There are so many tricks and little tips to taking better photos – it often seems like millions, doesn’t it? Well, it does to me. I thought of one last night that thought the listening audience might enjoy. This one is a toughie though (because it’s not that easy to do)…are you ready? here goes:
Shoot for fun
Yep, that’s it. I say it’s tough because we can often forget about the fun factor. We get caught up in the gear, the software, rules of composition, ISO’s shutters, apertures, marketing, advertising, booking gigs, constantly on the go, and all that stuff.
Last night I went out shooting with a buddy in downtown Denver – he’s only in town for a couple days, so didn’t have a lot of time. It was a last minute thing too, so not like I had time to do any major set up or preparation. Instead, we walked the 16th street mall – I showed him a slice of life in downtown Denver. We saw some street musicians and other performers, hit some of the tourist sites like the Performing Arts Center, Denver Post Building, etc., etc., etc. This is all stuff I’d seen before (and taken shots of before).
The difference last night? I was just out with a friend, shooting the breeze, talking about photography, laughing and joking around, then we grabbed a bite over at Maggiano’s, a great local Italian restaurant. It wasn’t all about the photography though – we were just having fun. Yet, we both got some photography in there too, because we’re both photography enthusiasts. (Well, I am an enthusiast, he’s a professional – his career deals a lot with photography, so he knows a bit more about it and does a great deal more.) We were just out having fun. And we (or at least I) had a blast!
Plus, he gave me a few pointers, so that’s always a good thing – to learn a little while having fun. But without the fun, the experience just isn’t the same. So, if you want a little secret to taking great shots – make sure you are having fun! If you’re having fun, you are more relaxed, and can go with the flow, letting creativity and inspiration come to you. I know I had a lot of fun, and some creative moments came out of our outing last night. So, to the rest of you – make sure you shoot for fun every once and a while – it can really help energize you! I’ll try to get a gallery of shots together for posting later – but until then, just keep on shooting. Thanks for stopping in and we’ll see you back here tomorrow!
