One with the camera blog

Upcoming photography classes in Sparta

I have settled into studio space in Sparta now. So it is time to start up the classes I have been planning for. The first one will be a beginning photography class. It will start the 16th of April from 7 to 9 PM EDT and go for 4 weeks. It will be held at the studio in beautiful downtown Sparta, MI. Topics covered will include photo composition, what exposure is, how to shoot in program mode, aperture priority, shutter priority, and manual mode, and when to chose each. You will get a chance to shoot portraits, candids, nature, and action photography. We will also talk some about different equipment and get an understanding on things like different camera lenses and what the designations mean. The class will cost $80.

The second class is on photography lighting. It is a class that will cover both studio strobes and portable speedlights. You will learn how to set the camera for the lighting, how to modify the lighting, and the differences in different types of speed lights. You will also learn about reflectors and diffusers, how to use them, and how beneficial they can be. That class will start Wednesday April 24th and go for three weeks from 7 to 9 PM. The class will cost $60.

Find a camera club

A great way to learn more about photography is to join other photographers to talk about photography and to go out and shoot together. Often the photography clubs will host photo outings or workshops where you can go out with others to shoot different types of photos. So they might do a photo walk around town. Or they might setup a portrait shoot workshop or beach shoot with models. They might also have photo competitions or critique sessions.

If you are in West Michigan there are several camera clubs that I can recommend right away. The first is the Grand Rapids Camera Club. They have been around since 1899. The group is very active and has a lot going on all the time. The second is a very new group, the Sparta Camera Club in Sparta, Mi. This group is less than a year old, but already is starting to grow. The third is the River City Camera Club. This club is not as old as the Grand Rapids Camera Club, but is a well established group too.

Both the Grand Rapids Camera Club and the River City Camera Club are hosting photo shoots on the beach of Lake Michigan within the next 6 weeks. I started with the Grand Rapids Camera Club a year ago at their annual beach shoot. It was a fun time and a great way to get to know some of the members in a relaxed setting.

Striving to become a better photographer one photo at a time

The primary goal in my site is to help others learn photography. Well to learn things that I am learning. I am not a full time professional photographer. But I do take my photography seriously. I suppose I could be called a pro-am. I have sold some of my work. I have done a number of portrait sessions and a couple weddings. Most of the time my goal is to "do art" and to learn and stretch in the process. I mainly want to create beautiful art.

Many people pick up a camera and take snapshots. Fewer people take photographs. What is the difference you ask? Well a snapshot is that photo where you wonder maybe what the person was really looking at? Or you simply say "Hmmmm.... " and move on. A photograph is something where the person has made a decided effort to tell some sort of story with the camera. The story might be journalistic in nature, or it might show something interesting about the human condition. It might be an expression of the beauty around us. Primarily the difference is that a photograph is purposeful. A snapshot is something that sort of happens, sort of like a car crash at a busy intersection.

Those of us who consider ourselves true photographers know we are all on a journey. As we take more photos we learn more. Each day we study a little more to get a little better. The lesson might be in ideas for how to pose people. Or it might be a study in lighting. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it falls apart. But through it all we grow.

This site is a place where I share my journey. I let you in on my victories and failures. I try to help you learn as I learn. I share books that I have found meaningful in my journey. I will even be sharing ebooks shortly teaching the skills I have learned. I have a a blog where I share many different tips on photography, and soon on photo editing as well. Look for videos on photography and photo editing. You can also follow tweets @onewithcamera. Feel free to send questions. You just might find answers on upcoming blog posts.
I am still working on getting my blog moved around.... but you can still get to the original One with the camera blog with a click.

Photo Challenge

One of the best ways to get good at photography is to push yourself to take photos of subjects that you have not done before. There are a number of ways to do this. Here are a couple suggestions.

1) Do an alphabet challenge. This entails taking a photo for each letter of the alphabet. It can either be a photo of each letter of the alphabet, or of a subject that starts with each letter of the alphabet. Get creative with it. Find something unique with each letter.

2) Join a photo challenge group. There are a number of these on the Internet. The moderator will post a different topic either daily or weekly. Your goal then is to shoot something that fits that topic. Sometimes the challenge is not so much a topic but a different technique also.

3) Decide to take a month and shoot something totally outside your normal style of photography. For example, if you normally shoot nature photos try doing portraits for a month. Find some friends and head outside and take their portraits. If people are your normal subject then spend a month taking a load of flower shots.

4) Copy other works. This is all about using photos others have done as inspiration for your photos. Find a photo that you like that someone else did and try to duplicate it yourself. A lot of people will look at an Ansel Adams photo, find the place he took it, and take the same photo. Do the same thing, but stretch a little bit and find a similar place near you and try to get the same shot with the different location.