# Improving your photo technique



## IGADIZ (May 21, 2006)

7 years a go, I was in the north of Spain on holidays, I went out early in the evening to take some nice sunset shots with my brand new £600 Olympus 900 zoom 1.3 mega pixels (at the time one of the best point and shoot cameras in the market).
Once at my location, I came across another photographer. He had a large format camera and was standing exactly were I wanted to take my shot,(Read… I saw this old fellow with a massive camera and thought, if that spot is good for him… is good for me).

I stood there next to Him taking pictures of the wonderful scene before me, in between shots, I watched how he carefully studied and selected his composition. I saw how he analyzed the light with a meter, He spent a large amount of time looking, thinking, adjusting, metering, and adjusting some more before he actually took the shot. As he was leaving, I asked how many shots had he taken, the replay was a surprise, He explained how he had taken just three shots, because every shot cost him quiet a bit of money in film and processing, and so he packed and left.

I though …mmm yeah, I don't miss that aspect of film photography, and so, armed with my processing free digital camera, I stayed for some time longer, and left with some 150 shots.

Once home and to my surprise, only one of those 150 shots was of my liking.

I sat there, in front of my Pc, thinking of the old fellow and of some of the amazing pictures that I have seen in some large format books, (Ansel Adams sprung to mind... http://www.anseladams.com ). 
It became obvious to me that much of what I admired in those images, had nothing to do with the very high resolution that large format produces. Rather, it had everything to do with the time that the photographer puts into each image. The observing, thinking, and preparation that goes on before he takes the first shot.

I went back the next day and took my time, I left with 6 shots, (to this day, some of the best I have ever taken).

I learned that is not those photographers with the latest, most expensive cameras, and lenses, or even the most experience, that get the best shots. Rather, it is those photographers that take the time to think through their shots, that produce the most amazing images.

So don't give up, sometimes is not what's in the picture but rather what is not, look through your viewfinder and think, what is it within this picture that I don't want there, once you identify it, remove it and recompose, do not press that little button until you are satisfied with what you see, take your time and you will see your pictures improve 100 fold in very little time.


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## Ant GTI-6 (Nov 30, 2005)

Wise words, could we possibly see those '6 pics please'


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## andburg (Feb 13, 2006)

very true, but with no exposure control o na point and click there is actually very little you can do other than point and click


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## Brazo (Oct 27, 2005)

Yep totally agree, I used to own a medium format camera myself and loved the old skool simplicity and time it took!! Would have been crap for F1 though


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## IGADIZ (May 21, 2006)

Ant GTI-6 said:


> Wise words, could we possibly see those '6 pics please'


Sadly those shot are lost in time... as the computer in which they were loaded went "bang". 
Needless to say nowadays, I back up every decent shot I take, to several devices.


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## IGADIZ (May 21, 2006)

Brazo said:


> Yep totally agree, I used to own a medium format camera myself and loved the old skool simplicity and time it took!! Would have been crap for F1 though


Unless you were taking pictures of a Honda...:lol: (sorry couldn't resist)


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## base-1 (Jul 3, 2006)

Good point well made 

At my last job a customer who was storing a few cars with us got reminded about one he owned that was there that he had totally forgotten about (probably because he never even sat in it  ), and decided to put it up for auction as he hadn't ever used it etc

So the guy came to take the pictures for the auction house (in Switzerland if I remember right), and because I was the one washing and polishing the poor neglected thing I ended up helping him take the pics, move the car etc

After he'd been there for an hour he'd only taken 4 Polaroids of the bloody thing lol! Exactly like you say, he was thinking about this and that, composing the shot, moving the car, sweeping the floor, adjusting filters etc etc. I didn't take in really how he was doing it, but I do remember what he was trying to achieve. He was a big old-school film fan, although he had a digital or two he preferred to shoot "properly" and use a high-res scanner to get it onto a PC.

I only ever got to see one shot from that day, after searching the internet to try and find out what happened in the auction. It sold for 845,000 Swiss Francs - about £365,000










Makes my camera-phone effort look pathetic, frankly!


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## IGADIZ (May 21, 2006)

mmm... he took a nice picture, but , I would have wiped of that little puddle, it looks like the car is loosing fluids.:wall:


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## base-1 (Jul 3, 2006)

It's a little stream coming from the building right behind him  I know what you mean though!


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## Ant GTI-6 (Nov 30, 2005)

More like lassie has been there he he:lol: 

A craking shot non the less:thumb:


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## IGADIZ (May 21, 2006)

*Diffraction & Photography*

In my quest to take better pictures, I came across this very useful information, if you got a camera (no matter if it is a DSLR or a Compact) you must read this, Click here.
This is a tutorial explaining the use of aperture, and the effect that it has in the final overall sharpness of your image due to diffraction ... a must read for every one


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## LaSarthe&Back (Nov 9, 2006)

base-1 said:


> Good point well made
> 
> ...It sold for 845,000 Swiss Francs - about £365,000
> 
> ...


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## giarc (Feb 8, 2006)

thats no standard f40 lol


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## Thomas-182 (Mar 5, 2006)

It is a nice shot.


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