Northern cardinal in our backyard. [NIKON Z 9, VR 120-300mm f/2.8G, Mode = Manual, ISO 8000, 1/500, ƒ/5.6, (35mm = 600)]
“Cardinals appear when angels are near”
– Victoria McGovern
Today we had winter advisory for our area. So, I was having to stay put and decided to use this as opportunity to photograph birds in our backyard.
House Sparrow [NIKON Z 9, VR 120-300mm f/2.8G, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 25600, 1/2000, ƒ/11, (35mm = 600)]
When there isn’t snow the photos look like this. The snow changes the lighting, background and when the snow is falling creates more depth with snow surrounding the birds.
This is what I have found works for me. You may find different results with other settings.
Here are some shots from my coverage of the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl that I mixed in to show my results.
Michigan State vs Pittsburgh [NIKON Z 9, Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 Sport, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 25600, 1/3200, ƒ/5.6, (35mm = 600)]
Nikon Z9 Sports Settings
These are the settings that I use on my Nikon Z9 for shooting most all sports action. Nikon has made it pleasant to allow photographers to save these settings, so they do not have to remember every little scene they like to use for a style of shooting.
If you go to Menu and under the camera icon, pick the first item, “Shooting menu bank.” I have chosen B, which is my sports menu.
Nikon Z9 Sports Settings
If you toggle into the “Shooting menu bank,” you can rename those settings. Once you choose one of these settings, everything you do to change the menu will be saved in that menu bank. I recommend going ahead and trying all my settings and then tweaking them to your preferences.
Nikon Z9 Sports Settings
When shooting sports, it is widespread for the lighting conditions to change instantly. While the football player runs toward you, they may go from shade into direct sunlight. For this reason, I let the camera do some of my thinking.
Go to the camera icon and look for “ISO sensitivity settings.” Select this, and you will then see this menu:
Nikon Z9 Sports Settings
I turn on the “Auto ISO sensitivity control.” Then I set the minimum shutter speed to 1/4000. You could pick something else. I used to shoot at 1/2000. The ISO setting is what you see in the smaller window below the menu. I set this to ISO 100 and the “Maximum sensitivity” to ISO 25600.
Michigan State vs Pittsburgh [NIKON Z 9, Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 Sport, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 25600, 1/4000, ƒ/5.6, (35mm = 600)]
Why 1/4000? Well, when you are shooting football from the end zone to the other end of the field with a 600mm, you may want to crop. I do crop to get even closer. Therefore this is more like shooting with a 1200mm lens or longer. The longer the lens [CROPPING needs to be factored in], the higher the shutter speed. If you are shooting a 200mm, then shooting at 1/200 shutter speed works pretty well for stationary objects. Following the football field action means your camera moves a lot.
I have found that my photos looked even better at 1/4000 than they did at 1/2000. I am moving the camera, and the player is moving–we are not always in sync. They may Zig while I Zag. That is, they are going opposite my movement, which accentuates the action.
Michigan State vs Pittsburgh [NIKON Z 9, Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 Sport, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 8000, 1/4000, ƒ/2.8, (35mm = 160)]
While I am in Aperture Mode shooting, the camera will always pick 1/4000 shutter speed. If in sunlight I am at ƒ/4, the shutter speed may go as high as 1/8000 at ISO 100, but as the scene changes and the athlete is now in the shade, the camera will automatically drop to 1/4000 @ ƒ/4, and then change also the ISO up until I can still shoot at 1/4000.
The only time the shutter speed will dip below 1/4000 is if the ISO peaks out at 25600. If my aperture is wide open, the camera is doing everything I would have done manually, but faster than I could ever adjust the camera. That is how you get more shots than the guy next to you.
Nikon Z9 Sports Settings
Next, select the Pencil on the menu and go into the Custom settings bank.
Nikon Z9 Sports Settings
Again just like the Photo Shooting Menu, create a Sports Menu as I have done here.
Nikon Z9 Sports Settings
Next, choose Autofocus in the menu.
Nikon Z9 Sports Settings
Then choose the Focus tracking with lock-on.
Nikon Z9 Sports Settings
I change the “Focus tracking with lock-on” from Normal to 4. What happens when I do this is the delay for the lens to refocus if something occurs between the camera and subject (like a referee). While I am following someone, the camera will not refocus right away. This is something you need to try and pick what you like. You may want the lens to be more responsive and therefore go to set one, letting the lens refocus instantly.
