Shoot It Till Its Dead

by Jon Wason   copyright 2013

I am not a violent person but my philosophy is “shoot it till its dead.” As a photographer I am driven by the desire to capture a great image. Let me explain a bit more.

Last week I spotted an interesting, old, pickup truck parked along the highway so I stopped for a closer look. There is a center console next to the driver’s seat in my Toyota and my camera is almost always there ready for action.

Almost everyone is familiar with electron microscope images of sperm fertilizing an egg. What you see is the large round egg completely surrounded by the wriggling sperm cells. Similarly, when I find a good object to shoot, such as that vintage, red pickup, I shoot from all angles like the sperm attacking the egg. I shoot from straight on and slowly move around clicking from all angles. Another thing I do is and zoom in on some details like the chrome plated grill and the big round fenders. Also use a wide angle for some shots. Be sure to move back and get some distance shots, too. If you fortunate enough to have a bag full of lenses, mount ‘em and use ‘em.

The great thing about digital capture is that later you can delete the images you are not pleasing to you. A few years ago when I was using film, I shot less images because processing a roll of 36 exposure film was about 10 to 15 dollars. With digital a camera this is not a concern, so shoot all you want. However, keep in mind that you will spend some time holding your camera and reviewing images and deleting the ones you don’t like and later at your computer spend more time editing the images from your shoot. So there has to be some balance between quantity and quality.

Don’t be a violent person, but when you are out there with your camera remember to shoot your subject until it is dead.

Oh, Good it is Cloudy Today.

by Jon Wason   copyright 2012

Some people only want to grab their camera and shoot on sunny days. But you shouldn’t let a cloudy or rainy day stop you from shooting a great image. I am happy when I wake up, look out the window and see an overcast sky. That is because cloud cover provides diffused light which is softer than bright sunshine, so your images won’t have lots of harsh shadows. Remember, photography is all about light.

Studio photographers invest piles of money in a constant search for the latest light modifying equipment in an effort to illuminate their models with the softest light possible. However, an outdoor photographer who takes advantage of a cloudy sky has the benefit of even lighting as a free gift from Mother Nature. The cloud layer softens the sunlight and acts as a huge diffuser. The pleasing quality of light creates great portraits.

The Dutch Master painters of the1600s such as Rembrandt, Hals, and Vermeer appreciated the quality of soft light. What was their preferred light source? These painters loved to use a window that faced the North as their source of light, because the sunlight that enters is indirect and diffused. Take a look at the portraits painted by Rembrandt and you will see fine examples soft lighting.

On a bright, sunny, day when you photograph a person outdoors, they can end up with dark shadows under their nose, and chin. A guy wearing a baseball cap disappears under deep black shadows hiding his forehead and eyes. Noon is about the worst time of day, by the way. Of course this problem of harsh light can be remedied by using a flash as a fill light, but that is a topic for another posting. But, when you are shooting pictures of people outdoors, on an overcast day you can get some very pleasing images due to indirect lighting. 

When it comes to weather you have to take what you get. So when it is a cloudy or storming outside, take advantage of the situation. Grab your camera and go shoot some great images.

Capture the Golden Light of Sunset and Sunrise

The average person does not pay much attention to light, but photographers develop a sensitivity to the quality of light. For outdoor photography the "magic hour" is hour hour before sunset and one hour after sunrise. The sun at that time of day is not directly overhead and so it creates long shadows. The light is also not as bright and has a slight yellow cast.

F-stops, Apertures and Lenses: a Lesson with Jon Wason

What is an F-stop? What is an aperture? How does the f-stop relate to the shutter speed? Learn the answers to these questions and more. Jon Wason uses salt to represent light for a lesson that will clarify the concepts and help improve your photography.


Follow this link for a 9 minute video:


http://youtu.be/FBJLg77daP8