Week 44 - 365 day Photographic Challenge 2013

Day 302 - Magique 

I think no photographer picks up a camera and decides to be Ansel Adams. No, I will correct myself, no sane person buys a camera with the belief they can become famous. Most photographers first get a camera handed down from a family member and begin taking pictures of the family pets. That was especially true in the film era with the inexpensive Brownie cameras by Kodak. And obviously the picture above shows that not all of us get too far away from or first favorite subjects.

The digital age, however, has changed to some degree the path photographers take. I will leave nameless all the friends I have that think if they go out and buy my camera they too can take prize winning photographs. Good luck with that. Taking pictures of our pets has provided us with lots of training and experience.

Day 303

And you no longer drop your film off and hope the wizard in the darkroom works some sort of magic. It is back to photography 101 where you worked your own photos in the college darkroom. Only now it is a dry darkroom, and I do not care how much you paid for your photo manipulation software. There is no substitute for the eye of the artist. You might be able to save a composition with a good crop or dodge out the Pepsi can in the foreground you never noticed but you have to know what you want to achieve.

The end days of fall leading into winter are a bit challenging. Anyone can snap an aspen on their iphone or the first snow of the season but the days in between are a bit challenging. You find yourself wishing for the first snow or at least a heavy frost.

Day 304 A

The perfect reflection of a winter scene in a not yet frozen pond is all about being in just the right place at just the right time. But the photo I took a few minutes later was better because the breeze had come up and changed it all.

Day 304 B

The reflection is not as perfect in picture two but the texture is better because of the shivering of the water. And the sun peeked out and put a bit of light on the distant trees. If you grew up taking pictures of you pets you developed the patience to wait to see what they did next.

Day 305

And Photography 101 taught you black and white was the bare bones of an image. If the basics are not there not much that fancy digital camera can do for you.

I was so ready to get into Photography 201 and work with color. But it meant more time in the darkroom. I think that is true even with the computer programs we use today.

Day 306

So many more variables with color. Especially if it is something like clear drops of water from melting snow. Snow does not stay pretty long.

Day 307

And the winter weather has taken just enough color out of the landscape you find yourself back to looking for colors in the sky or unique shapes of trees hosting two hawks. Or you retreat back to still lifes.

Day 308

It is still all about form and composition and light and shadow. It has never been about megapixels. Though having just upgraded to more megapixels I am not about to sacrifice them. I can still take a great picture of my dog. And I have taken pictures of pets long enough I look for the unusual in the pose. I do that with the landscape too.