Focus Settings
You want to pick Autofocus Continuous mode for sports.
Nikon Z9 Sports Settings
In the menu, Pencil selections, pick AF Activation under the Autofocus settings.
Nikon Z9 Sports Settings
Then choose the AF-ON only. This will mean when you push the shutter release, it will not focus but fire the shutter to take a photo.
By changing these settings, you will notice the camera will stay in focus and shoot faster frame rate. Great for following a baseball player sliding into a plate and another player trying to tag them, or maybe a football player is running towards you to score. You will find more photos tack sharp in a series.
I generally put my focus point dead center and lock it, so I don’t bump it. I am trying to get photos of moving subjects, and off-center is too tricky. I may crop later for a better composition, but I want the issue to focus first.
Now, this gets a little complicated so pay attention to the highlighted text above.
Here are the selections again with more explanation
Turn off VR on your lens. The simple fact is that VR is a solution to a problem, and if you don’t have that problem using VR can become a problem of its own. VR should generally be off if your shutter speed is over 1/1000.
After doing my findings, someone shared that Nikon came out with their guide for shooting sports.Here is that PDF for you.
Using Nikon’s NX software I can see where my camera was focusing when I took the shot. As you can see in the full-frame image below, it was sharp.
Then I took a second photo and zoomed in on the couple.
Same settings as before, but focus point was off.
After taking that second photo, I noticed later it was soft.
I wasn’t pleased with all. I had seen this ad pop up on my social media for a while called Topaz Sharpening AI. You can download it and try it. It just puts a watermark on the photo. I tried it with this photo and ended up buying the software.
A 2nd Chance Bail Bonds
Here is a closeup of the difference.
Topaz Sharpening AI used
While the software improved the focus compared to getting a camera, that is still the best.
As it came out of camera with minor Lightroom editing
While a photo may look great–seeing the before gives you a peek into what a professional photographer brings to a project.
Tesla Service Center – 1875 Greers Chapel Road, Kennesaw, GA 30144
With a smartphone camera, anyone can get a photo of them before. However, a professional uses the skills of lighting and editing to transform this into an “Eye-Popping” photo.
I shot this photo with my cellphone to show the setup. All four strobes are set to full power.
I first shot this photo when I arrived.
Tesla
1875 Greers Chapel Road, Kennesaw, GA 30144
I was not a fan of that tree.
Tesla
1875 Greers Chapel Road, Kennesaw, GA 30144
I like them now, both for different reasons. I will let the client choose the angle to use.
[Copied from an article featuring my expertise in Online Searchable Photography Catalog. Here is the original.]
If you’ve tasted their chicken sandwiches, you get it.
The last time we spoke to Chick-fil-A’s multitalented storytelling extraordinaire, Stanley Leary he shared how he project-managed the implementation of PhotoShelter to help unify the brand’s visual asset management and contributed creative content ideas to get people nationwide obsessed with eating more chicken.
During the Innovation Summit, Stanley shared a few more invaluable nuggets of wisdom about corporate visual asset management that cluckedstuck out.
Watch the entire session below or try the DAM tips out first:
Add keywords as you upload your images to PhotoShelter; they’re “the hot sauce of content.” Adding metadata makes assets in your media library instantly accessible—more discoverable and easier to search for, and speaking from experience, Stanley agrees, “The turning point for Chick-Fil-A for using PhotoShelter more effectively—especially for people who are out there doing journalism and taking pictures and writing normal captions—if you put keywords in, your organization can use them for a lot more than just the initial concept of what you shoot them for…you can move your photos beyond the initial assignment and use them for a lot more,” he said.
Create a keyword list unique to your organization’s needs. If you’re in retail, make your keywords about your merchandise and brand materials. If you’re in higher education, try adding keywords for location, people, year, and campaign when necessary. Whatever your business may be, make sure your keyword list represents what your users most commonly look for and need. Stanley said, “If the user can not find the photos they’re looking for, it’s not a successful system.” After initiating a live exercise with the session audience—asking them to look at an image and submit their keywords to a group Slack chat, Stanley noted that people’s answers don’t tend to be consistently the same, so you can’t just onboard a team to a DAM platform with zero training. “You need to create a keyword list that’s structured for your organization,” he said.
