The Reflexive: Go on a Photo Walkabout

Over the years people have asked me, “How do I take good photos?” Like anything else, you practice. Then I tell them to practice by going on a photo walkabout. This is exactly what I did when I got my first camera some 12 years ago. For me it wasn’t only learning how to use the camera but I was also discovering my new city of Seattle. By simply walking around and taking photos you can easily become one with your camera and learn the fundamentals of what makes a good photo.

From a photo walkabout earlier this week

What are all those settings on the camera mean?

They mean a lot of things. This blog is not going to explain what depth of field is or what apperture means. Luckily there is YouTube. If you want to learn practically anything these days, YouTube most likely has the tutorial you’re looking for. There are also many books on the subject which can be found at you local library. Basically you just need to start taking photos and experiment. One way to experiment is to take the same photo using different settings and compare the results when you get home. For example if it’s a really bright day and you have your camera positioned looking down a long street, your camera’s light meter will probably show a shutter speed of 1/5000, if your lens is open to f4. If you close down the f-stop to f22 you will need to adjust the shutter speed to probably something like 1/80 thus letting in more light for a good exposure. Just do things like this to see the results of each setting you change. Also do these same type of experiments if you have different lenses, such as a telephoto or macro lens.

Not your typical house in Seattle

What makes a good photo?

There are many factors that make up a photo; the lighting, exposure, contrast, depth of field, framing, composition, subject, colors, etc. I had learned about some of these things in the many film theory and film production classes back in my college days. (I do miss those days in college of just watching films all day) Take a look at a picture that you took. Do you like the way it looks? Would you want to do something different if you were able to take the same photo again? Like everything else, what constitutes a good photo is different for every body. If you told 10 people to take a picture of the Space Needle, they would all probably be different. Maybe some would be just straight forward photos with the Space Needle perfectly centered. Maybe other’s would have it off center or have some more negative space. Still other’s might photograph just part of the structure from an odd angle. Each one may be good it’s own way but maybe some just look ordinary while others may be much more interesting. Again keep shooting. There are also many photo meet-up groups where photo enthusiasts go on walkabouts, drink beer at a bar afterwards and talk about all kinds of things ranging from the best gear to photo theory. There are also different photo societies such as Photo Center Northwest which I’m a member. PCNW offers different classes, workshops and exhibitions which can further whatever photography goals you have. There are also a slew of photography magazines you can subscribe to.

I call this kitty at window

What type of photography do you like?

I suggested walkabouts because I think it’s the easiest and cheapest way to learn the fundamentals of photography. But you may hate walkabouts or you may be much more interested in a specific type of photography such as sports, editorial, fashion or shooting live shows like burlesque. Just do the same thing you’d do on walkabout. When I started taking burlesque photos I just put the camera in burst mode and hoped for a good shot. Since I had a real passion to shoot these shows and a desire to get some good photos, I kept coming back and learning the ropes of live action shows. After going to so many shows I started to anticipate what the performer might do based on the music and I would try to be ready for when the performer rips open their shirt for the reveal. I also learned to ride the shutter while following the performer as the lighting changed, sometimes dramatically from one side of the stage to the other. What ever your photography passion might be, just immerse yourself in it and start taking photos.

Check out POC Photo Company for info about photo-shoots.

Here a few more photos from a walkabout I did earlier this week.