The Creative Photography Podcast

http://traffic.libsyn.com/creativephoto/Click_-_Bracketing_Your_Photos_For_the_Perfect_Image.mp3 Bracketing your images may sound technical but it’s really a simple insurance policy for getting the best exposure. You need to have a little more knowledge about using the aperture settingon your camera and once you understand aperture, bracketing is quite easy to do. If you aren’t sure, then check your camera manual to see if your camera can do bracketing.

Today we change the format slightly and start off a practical photo exercise. Practical exercises are the key to getting on your photographic journey. We look at a website recommendation as well as a tutorial and then hear some news on a WW2 Veteran photo shoot in New Zealand and a challenge to get involved in a community project. The New Zealand Professional Photographers decided to photograph WW2 veterans as many of them are in their 90s. Since the project started a number have already passed away. So getting it finished is vitally important. My challenge is that we find ways to get involved in community projects using our cameras. Enjoy the podcast. http://traffic.libsyn.com/creativephoto/CPP004-96k.mp3

http://traffic.libsyn.com/creativephoto/CPP003-96k.mp3 We talk about selfies, love or hate them the word is now in the Oxford dictionary. Why do we hate selfies (unless we have taken them)? Because they really are bad images taken from the wrong angle and violating all photo principles. So based on this we look at 10 rules for iPhone or smartphone photography. If you’re going to shoot using you smartphone then do it the right way. Our regular tutorial is replaced by another chat with our pro photographer Jules Goldswain. We end with a practical exercise. I honestly believe that the more use practical exercises the more creativity is stimulated.

http://traffic.libsyn.com/creativephoto/CPP002-96k.mp3 In this is show we talk about learning to see creatively. We look at a website recommendation, www.picturecorrect.com and an interview on closeup photography with Bernard Seymour-Hall. Then another creative tutorial, this time on shooting around the home when the weather is bad outside. The practical photo exercise to get you shooting more creatively is shooting blind by masking the LCD on your camera.

http://traffic.libsyn.com/creativephoto/Click001-5HindrancesThatBeginnersCanOvercome.mp3 Every photographer has to start somewhere and most beginners have to overcome several hindrances on their photography journey. Here are the top five that I have discovered and how to overcome them. There is a misnomer that great images are shot by professionals and that the rest of us fit into the category of happy snappers which are a sub-standard group of photographers. The great divide is a figment of your imagination. There is no wide gap and I am going to show you why. I find it amazing that the students I teach have this idea that they can’t take the great images the pros do and they have a mindset of inferiority. I am going to look at five hindrances that amateurs create for themselves, thereby limiting there photographic journey. 1. My photos are sub-standard This is probably true in certain respects but you will find that there are really great images scattered amongst your mainly average images. Key here is to find those images that are good and concentrating on making them better or shooting more like them. Here’s a practical exercise for you to do. Select a random number of your photos, whether they are prints or digital, and sort through them choosing the ones you think are great and that measure up to your standards. Place them in a pile or folder. Now pack the rest away, discard them or put them in a file somewhere on your PC. Take the good ones and focus on them. Now tell yourself that you can take good photos. This is the first step to becoming an above average photographer. Your journey has begun. Change that mindset now. 2. My equipment is not good enough This is a statement that so many budding photographers make. And how wrong can you be. Good photographers take good images and NOT good cameras. A great photographer will take a top image using just an ordinary camera. Forty years ago most images were shot with cameras that are nowhere near the quality of equipment we use today. Concentrate on your photo taking and not on your camera. Composition is not dependent on a good camera but a good eye. 3. I can’t get this right There is no right way to take an image. You have to start somewhere and it’s not always easy so persevere at taking photos. You have to start somewhere and regular practise is essential. Gradually you will start getting better. Get to know you camera and its settings and learn what it can do. Your camera has automatic so use it to begin with. It doesn’t make you any less of a photographer if you don’t start with manual. Ease yourself into it and start using the different settings one at a time. 4. I’ll never be able shoot like the professionals Did you know that every single professional started at the same place that you did? They weren’t born with the ability to take great images. It was a journey of perseverance and effort that took them to where they are now. Commitment to a task and lots practise and effort will help you to shoot like the professionals. Professional just means that they do it for a living and doesn’t describe their ability. I have seen some really average images by professionals and some fantastic photos by dedicated amateurs. If you take the time and effort you will grow as a photographer. 5. I can’t afford to learn At this point in the digital day and age there has never been a better time to learn photography. Besides the fact that digital makes it almost free to learn after your initial purchase, the internet is full of free material to download. Much of it is also very reasonably priced. So you CAN afford to learn. Join a photography club in your area and you’ll probably find others willing to teach you or courses at no cost to members. The biggest hurdle that most have to overcome is a negative attitude or mindset. If you are really enthusiastic about becoming a great photo taker then nothing will hold you back. Find a solution to each of the barriers to learning and in a short time you will be taking great images. Happy shooting! Do you want to learn more about photography in a digital world? I’ve just completed a brand new e-course delivered by e-mail. Download it here for free by clicking here: http://www.21steps2perfectphotos.com/. To learn how you can take your photography from ordinary to outstanding click here – http://www.21steps2perfectphotos.com/21steps.htm. Wayne Turner has been teaching photography for 25 years and has written three books on photography.  

http://traffic.libsyn.com/creativephoto/CPP001-96k.mp3 In this show we talk about the fundamentals of creative photography. What creative photography is and how to be more creative. My guest on this show is Julian Goldswain a pro-photographer who works in Cape Town, South Africa. He chats about creativity from the angle of a working photographer and how important it is. What he does to get inspiration and some tips to be more creative. There is a tutorial about creative photography as well as a creative practical exercise that will help you on your road to creativity in your photography.It’s a show that will help take you to your next level on your photography journey.