Sync Google Analytics with your PhotoShelter account to get real-time analytics about the way users search for images and use that to inform your brand’s keyword best practices. Stanley said, “One of the best things that PhotoShelter offers is the Google Analytics [Integration.] If you’re not doing that, you’re missing out on an opportunity because the advantage of Google Analytics is that I can go back to 2006 and I can pull up all the search terms that everybody has searched for within Chick-Fil-A’s PhotoShelter account. So, the best way to massage your keyword list is to look at how people are searching in your catalog. You also, every once in a while, want to go to your user because you want this to be user-friendly.”
Nothing lasts forever, (except PhotoShelter,) so back up your assets because you can never be too safe. Stanley told a cautionary tale about a former colleague who was the President Emeritus at Georgia Tech while he worked there. This former colleague, Wayne Clough, left to become the Secretary of the Smithsonian and eventually came back to Georgia Tech looking for images for a book he wanted to write about his time at the school, but all the archival media was destroyed in a basement flood. His firm advice? “Keep your images in 3 places: Your computer, external hard drive or server, and PhotoShelter,” Stanley said..
When the phone rings and I are asked to do a project, it is rewarding and prosperous. What do you do when the phone doesn’t ring?
In business, there is so much work that must be done that while it doesn’t look like it is productive if neglected can make things worse.
Office staff working on the books the old fashioned way at the Baptist Medical Centre in Nalerigu, Ghana. [NIKON D2X, 18.0-50.0 mm f/2.8, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 400, 1/160, ƒ/2.8, (35mm = 31)]
There is always paperwork to do, especially if you are an entrepreneur who is a one-person operation like me.
Working on my books is one of the first things I do on most slow days. This is to be sure all the ledgers are up to date. Often this means sending out reminders to slow payers.
Take the time to learn something new. Over the years, I have invested in numerous books, magazines, and many online videos to stay up to date on my industry.
“A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.”
— George Bernard Shaw
Be proactive. Plan your life rather than just reacting to things.
One of the best ways to plan is to network. This means you must gather the names of people and organizations you want to work with in the future.
Work on creating a database of new prospects. Also, make a plan on how you will connect with these people.
These are ways that I connect with my audience:
Monthly Newsletter
Blog – tips for my audience
Postcards – small taste of my portfolio
Phone calls
E-mail
[NIKON D4, 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 100, 1/500, ƒ/5.6, (35mm = 200)]
For the self-employed, taking some of this time for personal time is much easier. Many business owners are so busy running their businesses that home chores and projects don’t get done.
So many of my friends have discovered they can work from anywhere this past year. Many college students also realized that they could be anywhere if their classes were all online. I know some friends of mine went to Colorado and snowed skiing during their breaks.
Another friend of mine is planning to work from Hawaii for a month.
“The only man who makes no mistakes is the man who never does anything.”
– Theodore Roosevelt
For those who work the gig economy, having a phone and computer with you means you can work your downtime from anywhere. Visit your family and if a call comes that you need to respond to, then adjust.
Cluster Team from the Corporate Office volunteers at Hosea Feed the Hungry
[NIKON D4, 14.0-24.0 mm f/2.8, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 6400, 1/60, ƒ/5.6, (35mm = 16)]
Volunteer in your community. Find something that you can do to give back. It helps others and lets others know your heart for the community.
One of the best things to do during a slow time is marketing. You may be someone who needs to promote your products or services to drum up new business. Having authentic images of your product, company, or staff can put you ahead of your competitors, and I can help you with it.
Work on telling your story of your business and how it intersects with your customer’s story. Please hire me to help get on video client testimonials on how you made their lives better.
Do you need employees? How about letting me help you record the testimonials of your employees and why they like working for you?
There is much to do today in this downtime. What action will you take today?
There are many reasons your organization will fail in the next generation. Most of the reasons are the present leadership not planning for the change.
In this post, I want to talk about realistic planning for budgeting. Most of the time, organizations plan to maintain the same roles as they have now, which is one of the biggest mistakes. As you grow and mature your organization is developing just like you did go through school.
Many of us have gone through preschool, elementary, middle school, high school, college, and advanced degrees. Your organization also develops similarly.
