation to the time of day and the time of sunset as well as the weather and dew point for a given shoot. To some this may take "planning" too far….yet Steve Uzzell is a very successful professional photographer, maybe not just from his planning alone, but it certainly lends to his success. As he concisely describes it: "Do it Right, Do it Once". Far too many photography trips have been ruined by failing to plan properly for contingencies, by not bringing the right equipment or perhaps bringing too much, and most often from not scouting the location or event in advance. Planning is definitely key.

2 Prepare Wisely. Preparation includes planning but I felt it necessary to separate this out. Preparation goes beyond planning. It is the physical manifestation of planning that helps ready the photographer for an outing. Preparation includes waterproofing your gear, charging batteries, downloading used digital cards, buying appropriate film, cleaning your lenses organizing your gear to make it easier to find and use in the field. Preparation takes the next step. It gets into the "doing". Many a trip has been ruined by failing to charge batteries or having insufficient memory card storage space or by running out of film. It could happen to anyone; don't let it happen to you. Prepare wisely.

3 Work Your Subject. Work it inside and out. Tirelessly explore every angle, composition and lighting combination you can. When you think you have explored every possibility, think on it some more and return to your subject when you have found something you had not thought of. Then when you are sure you have exhausted every possible combination, turn around. Often what we miss is right behind us. We get so focused on our intended subject, that we miss all the wonders that are overshadowed by it. Almost everyone can tell a similar story about how a group of a dozen or so photographers were shooting this amazing sunset with incredible hughes of red, orange and yellow mixed on the horizon that silhouette thousands of snow geese jockeying for position to land, while one photographer has turned around to see a lone snow goose swimming not 10 yards away with the light of the setting sun turning it's pure white feathers almost pink against the blue waters that reflect the multicolored sunset overhead, back dropped in the rust and gold of the marsh reeds burning from the waning sunlight. Work your subject.

4 Consider Your Background. A background can make or break a photograph. Too little detail often can cause a flat uninteresting image; too much can be distracting and disruptive to the flow of the image. Tony Sweet, a well-known nature photographer who happens to be local to our area, blew my mind in one of his seminars. He said he picks his background first and then finds his subject…… Think about that for a moment. If this doesn't blow your mind you have heard it before or you are not fully considering the implications of it. He is saying that with the right background, he could find a good subject nearly anywhere….His photographs prove him right and his books stand as testament to his techniques. I have tried this technique and I find it particularly applicable to macro photography, but I have had a lot of luck in many other forms of photography as well. Consider your background.

5 Use the correct Gear. It is one thing to plan and prepare, it is another to choose the appropriate gear. If you are shooting nature shots of skittish animals and you are looking for portraits, you may not want to use your wide-angle lens. If you are shooting Macro and you want to minimize your background, you may not want to use your wide-angled lens. If you are shooting landscapes and scenics, you may not want to use your telephoto lens. If you are shooting sports photography and it is a cloudy day, you may not want to bring the largest most unwieldy lens you have, look to the faster (aperture wise) lens and if possible use a flash and a flash enhancer (if allowed). If you have to move around a lot, consider the weight of the lens. If you really want to limit your depth of field for macro photography, consider the effects of close-up filters. Use a tripod whenever possible, a monopod if you can't use a tripod, and learn to brace your body if neither a tripod or monopod are allowed or possible. If you need fill light and you want to warm the light consider a gold reflector; and for cooler tones, consider a silver reflector. For portraiture with flash, consider using a flash bracket or mounting it off to the side of the camera. In short, use the appropriate tool for the job. All too often we try to make due using the wrong equipment for the job. Think about this: Would you use a fork instead of a spoon to scoop your soup? How about a knife? That being said, these are only guidelines. I have seen some excellent work from cross-processed slides and portraits with wide angled lenses and many other similarly unconventional practices. I only suggest you consider the effects of the tools you use and choose the right one that lends to the story you wish to tell, the feeling you wish to portray, the image you wish to capture. Use the correct gear.

