by I.J. Hudson 2021
Taking good pictures requires patience, an eye for composition, patience, and lots of practice.
So…. Take a lot of pictures. Why? Expressions, something will move, or pass you by. Clouds change. Kids stop smiling. The light changes dramatically (sometimes that’s good). And keep taking pictures as things change. A bird flies by, a kayak moves downstream, two friends are about to embrace. Take lots of pictures. Your chances of taking something memorable improve markedly. It’s digital. It doesn’t cost any more to take 20 shots than a single shot.
We say, “take a picture,” but what we really mean is capture information. Dang! Geek stuff coming up!
That’s right. Digital cameras use a sensor to capture information about what the camera “sees” through a lens. A little computer takes the information, creates a file, and generates a picture based on settings and the conditions when the picture was taken. If we like the picture – wonderful. If not, other software can help us make it more to our liking…but only so much.
That’s why it’s important to get a lot of good shots “in the camera.” If it’s a static situation, and your subject isn’t going anywhere, take a sneak peek at a few of the pictures. Anything need changing? Background? Was the focus sharp? Wide enough to show everything you wanted to show? Tight enough to highlight what you want to be in the picture?
Here are three pictures of a Great Blue Heron at different focal lengths. Which do you like, and why?
Sometimes the setting/environment is very important to the picture. Sometimes it’s the subject itself. That’s for you to decide.
But don’t delete what you think are bad pictures in the camera. Wait until you see it full screen. You could have a great shot and not realize it until it materializes on the screen.
I mention patience a lot. Become an observer. Watch your subjects. Many are creatures of habit, return to the same places, trace a circuit along a river. And if you keep watching, you’ll see opportunities for great pictures.
A group of Cormorants sits on branches in the Potomac. One starts to open his wings to dry. Soon, two others follow suit.
One snap of the camera is never enough.