The Citadel: The seniors just walked the Long Gray Line across the parade field. Now they are just celebrating. [NIKON D3, 14.0-24.0 mm f/2.8, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 360, 1/80, ƒ/13, (35mm = 14)]
You start with one teacher, and then when you progress upward, you need more teachers in specialties to help you maximize your talents.
If you retire and the organization is still in the elementary years, it may fail because they were not planning for the need for more staff, more supplies, and space to operate in the future.
Let me tell you the story of how one man [Zack] hurt a nonprofit because they were focused so much on the present that he was not helping the organization plan for tomorrow.
The most significant need of a nonprofit is to tell its story to its donors. Zack was one of the best marketing guys in the business. He was working for a fortune 50-size company. He knew how to tell stories to build a brand.
He had a huge heart for this nonprofit’s mission. They were an educational nonprofit that was changing communities all over Asia. Zack knew that the organization couldn’t afford him, so he donated all of his time.
The problem came when Zack could no longer help the organization. He had retired, and his health kept him from being able to contribute anymore.
He never helped the organization understand how they needed to budget for someone like him in the future. He didn’t groom the next marketing/communications person. He loved to travel, and the organization was thriving. He also loved to do a lot of the work himself. He took photos and videos and wrote as well. He found his friends to help as well.
This is changing the guard ceremony as part of the annual Corps Day/Recognition Day weekend ceremonies. This is when the Summerall Guards performed their last precision drills as a unit and then passed their rifles to the new platoon. [NIKON D3, 122.0-300.0 mm f/2.8, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 200, 1/800, ƒ/4, (35mm = 390)]
Don’t be just like Zack for your organization. Teach and mentor those who will replace you. Most of all, help set up the organization to afford later to pay someone with your skills. Help them understand how to budget for the organization with the next generation of leaders.
Great leaders prepare the next generation and work themselves out of their job.
You see, Zack had succumbed to pride and his ego. He loved doing the work and getting recognition for it as well. Zack was on an ego trip.
If you were no longer around and the rest of the staff as well all left, what would the organization need not just to survive but thrive? Take the time away from the present work to plan for future work. Create teams to help budget for the needs of the future.
You will discover that the time for the new leadership to start taking ownership is long before you are ready to give it up.
The Citadel: Commencement 2011
[NIKON D3S, 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 12800, 1/1600, ƒ/3.8, (35mm = 35)]
Chase Bank, 4241 Roswell Road, Atlanta, GA 30342 Six Strobes were used in addition to the natural lighting. [NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, Mode = Manual, ISO 400, 1/4, ƒ/8, (35mm = 24)]
What does it mean to see someone in a better light?
This is an expression of seeing something from a different perspective. For example, you always thought someone was bad, but after talking with them, you now see them in a different light. (Now you see them differently and think they are very nice)
It is an Idiom
The two words Better & Light together give us a new meaning in language.
Chase Bank
4241 Roswell Road
Atlanta, GA 30342
Without the extra light on the building, you are missing the “WOW FACTOR.”
Chase Bank
4241 Roswell Road
Atlanta, GA 30342
Even waiting for the dramatic sky and lights on the building were not giving the same results that I do with my “Dusk” or “Dawn” architecture photography. If you notice the street lights in the photo, I had to fix the one on the left that wasn’t on in the final image. Again another thing I do to help my client’s work to be seen in the “Best Light.”
Chase Bank
4241 Roswell Road
Atlanta, GA 30342
The key to Dusk and Dawn photos is that everything isn’t getting equal amounts of light as you get during daytime. If you want your photos to be more dramatic, be sure the light is where you want it and not just everywhere evenly.
Chase Bank 4241 Roswell Road Atlanta, GA 30342 Three strobes are helping with the lighting. [NIKON D5, 14.0-24.0 mm f/2.8, Mode = Manual, ISO 400, 1/8, ƒ/5.6, (35mm = 19)]
Now the differences between these photos are much more than just lights. More than 30 photos were taken at each angle—different exposures and light capturing. Then, after some minor editing, I select 3 to 5 photos blended in PhotoShop to give the results you are seeing.
