Evening.
6 (a nice long nap today kept it from being a 9)
5 (would have been 1, but I managed a load of laundry and two loads of dishes today)
5 (the days have been okay, but the nights are horrendous. I keep coughing myself awake)

I took a photo this morning of a scooter for sale at the boot sale. The make was a TGB. Apparently it had only done 700 miles.
( b3th Not shit. Not mod., Sun 15 Jan 2012, 19:18, 1 reply, 14 years ago)

B3th, I've just gone through your pic-a-day album, I love some of those shots ! You got an interesting eye for things.
I'm not even going to begin to go where everyone else will expect me to do about that bike.
( G/PP 💩💩💩💩💩&#128, Sun 15 Jan 2012, 19:20, Reply)

Aw, thank you.
But I keep comparing my shots to other, better photographers, and they seem really .... I don't know what. Amateurish, I suppose. Maybe I'm just too close to them to judge.
( b3th Not shit. Not mod., Sun 15 Jan 2012, 19:24, Reply)

1. look at photographers. Proper ones like Edward Weston, Bill Brandt* for example (not the shit that keeps turning up on flickr)
2.work out what makes their pictures ace (composition, light, tone, viewpoint, etc.)
3. do that.
4. practise - you don't get to be perfect at photography straight away, that's not how it works in anything else, why should photography be different? You've got a good start, now keep at it.

* or more documentary ones like Martin Parr, William Eggleston, etc.
( Citizen Cavy Admires your passion for conformity, Sun 15 Jan 2012, 19:34, Reply)

oh yeah, that does sound mean
i actually think your pictures are all right, it was meant to be encouraging.
( Citizen Cavy Admires your passion for conformity, Sun 15 Jan 2012, 19:36, Reply)

Thank you.

( b3th Not shit. Not mod., Sun 15 Jan 2012, 19:40, Reply)

oh, i feel like i said bad things
it's basically what i say about 1 million times a day, but it looks harsh written down.
( Citizen Cavy Admires your passion for conformity, Sun 15 Jan 2012, 19:42, Reply)

It's good advice, I've put your previous advice into practice this past few months.

( Noeli overtheshoulderboulderholderthingstraplatchboobs, Sun 15 Jan 2012, 19:46, Reply)

:)
yay!
( Citizen Cavy Admires your passion for conformity, Sun 15 Jan 2012, 19:52, Reply)

No, don't feel bad.
You're perfectly qualified to give me advice in this field.
I keep thinking I like the composition of what I take, but when I come to process them it never seems to crop right, or the colour balance is off. I haven't ever studied photography, which is probably why. mr b3th studied for four years, and his pictures are absolutely excellent. Especially his portraits. The man has a real gift.
( b3th Not shit. Not mod., Sun 15 Jan 2012, 19:48, Reply)

The only tips I can give, with no qualifications whatsoever, are:
* take your camera everywhere and whatever catches your eye, take a few shots of it
* learn the ins and outs of your camera and what each function does, so you can customise your shooting to the situation or outcome you want
* practice, practice, practice
Oh and your photos aren't as bad as you think they are. Try not to compare yourself with other photographers and enjoy taking pictures for YOU.
( Noeli overtheshoulderboulderholderthingstraplatchboobs, Sun 15 Jan 2012, 19:51, Reply)

I'm hoping this project will help along those lines.
And that there'll be some kind of visible progression by teh end of the year.
( b3th Not shit. Not mod., Sun 15 Jan 2012, 19:53, Reply)

I've already found that constantly having my camera with me for the project is causing me to think about shots.
I keep spotting things out of the corner of my eye when I'm driving and thinking "That looks interesting" - like the angel in the graveyard. I drove past it at the start of the week and saw a couple of quirky buildings and stopped later in the week. The buildings were good but the graves, flowers and surrounding flora and fauna were much more interesting. It's a good excuse to go exploring.
( Noeli overtheshoulderboulderholderthingstraplatchboobs, Sun 15 Jan 2012, 19:55, Reply)

this^^
get inspiration not competition
( Citizen Cavy Admires your passion for conformity, Sun 15 Jan 2012, 19:54, Reply)

i think the key is to take lots of images of a thing to explore it
this, i reckon, is the problem with the 'one a day' approach.

Composition tip: look at the WHOLE of the viewfinder/LCD and arrange stuff in it. You control the picture and you are MAKING an image, not just taking a likeness of a thing.

Also, some pictures are best without the over-thinking. Photography is not always what people think it is.
( Citizen Cavy Admires your passion for conformity, Sun 15 Jan 2012, 19:52, Reply)

I'm not 'only' taking one a day
just publishing the one I like best out of teh ones I take. Well, mostly. There have been two days where I only managed one picture, so I just had to publish that one.
( b3th Not shit. Not mod., Sun 15 Jan 2012, 19:54, Reply)

good good!
that's the best way :)
( Citizen Cavy Admires your passion for conformity, Sun 15 Jan 2012, 19:55, Reply)

That's the beauty of the digital camera.
When I've visited somewhere special before (you know, back in the olden days) I'd end up with three or four rolls of pictures to get two or three shots worth showing.
( b3th Not shit. Not mod., Sun 15 Jan 2012, 19:57, Reply)

Feel free to post some of your other favourite images from the day in another album.
I posted my "one" and a few others from today's walk. Nowt wrong with that.
( Noeli overtheshoulderboulderholderthingstraplatchboobs, Sun 15 Jan 2012, 19:56, Reply)

I keep meaning to process my Iceland pics
not that any of them are much shakes photo wise, but the scenery was glorious
( Amberl was stripey and dominated Europe, Sun 15 Jan 2012, 20:00, Reply)