Monthly Archives: February 2011
Cropping can be a photography faux pas. When all you have to work with is pixels, every single one counts. Try to get the framing perfect in camera, so as to make the most of those oh so expensive pixels. Of course, there are times when a creative crop can really help a photo, for me, a 1:1 (square) crop is a winner in the right situation. But when I take the photo, I already know when i’m going to crop it for creative effect.
Cropping has it uses, but not as a lazy way of fixing poor framing and composition after the fact.…
I have to admit that I was slightly punching above my weight when I made the move to Full Frame. My initial budget for a camera I could shoot with was £2000. You can do the math, but by deciding to spend a little extra on the D700, I was left with a only £300 to buy my first lens. To an average person, £300 may sound like quite a lot for a lens, but it effect really isn’t a lot at all. Trying to find a full frame suitable lens under this price was going to be very difficult. However, I knew the cost of going FX, I was perfectly happy with buying expensive lenses for an expensive camera. Overall, it just seems a much better investment. The only problem being that I just didn’t have the money to spend all at once…
It was because of this, that the decision was further complicated by the fact that whichever lens I purchased with the camera was going to have to see through several months as my only lens. This would than give me time to save up some more to then buy the next lens on my 2 year photo plan, (Nikkor 24-70mm f2.8) while still being able to go out and shoot with my new, amazing camera.
So off to Google I went, and after doing hours of research, reading countless reviews, and even annoying the hell out of a salesman is Jessops, (who let my play with the lens for a good hour before deciding to buy it from Amazon because it was cheaper) the Nikkor AF-S 50mm f1.4 seemed to be the ideal, if not only choice.
…
While visiting one of the many photography website I frequent, I came across this rather interesting diagram titled “Stages of a Photographer”. This graph is a slightly satirical look the various stages of skill and frustration that the average photographer goes through as he or she improves.
Looking at this was interesting, as I really saw some similarities with my own learning path with photography, and I can easily identify where I am right now.
Image is after the break.
…
It’s pretty easy to define someone as a professional. Look in any dictionary, and they will all roughly define a professional as someone who earns more than 50% of their income from their main source of work. A professional is someone who is at the top of their game, successful in their field and highly regarded by their peers.
However, it’s harder to define an amateur. One of the great things things about photography is that anyone can take a photo. Photographers come in all shapes and sizes, all ages and skills. It should always remain open to everyone. Unfortunately spend only few hours on the internet looking at popular photography websites, and you would believe this isn’t the case. Some online communities have an obvious, unhelpful hierarchy. For instance, Pros are treated like Gods. Newbies are to be ignored. And enthusiastic amateurs (like me) who want to become professionals are laughed out, without anyone even taking a look at a single photo.
The internet is determined to make you think that professional photographers just plop out of their mother’s womb, holding a big camera and a possessing god like creativity. This is just plain wrong. Every pro started somewhere. Every pro has made mistakes. But they overcame these mistakes to become they successful photographers they are today. It’s very easy to forget that every professional photographer, started out as an amateur.
The best advice I can give is to ignore the tirade of elitism in photography on the web, and instead get out and take pictures! You can go as far as your determination creativity will take you.
The definition you really want to pay attention to is that of a photographer. Which is a someone who simply loves taking pictures. Ignore those idiots on the internet. Anyone who loves taking photos can be great at taking photos, as long as they are determined and passionate about what they capture.…
ABOUT THIS BLOG
This is the blog of Chris Scuffins, a hardworking, creative photographer from Gloucestershire.
With years of experience in landscape and commercial still life photography, his focus now lies on capturing creative, natural and beautiful fashion and lifestyle portraiture, as well as a fun, relaxed approach to photojournalistic wedding photography.
FEATURED POSTS
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- Wedding | James & Arjia | Milton Keynes
Way, way back on the 18th of August 2012, I had the...
- Wedding | Natalie And Andrew | Tewkesbury Park Hotel
A Gloucestershire Wedding | St Marks Church, Cheltenham...
POPULAR POSTS
- The 35mm And 85mm
Just a few short months after making the decision to...
- 30 Day Self Portrait Project Finished!
WooHoo! Today I have finished my 30 day self portrait...
- Wedding | Natalie And Andrew | Tewkesbury Park Hotel
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- Why I Switched From Nikon to Canon
I’ll start of by being completely and utterly hypocritical....
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