New Skills For '06

Catdaddy

Catdaddy

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Chris
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Ok, what with all this Xmas stuff and the "what's your best shot of '05" threads, I got to wondering...

a) what photographic skills people would like to acquire/develop over the next 12 months, and

b) what area of photography they would like to move into, if any

To kick things off, I would like to a) try and 'see' better photographic opportunities and to deveop my compositional skills, and b) try moving into portraiture to an extent
 
good question...

a) Learn how to use natural light and set up proper lighting effectively

b) I want to develop my portrait photography so that I can produce quality photos of my daughter.
 
Yeah good question.

A) I'd like to build my confidence more so that I get more street/candid stuff without even thinking twice about whether I should be taking photos of people I don't know.

B) I'd like to get a job that involves photography in some way and/or sell some of my photographs.
 
I'd like to get some of you together to do a sort of 'Masterclass' in street photography/photojournalism and try and pass on some of the things I've picked up over the years. London, maybe... Easter, perhaps?

I'm just aware that we get the same questions being asked from time to time...
 
fingerz said:
A) I'd like to build my confidence more so that I get more street/candid stuff without even thinking twice about whether I should be taking photos of people I don't know.
Click to expand...

I'm with Jamey on this one! Even asking a few yoofs on skateboards if they mind me taking photos was a real mental challenge. Obviously I got polite 'Yeah, no probs!' in response, and why wouldn't I, but I'd just built it up to a confrontational situation before I'd even got there! :D
 
Arkady said:
I'd like to get some of you together to do a sort of 'Masterclass' in street photography/photojournalism and try and pass on some of the things I've picked up over the years. London, maybe... Easter, perhaps?

I'm just aware that we get the same questions being asked from time to time...
Click to expand...

I'd be up for that ....very kind of you to share your knowledge, as long as it's only photography......I refuse to sleep in a drain , eat hedgehogs & walk from the Midlands to London in 48 hrs ;)

For me it's:-

- Find some Photography courses to go on, to increase my skills
- Look into Studio photography with aim to setup home studio & earn some pocket money from portrait shots.
 
Arkady said:
I'd like to get some of you together to do a sort of 'Masterclass' in street photography/photojournalism and try and pass on some of the things I've picked up over the years. London, maybe... Easter, perhaps?

I'm just aware that we get the same questions being asked from time to time...
Click to expand...

I agree with Dave on that, Rob - very kind of you to offer, and I'd certainly be up for that...
 
Arkady said:
I'd like to get some of you together to do a sort of 'Masterclass' in street photography/photojournalism and try and pass on some of the things I've picked up over the years. London, maybe... Easter, perhaps?

I'm just aware that we get the same questions being asked from time to time...
Click to expand...

I'd be up for that too. As to the questions -

1. Two parts - I'd like to get my head round exposure to the point where it might become second nature and to learn about my current lenses so as to get the best from them.

2. There's nothing I want to "move into". I'm up for anything - but I would like to be able to get the best out of an area of Yorkshire which is devoid of light, colour, form, interest etc :sulk:

regards
 
I'd certainly be up for a masterclass, always willing to learn, very good of you to offer Arkady!

a) I'd love to vastly improve my landscape shots. I need to learn and put into practice better composition as well as using natural light.

b) I'm with fingerz on this one. I love candid shots but don't have the confidence to take photos of anyone I don't know well enough to ask in the first place - which kind of defeats the purpose of candid photography. Also it would be nice to make some money from my hobbey. If only to fuel my need to buy equipment :D
 
OK that's a done deal then - if I get three people or more I'll set something up for the new year.
 
I'd have been interested in that if it weren't in London :(
 
If enough of you get this sorted I may fly over for a week and see family, catch up with friends and drop in for some free tuition. :)
 
As mentioned by Fingerz - "confidence" - however if I had confidence problems like him, I would not have any problems ;)

Improving my low light / night shooting skills, they currently suck:(
 
Without wishing to blow my own trumpet, I'm getting quite decent at night stuff. Managed to stay in ISO 100 yesterday evening while taking shots of the ice rink at Tower Bridge. My tripod-improvisation is coming along nicely. It was another test of my patented Jam & Twist™ technique.
 
Looking at where this thread's going, how about setting up some kind of 'mentoring' scheme for some one-to-one knowledge exchange or something? Not sure how viable it would be, but just an idea...
 
excellent idea Rob!

personally, i would like to take a picture in focus....
 
I vote one of the ladies teach us the ways of a womans mind.

Might be more than one day though....complex things that they are :D
 
Marcel said:
I vote one of the ladies teach us the ways of a womans mind.

Might be more than one day though....complex things that they are :D
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I can write you a random number generator if that would help, Marcel...
 
two things I intend to improve this year.

First is making time for taking landscapes. I usually see a scene and end up rushing as I'm late for something and end up with a dogs dinner of a composition/lighting blah blah.