6 Watch Your Light. Andy Klein a respected judge and photographer has said on a number of occasions: "It is all about the light, stupid", quoting one of his own mentors. Well it is. It doesn't matter if we shoot digital, film, slide, glass plates or silver tintypes, it is all about capturing light through a lens on photosensitive material. Thus, it is about how the light hits our subjects or on occasion how it doesn't hit our subjects that helps us tell our story. Often the difference between a good photo and an outstanding photo is roughly a matter of seconds. One moment the sun is behind clouds and the next it is peeking through them with this glorious stream of colored light draping your subject in the hues and shadows that will only be seen once in a lifetime and will fade as fast as they appeared for the next hundred years until the conditions are just right again. Sometimes we luck into it, but if we have done our homework in planning and preparation, then we will soon learn to predict it saving us time and for some, the wears of Mother Nature too. Watch your light.

7 Simplify, Simplify, Simplify. I can't begin to tell you the origins of this one. It has been said by so many, so often it is more of a mantra than a guideline. It is popular, because it is true. Simplicity is synonymous with minimalism. Have only that which assists or enhances your message and remove that which conflicts with it. All too often "simplicity" is miss-interpreted or taken too literally, and we as photographers eliminate all but two or three elements in our images. Although this too is simplification, it is not the only form. Simplification can be achieved with multiple elements in our images by unifying them all to tell the same story, rather than eliminating all but a few of them. Instead of limiting the number, limit the meaning or the emotion through the limitation of elements. Thus simplicity can still be achieved through a complex series of elements that work together to form one cohesive thought, feeling, emotion, or message. If your point is contradiction, you may want only a single example. If it is a preponderance of contradiction you can simplify your message by removing only that which does not contradict, yet you would want to leave in as many examples as you might have of contradiction within the image to further your message. Simplify, simplify, simplify.

8 Separation Separation, Separartion. When two ideas converge, separate them. Look for merges within your background and foreground. Look for tree branches growing out of people's heads, for grass in front of the animal's face, for planes that overlap with the building you are trying to capture. Pick the elements you want to shoot and use perspective as a tool to establish separation where appropriate. Sometimes it isn't the right message. Sometimes you want overlap to show repetition of lines or shapes. If that is part of your purpose then follow your message, but if it doesn't lend to it, consider the previous recommendation and simplify it through separation, separation, separation.

9 Consider Color Dynamics. Color has more impact than most people realize. Cool colors are soothing and relaxing while warmer tones tend to lend energy. Each color has its own impact, each shade or tone a more subtle distinction. Next, consider the ways in which colors work together on the psyche. Harsh color contrasts, like harsh angles, tend to build tension where as smooth transitions like curved lines tend to soften and relax. Curved lines slow the viewer's progress through an image while straight lines tend to speed them on their way out of an image. In the same way, colors can be used to achieve the same effects. Using primary colors together within a single image can cause contradiction and can break the intended message of a serene landscape. However, if you are trying to create a contradiction between the soft flowing lines of a flower and the world around it, what better way to enhance your image than to incorporate the psychology of color dynamics to your image. All too often the subtleties of the mind are overlooked for the more obvious message. If used correctly you may be the only one who notices the dynamics at work, but your images will scream your message loudly to others. Consider color dynamics.

10 Consider Your Composition. Where in the frame does your subject enter? Where, if at all, does your subject exit? What is the motion of the viewer's eyes as they wander through your image? Having a line unfinished and leading to nowhere, builds tension. Circles draw the attention of the eye and often will not release it, thus a single circular line or separate circles seemingly unconnected may not work but a series of circles that overlap will allow the eyes to wander around and around as if through a maze of paths as they follow the outlines of intersecting circles. Consider your composition.

You may be asking: "But I thought you said to separate your subjects?" The answer is I did, and, I said not to. There are infinite number of possible combinations of techniques and concepts waiting to be explored. Learn from the techniques, experiment with combinations of techniques that work for you, and learn from those that don't. Incorporate those that make sense and from those that don't, move on. Do not bog yourself down with the styles of others that are not working for you. Try their technique, learn from the experience, and then try to incorporate what you have learned successfully into something else. Combine styles and search for understanding. In this you will find your own style and in this, your soul will show in your work.

Here is wishing you all smooth shutters and crisp captures.

Alan

Additional photo tips provided by Kodak: TIPS