Teaching Photography Classes

I sometimes teach digital photography classes on weekends. Teaching photography helps me to learn more about photography as I teach others. The class that I taught today was a basic photography class. The class usually lasts 3-4 hours and the time goes by very fast. There are four main points that I try to cover in the basic photo class and they are: Exposure and shutterspeed, ISO, White Balance, and Shooting Mode. Of course there are some other points that I tried to include such as how to use the historgram and shooting in JPEG vs. RAW. I have been shooting for a number of years, but I find that I still do not know everything there is to know about photography and that you can always learn how to do something different and possibly even better. The one point that I really try to drive home to my students is to know their camera equipment and the only way that you can do that is to: Shoot, Shoot, Shoot! Will you make mistakes, I certainly hope so! You can learn so much from the mistakes that you make. Photography is a skill that anyone can learn if they are willing to spend the time and it does take time. The camera industry today would have us to believe that all cameras are easy that all you have to do is just point and shoot. However, if you ever want to be able to have the shot that is truly a work of art, you will move from your comfort zone of shooting program auto and start shooting in other modes such as aperture priority, shutter priority or manual, yes that is what I said manual. Enjoy the experience of learning something new or different. Do not be afraid of your camera. If you are afraid of your camera; pack it up and sell it. I encourage you to enjoy an afternoon of shooting and learning about your camera. Let your camera teach to see things in a different way. You will not regret it if you are truly interested in photography. Until next time......Happy shooting!

Frustration leads to a new way

So far this year I have been very frustrated in my photography work. Those things that I want to do it seems that I can't do and those things that I do not want to do, I do. F-R-U-S-T-R-A-T-I-O-N....Frustration! However, I have about decided that frustration often brings about change where change is needed if we allow it and we do not give up. I love photography, but I have been very frustrated with my work recently. So I have been trying a new technique, something new in my work, actually I have gone back to using some old techniques that photographers used to use in the "film days" and I have recieved some complements with the outcome in my work. However, more than just complements; I am starting to feel, to be satisfied, fulfilled, pleased (call it whatever you would like) with my work again. Gratification; that is the word I am searching for. Yeah, gratification. That creative nature of mine is feeling gratification once again.

Keep shooting and God bless!