Second is to learn what all the black art modes on the flashgun do and try to use it to greater effect.
 
Marcel said:
I vote one of the ladies teach us the ways of a womans mind.

Might be more than one day though....complex things that they are :D
Click to expand...

Allow me to help with this simple flowchart:


Code: 
[CENTER]
Is it [I]that[/I] time of the month?
|
|
------------
|          |
Yes         No
|          |
Stay at    Pot luck
friends'           
house              
[/CENTER]
 
Don't know if my aim is possible (old dogs and new tricks...).

I feel like this forum has already changed the way I look at things. There are often comments that analyse aspects of an image I had previously not considered. I don't just see a scene anymore, I find I'm thinking about the composition. Not sure I am thinking the right things a lot of the time but at least the idea is there.

I still see a lot of pictures that get praise that I just don't understand why (and I'm not just thinking of monochromes ;) ). So my aim is to study art a bit more and try to see what I am missing - in the hope it will help me improve.
 
First part of mine is sorted in that my new wife is sending me on a weekend digi course as part of my Xmas pressie - Hmmm womens minds and ulterior motives springs to mind she is going shopping for the weekend with a 'friend' !?!

But seriously;

I too have learned some valuable stuff from this Forum - it beats all others hands down ! And then for next year to increase my participation in a more active way;

1. I need to learn the posting fotos technique as I have failed miserably this year and

2. I must learn to manage my time to make more of it for photography so I have some decent stuff I would be confident to post (- edited is better !) :doh:

Cheers for asking;
 
I'd definitely be up for some kind of street photography 'masterclass' :)

My aims for the coming year are to develop my street photography skills/confidence, learn to use lighting better (both natural and flash/studio) and improve my composition (like CatDaddy said, to 'see' the opportunities better).
 
If we (I) get too many people, it'll be unworkable due to the amount of time I could spend with each person. 5-10 would be about right but as I've said, three would be my minimum.
Also - although I used to teach camera-handling to squaddies, it was on a five-day course with all the kit in the Nikon brochures on hand.
You'll be using your own kit and in the case of Canon users, kit I'll be unfamiliar with.

I'll stick therefore to the actual mechanics of photographing people on the street, from total candid stuff to walking up to strangers and asking to take their photo, but in a natural and relaxed manner.
I'll structure it around the three-day refresher I did recently in Sheffield with Paul Delmar and give you a series of tasks to provide the images. The deadlines will be horribly short, I warn you in advance. Things like "Bring me an Image suitable for broadsheet use of a Research chemist and bring it back in 45 minutes...Go!"

I'll recce the area thoroughly and only give tasks that can be accomplished within the specified time frame.
Then we'll de-brief each other's images and then go off as a group and do some monkey-see, monkey-do...
 
Arkady said:
If we (I) get too many people, it'll be unworkable due to the amount of time I could spend with each person. 5-10 would be about right but as I've said, three would be my minimum.
Also - although I used to teach camera-handling to squaddies, it was on a five-day course with all the kit in the Nikon brochures on hand.
You'll be using your own kit and in the case of Canon users, kit I'll be unfamiliar with.

I'll stick therefore to the actual mechanics of photographing people on the street, from total candid stuff to walking up to strangers and asking to take their photo, but in a natural and relaxed manner.
I'll structure it around the three-day refresher I did recently in Sheffield with Paul Delmar and give you a series of tasks to provide the images. The deadlines will be horribly short, I warn you in advance. Things like "Bring me an Image suitable for broadsgeet use of a Research chemist and bring it back in 45 minutes...Go!"

I'll recce the area thoroughly and only give tasks that can be accomplished within the specified time frame.
Then we'll de-brief each other's images and then go off as a group and do some monkey-see, monkey-do...
Click to expand...

superb! sounds great!:D
 
new skills for '06?

Bowhunting skills, nunchuck skills, computer hacking skills. Girls only like guys who have great skills!
Click to expand...

For me it's gonna be........

Learning to take photos for stock (i.e. what sells)

Improving my technique for 'studio' type stuff. I.e. not landscapes!
 
arkady that sounds fantastic, if i can get my arse to london id love to be there.
 
the skills I want to work on
1)photoshop cs how to use it.
2)learn more about studio lighting
I would aslo be interested in the masterclass
 
Arkady...definetely in...sounds excellent. Not sure I could keep up with your drinking though ;)
 
Rob, it might be time for you to decide who you want there - it's 9 by my count at the moment... Hope the head's in slightly better condition now than your liver is going to be...!
 
1/ Like others here, I would like to grow the balls for candid street photography.

2/Learn more about 'studio' lighting.

3/ Get printing (I don't have the gear or the knowledge at the moment).

4/ Get good enough generally to get some (more) paid gigs.
 
I think my main wish is to have more guts for street / candids / people photography.

Some days I can go out and be a bit cheeky. But 10 minutes later I'm a shy retiring wallflower, who won't get his camera out just incase anyone tells me off...lol
 
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