Pondering about the wonders of photography.

Good evening everyone! I've spent a lot of time lately thinking about many aspects of photography. Due to recent conversations and questions from some of you, my many friends, I wanted to address a few of these subjects. I don't mind sharing what I know about photography with anyone who asks, it's not a matter of national security or I don't have secret tricks that I don't want to share, I'm willing to help anyone that asks me. There are just some things that can't be explained so easily that you can type it in an email and hope the receiver understands what you're saying. It's something that is learned by doing, experimenting, studying and if it doesn't work the first or tenth time... trying all over again until you learn the correct way of posing, lighting, exposure, setting up your equipment, and so many other technical factors. I mean surgeons don't become surgeons overnight, do they? The same with photographers. They learn and shape their craft too.

I can't tell you how many times I've heard "all you've got to do is point and shoot, right?" No, not right. I think a lot of people have that impression because photographers now have digital cameras to work with. To really learn photography you have to study it and I don't necessarily mean go to school for it, there are a lot of self-taught photographers out there, but you have to read and learn by doing to understand how your camera works, know what settings to use for different lighting, the right way to pose your subject for the right composition. (Things I'm still learning everyday, I make mistakes myself and have to correct them & try something different.) If you don't know any of these things and you just push the shutter button that doesn't make you a photographer that makes you a camera user...and there are many good camera users out there, but they're not the photographers out there trying to make a living at it.

I have a healthy respect for anyone that studies, researches, and learns a skill and then executes it to the best of their ability, but still knows when to help a fellow photographer or friend. Of the many photographers I know, none of them want to keep what they know to themselves and not share...in fact, the photographers I know are always willing to help out another photographer in the field...it's like speaking a foreign language though, if you speak the same language you'll understand what's being said, if you don't...you'll be lost. Today's photographers are constantly evolving, learning, and teaching new aspects to the business of marketing, editing, and social networking. It's not all cut and dry. It's work!

So, if you need my help...ask away! I'll always do the best I can to help out but there are certain things that just can't be explained so easily.