Just keep shooting!

Hey everyone! And to all the new Tri-Community students, welcome!

I'm often asked what is the best way to become a better photographer. And the first thing I need to do is look around to see who they are talking to.

Actually, the answer is easy. Get out and shoot. But what if you can't shoot the subject of your choice? Who cares. Just get out and shoot.

But what if your a wedding photographer and need practice shooting wedding related things?

If you think shooting landscapes or products or your kids/family/TFP modeling shoots won't help your wedding photography think again.

Get out and shoot. Call a friend and go shoot. Go to a Faded and Blurred photo walk. Take the kids to the park. Post a casting on Model Mayhem, or an ad on Craigs List. Go take a hike, or hit the park or a car show.

Now you may ask, exactly how will this help? Because it gives you stick time. Time behind the wheel. Got a new technique you wanna try?

Practice on something non-important.

Got some new equipment you need to break in? Practice on your family.

See something in a magazine, or Flickr you want to recreate? Try it on your own dime. Don't wait to do these things until you have a paying gig, that could spell disaster. Work it out on your own first. Give yourself some challenges, like only taking a fixed lens next time you go out with the kids. Or only shoot at a particular aperature to play with depth of field. You'll learn more about your equipment and it's capabilities. You'll expand YOUR capabilities. You might find a lens that has been sitting in your bag for years has some special look or feel that you love. Just go shoot!
Something else I love to do is shoot with my iPhone. Just me and a 2mp camera, and some pretty cool software installed. Fixed lens, no control of anything (I have the 3G), gotta frame it the way you want, and shoot. It's always with me. These 2 shots of electrical towers were shot today with the iPhone. It challenges me to get creative to overcome it's lack of controls.

Coming up in this weeks classes:

Monday night in Advanced Lighting on Location we will be shooting models. Come to studio B, bring your camera and flash if you have it, and we will check in and then be off.

Wednesday night in Beginning Wedding I will be lecturing.

Thursday night in Advanced wedding, we will be shooting a bride. Bring your camera and flash. We will be meeting in Studio B, and then heading out.

If you are new to Tri or my blog, and are looking for ways to find me, here goes:

Frank Wise Photography

My Flickr Page

Faded and Blurred

My Model Mayhem Portfolio

My Supershoots Portfolio

Twitter

And I am other places too, but you'll need to find those yourself ;-)

And if you are new here, please take the time to read the past entries, and there are links to other sites that I find important on the right hand side. There is also an Amazon Store below with some helpful gear listed, often things I use or we talk about in class. And don't forget that if your interested in a back end solution for your photography business, SmugMug provides a great and easy solution. You can get a 25% discount by using the code "fadedandblurred" at checkout

Now go shoot!

Frank