Well, I talked briefly about controlling the shape of your aperture in order create cool shapes in the out of focus regions of your photos. I had experimented some with it, and thought I had the perfect situation to use it. It was the 4th of July and I had a start shaped aperture in my bag. So I gave it a run…a very short run. Here is what happened
I mentioned in the last entry that I had shot a point-and-shoot camera on manual to enable me to shoot night shots. Now, that particular camera did not do “manual” like my SLR does manual, and probably there are many different ways “manual” is implemented on compact cameras, but the basic theory is the same.
I will tell you what I did using another of the photos from that night.
I decided to challenge myself some and shoot a series of night shots for my mother-in-law all using the compact camera she was using. It is a Canon A720. It was nice enough, though I am not a big fan of compact cameras.
Here are a couple more photos from a friend of mine that I wanted to post up here. I really enjoyed these two, if for no other reason than he is obviously stretching the boundaries and trying some new and creative methods. It has a startling effect on the view…at least, it did me.
What is the “green box” mode found on so many cameras? I was exploring that on my mom’s camera the other day trying to figure it out myself. The simple answer, which can be applied to most cameras it seems, is this: the green box is the “let the camera do everything” mode, fully automatic, brainless operation.
Then, I accidentally found a mode which interested me much more, the P mode. When I am shooting on my camera, I rarely go for the P or “program” mode, but it has one interesting trait when compared to the “green box” mode. P is the automatic metering mode. So, how is that different from the green box? I wondered myself.
I have a lot to learn when it comes to nature photography. On a recent short trip to Georgia, I went out in the morning to catch some of the very late-blooming foliage. The colors are nice, but I would rate this photo, the best of the lot, as background noise.
I just realized, I could probably go on for ages about this last wedding. I felt like I learned so much, and honestly, I do not think most of you even care about all those details. While I am on the topic, though, I do not want to move on till we have taken full advantage of the opportunity while it is still fresh.
Are there questions you have? Wonder what I did to solve this or that problem? Have you noticed certain issues with pictures you have taken at weddings that annoy you? I certainly do not know everything, but feel free to bring up those questions and we can take a crack at solving some of those.
Since the couple did not seem too particular about the photography of the wedding, I decided to pretend as if they were. In other words, I wanted to put the highest expectations on myself, in an effort to force me to stretch my photographic ability and help me learn something in the process. That is exactly what happened.
After the day was over and I had a little time to think through the experience, the biggest problem I had was too shallow a depth of field. The effect was great in a way: the background was nice and blurred and the depth of field really drew the attention to one person the in the photo. The problem was that only one person was in focus, rarely even two.
I think weddings are one of the ultimate photographic challenges. Not only is it one of the most important days of the couple’s life, but also, there is only one chance at shooting those great shots.
I have heard enough friends complain about their wedding photos that I hesitate before saying yes when asked to shoot a wedding. I am more than willing to say that I am far from a wedding photography professional. I love it, and from a purely selfish point of view, I love the challenge it gives me as a photographer. What I (and all of us) have to keep in mind is that we are gambling with somebody else’s “perfect day”, not our own. So, proceed with caution.