Lidl Building – 670 Whitlock Ave – Marietta – GA 30064 5 strobes used in this photo [NIKON Z 6, 14.0-24.0 mm f/2.8, Mode = Manual, ISO 400, 1/15, ƒ/8, (35mm = 14)]
So when I arrived just before Dusk, I got this photo below.
Lidl Building – 670 Whitlock Ave – Marietta – GA 30064
I asked the manager if they could move those pallets. Again I took 30+ photos and, after minor editing, picked five pictures that I blended to get the final image.
Is Good Enough going to make you Competitive?
Today, so many people use their cameras on their phones and tend to say it is good enough. That lets you get these before photos I am showing here.
Can you continue to get jobs and projects with “Good Enough”? Can you pay your people good salaries with “Good Enough”? Can you deliver yourself enough for a comfortable lifestyle?
Hire a professional photographer whose portfolio shows they can put your products in the best light. Doesn’t your work deserve it?
Tony Messano, a creative director who designed my logo, said one day that he would hire photographers to take his vision and improve it.
Today’s phone cameras are good enough to get some great photos. What does the pro bring that you cannot get with your phone?
George C. Griffin [NIKON Z 6, 14.0-24.0 mm f/2.8, Mode = Manual, ISO 100, 1/5000, ƒ/2.8, (35mm = 14)]
A professional photographer’s biggest strength is their ability to “Write With Light.” That is what the word photography is about–Writing With Light.
The coining of the word “photography” is usually attributed to Sir John Herschel in 1839. It is based on the Greek φῶς (phots), (genitive: photo’s) meaning “light,” and γραφή (graphê), representing “drawing, writing,” together meaning “drawing with light.”
By adding light to help enhance the light on the statue of Dean Griffin at Georgia Tech, I could make the figure look different.
Different
My friend Dave Black, Nikon Ambassador and professional photographer says, “Look for something ‘Different’ not necessarily ‘Better.’” Dave had discovered through his career that when something is “Different,” the audience will stop and look.
Dean Griffin Statue. [NIKON Z 6, 70.0-200.0 mm f/2.8, Mode = Manual, ISO 100, 1/2000, ƒ/2.8, (35mm = 200)]
Another thing other than light is the composition that a trained eye brings. Notice in this photo how Dean Griffin looks like he is looking down and even has a depressing look to the picture.
Dean Griffin Statue [NIKON Z 6, 35.0 mm f/1.4, Mode = Manual, ISO 100, 1/2500, ƒ/1.4, (35mm = 35)]
By changing the camera angle and perspective, I make him look more authoritative and a leader.
By the way, the client called me needing help with their annual report cover. They wanted a photo to be “Iconic” about their foundation. They raise funds to help students get an education. I knew that Dean Griffin established and managed an emergency loan fund to assist students with financial difficulties, and he started, with his funds, Georgia Tech’s Central Placement Office. After his retirement, he operated a job placement service for alumni over forty.
I proposed the Statue of Dean George C. Griffin for their cover. I mentioned I had done something similar for S. Truett Cathy for Chick-fil-A. I sent them this photo of the statue of Cathy in front of the Original Dwarf House in Hapeville, Georgia.
Truett Cathy Statue at the Original Dwarf House [NIKON D750, 35.0 mm f/1.4, Mode = Manual, ISO 50, 1/4000, ƒ/1.4, (35mm = 35)]
They were initially looking at real people. The advantage of going with a statue of someone who is no longer here but embodies the institution’s core values is that it becomes “Iconic.”
Adobe finally put some of the tools in PhotoShop into Lightroom Classic. One is Artificial Intelligence that will find your subject and mask it.
As you can see above, I did that with this group photo. I did this because the background is a little hot, and I want to tone it down.
So here is what I started with, as you can see below.
After using the Select Subject mask, I inverted the selection.
Then I just darkened the background and ended up with this final image.
[NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 2000, 1/100, ƒ/5.6, (35mm = 35)]
How long it takes for Lightroom Classic to find the subject has a great deal to do with your computer’s power. It does take a few seconds for it to do its magic.
TIP 2
Using the metadata embedded in your images from your camera can also speed up your editing.
I often will select a lens or camera to edit just those images. The idea is to get all the similar photos in your selection and sync your editing over all those images that have a similarity.
