Paul Lester Photo

Previously, I said that it’s not about the camera and I stand by that assertion. The camera is the tool, it is the photographer that provides the idea. So, you want to take good pictures?

“A great photograph is one that fully expresses what one feels, in the deepest sense, about what is being photographed.” – Ansel Adams

What more can I say? Ansel Adams said it best. I’ll elaborate a bit: I love the outdoors. As a child, I used to go and sit in the woods and watch the chipmunks, smell the woods, read a book, and just enjoy nature. To me, this was much more interesting than watching TV. Further, I thought that one day I’d like to be a Park Ranger! But, alas, I am a Software Developer. Anyway …

It is far easier to take a good picture of something that you love, admire, cherish, etc. than it is to take of something that you have no interest in. If you are in it strictly for the money or fame, then there’s not much of either in photography!

So, how can you take better photographs? A few ideas:

1. Pay attention – There are any number of photographic opportunities for those who will wait patiently and watch.
2. If you love it, photograph it!
3. Dawn – Get up early. Some of the sweetest light occurs in the morning from about 30 minutes before sunrise until about 45 minutes after sunrise.
4. Dusk – About 1 hour before sunset until about 40 minutes after sunset, the light is again, spectacular. The angle of the sun is fantastic, the shadows are not too deep, and the textures are amazing.
5. Shoot! Shoot! Shoot! Realistically, I only like about 5 – 10% of my shots, which is another reason that I shoot digital. There are no added costs for experimenting and photography takes a lot of experimentation!
6. Get to know your subject! Find your subject, take shots in different light, closer, farther away, above, below, next to, in front, behind, left, right, etc. Explore every single angle, even from underneath. Come back again and again and again. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter.
7. Learn! Learn! Learn! Look at other people’s work. Find what you like or what you don’t like, but don’t try to duplicate their work, find your own space. Learn about composition and lighting and what makes an attractive photograph.
8. Have fun! Let yourself go. Experiment a lot.

Sure, he’s shiftless, lazy, unemployed, and basically good for nothing except as a “love sponge”, at which he excels, but sometimes he has great ideas!

What I’ve learned is that sometimes you just have to say: To heck with the normal everyday world, find a nice comfortable place to lay your head and enjoy the sunshine.

I guess that this would be as good of a place to start as any. I love photography and I love the environment. When I place the two together, allows me to say what I need to say without having to use many words. As they, say, whoever they are, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Most recently, I haven’t been taking many photographs because I allowed life to get in the way, but that is about to end. I’ve been out nearly every day taking pictures for the last couple of weeks and it is quite relaxing and exhilarating at the same time. Now, my lovely wife of 15 years, is supporting me for a brief sabbatical of 2 – 3 months. During this time I will be among the ranks of the unemployed and out photographing every day, if possible.

I have already offered my services as a volunteer for a museum in York, SC. I need to return their call tomorrow.

With photography, there is so much to see, even in visiting the same place over and over and over. The more intimate that you become with a place, the more that you see. I’ve been photographing Reedy Creek Nature Preserve, off and on, for about a year and each time that I go, I find something new.

This morning is kind of cool, about 50 degrees, windy, and cloudy, so I decided to stay inside and work on my website. I’m trying to get a feeling for what type of design I’d like. I want for it to have an environmental theme.