This week I was shooting an event where I shot about half of the photos with available light and the rest with flash. I noticed the color needed a tweak on all the flash shots. I shot them using slow sync, and some available light gave a color cast that I wanted to correct.
I used the pull-down menu to select “Flash State” and picked all those that the flash “Did fire.” Then I selected all the images and did a color correction.
To speed up your editing, group images with similar edits together.
[DJI Air 2s, Mode = Normal, ISO 100, 1/4000, ƒ/2.8, (35mm = 22)]
The pandemic cut the number of jobs most photographers and videographers were doing. It did give us time to practice, but it was hard some days to do anything.
I have been trying to remind myself to push and take out the cameras and shoot for myself.
[DJI Air 2s, Mode = Normal, ISO 110, 1/250, ƒ/2.8, (35mm = 22)] Amphitheater at a friend’s home in Fayetteville, GA.
Flying my drone has helped a great deal this past couple of years. It is still new to me, and the perspectives are not something I see daily walking around.
Delta Plane landing at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport [NIKON D5, 28.0-300.0 mm f/3.5-5.6, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 400, 1/4000, ƒ/5.6, (35mm = 300)]
Sometimes I am on the ground looking up, as I did the other day in the Georgia International Convention Center parking lot in College Park, Georgia. I enjoy seeing things from a different perspective.
Springer Opera House [DJI Air 2s, Mode = Normal, ISO 150, 1/350, ƒ/2.8, (35mm = 22)]
While visiting my daughter in Columbus, Georgia, the past couple of times, I took my drone out and flew it. Since she works at the Springer Opera House, a historic theater at 103 Tenth Street in Downtown Columbus, Georgia, I flew it over the facility.
Springer Opera House [DJI Air 2s, Mode = Normal, ISO 150, 1/240, ƒ/2.8, (35mm = 22)]
Luck was on my side that day. The people at Springer saw the photos and realized a couple of days later that when they leaked into the ceiling, they could use my photos to find the leak.
[DJI Air 2s, Mode = Normal, ISO 120, 1/640, ƒ/2.8, (35mm = 22)]
I took out the drone earlier last month to show the work they were putting in 4 piers to help stabilize our shifting foundation. Now all this work is underground, and unless you saw them put it in, you would never know.
Engineered Solutions repairing our foundation with 4 piers
[NIKON Z 6, VR Zoom 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED, Mode = Aperture Priority, ISO 5000, 1/400, ƒ/5.6, (35mm = 90)]
Of course, I took some close-up shots as well.
New roof install from Findley Roofing
[DJI Air 2s, Mode = Normal, ISO 100, 1/500, ƒ/2.8, (35mm = 22)]
In July, we had our roof replaced due to hail damage. I took out the drone to get some photos to see what they were doing.
Look for those opportunities to Practice!
All these examples are just me showing that you can practice all the time. The things happening in the exact skills I am using for my projects will later be what I am called on to do for my clients.
Kona, Hawaii
[DJI Air 2s, Mode = Normal, ISO 450, 1/13, ƒ/2.8, (35mm = 22)]
While in Hawaii, I took my drone. Every year since 2006, I have been going to Kona but have never seen the campus where I taught from the air. I could see how close we were to downtown Kona.
University of the Nations ~ YWAM
[DJI Air 2s, Mode = Normal, ISO 120, 1/1250, ƒ/2.8, (35mm = 22)]
By just deciding to practice and have fun, I could see the difference between daytime shooting and nighttime. I now have some examples of the exact location day and night to help customers understand the advantages of each time for their projects.
Chelle Leary
[NIKON Z 6, 24.0-105.0 mm f/4.0, Mode = Manual, ISO 100, 1/4, ƒ/4, (35mm = 52)]
My daughter likes to experiment as much as I do, so we played around with colored gels for her college graduation shots. I hadn’t used these in more than 15 years, and pulling them out and trying something new was fun for us.
Practice is about experimenting and stretching yourself.
Artistically speaking, practice allows you to work out problems in a technique that mean the difference between a basic doodle and a resolved piece of art. Drawing the same or similar subjects repeatedly helps you learn the subject’s shape, form, and texture.
The more you practice, the better you will get. Being an artist is about experiencing new things and about individual creation. If you keep trying new mediums and new techniques, you’ll learn to incorporate more of them into finished projects and round out your skill set.
