You may have noticed that I post a bunch of logos beneath the "How I Work" section of my main page. The use of most of them cost some money but I want to show that I'm serious about my business and my citizenship. I am, however, disturbed by the fact that an organization like the Professional Photographers of America would charge me to take a test to see if I know how a camera works. Such a test can't possible determine any photographer's qualification for any given job. I joined so I can add that logo since I see it frequently used. I list nearly every entity that's used my work because trusted advisors tell me it will influence the decision of a potential client. By now, however, you've no doubt seen many of my photographs and can easily judge the my ability to shoot scenes you'll want to use. Remember that I've been shooting photographs with single lens reflex cameras since the Viet Nam war, in 1967. My pictures really do tell my story.

I recently read an article about Instagram "Influencers" who offer photographers "exposure" in return for free services. The article mentioned one business owner who created a sign stating that influencers would pay double. I love it. I was, of course, reminded of the many times in my various careers in which people suggested that their influence on my career would far outweigh any monetary compensation in value. That approach suggests that the offer is born of one of these attitudes: 1. You don't care what you get as long as it's free. 2. You want my work but think I'm stupid. I'm reminded of the above rock & roll record from my youth. To paraphrase composers Janie Bradford and Barry Gordy: Your influence gives me such a thrill but your influence don't pay my bills.

It's all in the shutter speed. These bowlers were shot at 1/160 of a second. It's just fast enough. I used my flash to fill in the lighting because most of the house lights were in front of the bowlers. A good flash will synchronize with the shutter up to a speed of 1/250 of a second. I also increased the sensitivity, the ISO, up to 2000. Increased sensitivity lets you increase shutter speed and still get a good exposure. High ISO usually adds noise to an image but my Canon 5Ds gets good images at high ISO and I reduced the noise in developing. I also increased the brightness in developing.

The combination of a 50mp digital SLR and modern developing software creates a workflow that's exponentially faster than the "good old days". The result also includes great latitude in developing colors, dynamic range, and details within the image. I shoot most things as they happen with wide ranges in lighting. Some people who've only shot digitally don't know that the JPEG preview you get when pointing-&-shooting isn't the only possibility. I use Adobe products to develop my RAW files and, occasionally, fix the contents to the clients' needs.

I'm going to propose that I look at articles and web sites devoted to photography more than the average human. In so doing I have finally come across a photographic philosophy that fits my thinking. After deleting the latest email from a fine friend showing me natural wonders that someone had the good sense to capture in photographs I discovered a quote from Elliott Erwitt. He's an American, born in Paris to Russian parents. He says about photography: "I’ve found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.” I wish I'd said that but I'm happy to repeat it.

Photography is such a popular hobby around the world that you'll have no difficulty finding displays of photographs on the internet. You can also find many contests inviting people to submit photographs for possible recognition. While I have submitted photographs to such as National Geographic's "Your Shot" display and appreciate that other photographers have expressed admiration at times, being published is not nearly the accomplishment it was 30 years ago. It's just too easy to get your photos on the internet. Getting paid for your photography is way more difficult. The greatest feeling for me, relative to my photography, comes from being paid to make photographs and seeing those shots used by my client. My clients actually pay for a service. They're not looking primarily for artistic wonderfulness but, rather, photos that illustrate a message. In the case of my convention planning clients it's the idea that the event was well worth attending. In the case of a corporate client, like CLECO, the message will be obvious in the display.

We once called it a strobe. These days it's a flash. The reason you see serious photographers using an accessory flash is twofold. 1. It's moveable. 2. It's adjustable. The accessory flash lets you fill in dark areas in an otherwise well lit scene. It lets you create effects with shadows. For me it lets me add just enough light to a shot to make my foreground and background look good together. It ain't cheap but if you want to improve and expand your photography you must break free of the pop-up flash. In this shot I could expose for the skyline and fill the foreground with my flash.

If you're a photo enthusiast with a question, please use the comment feature of this blog to ask it. Beneath every post you'll see the opportunity to comment. When I was leading photo tours of New Orleans famous French Quarter I learned to anticipate some of the effects my students wanted to create. One is the starburst effect on the lights in this shot of the riverfront at night. The key is a small aperture, f-6.0 in this case.

If you've tried various settings on your DSLR while in the manual mode you've developed a basic understanding of the way in which shutter speed, aperture (f-stop), and ISO affect the picture. To create an image like this one of the egret taking flight your primary consideration is the shutter speed. The egret appears suspended because I've captured a small fraction of a second, just 1/2500, in which the wings appear to be still. You can create that setting in either manual mode or shutter priority mode (whatever your manufacturer calls it). I use manual mode, evaluate the exposure before focusing on the bird, under-expose a bit because of the bird's brightness, and then select a tracking focus mode to maintain focus while following the bird and holding the shutter button down in burst mode. For your camera a "sport" mode may suffice. I also developed this shot to add separation of the bird from the background.

Sometimes we want the effect of back-lighting or even shooting into the sun. In case you're disappointed by the silhouette that you get in your shot of someone whose face you hoped to see, remember your flash. Even that harsh pop-up flash built in to the top of the viewfinder housing will illuminate your subject when the camera's light meter is exposing for the background light. In this shot I just let the camera's meter show me how to expose for the available lighting at the event. I actually pushed my exposure a little lower and used developing to get this final look. So, if bright light is coming from behind your subject, remember your flash. Your smart phone has one, too.

I know people who shoot on film and the only thing I don't like about their hobby is the frequent suggestion that film photography is somehow more "pure" than digital shooting. What? I shot on film for decades starting in the 60s with my wonderful Canon FT-QL. (been with Canon since) I spent money on film, paper, and chemicals, shooed the family away from my dark room, and watched film and paper get abused by time. Digital photography is a natural technological evolution. No moral imperative exists. I get more images, and do more with them, and faster, with no wasted frames and my granddaughter can look over my shoulder while I'm developing. I could not do the work I do with a film rig. To those who wish to shoot on film, "Have fun but find another way to take yourself seriously."

You can improve your photographic results by knowing how your camera works. Even if you like to "point & shoot", a little inside info about the camera can help. I'll start with basics. When you push the shutter button a little door opens in the camera that lets light hit a sensor for a fraction of a second. If you're pointing and shooting the camera's computer will make several adjustments to the lens and the camera body to get a good image because the lens must focus on a subject and the adjustable opening inside the lens must allow the proper amount of light to pass through to the camera. In the camera body, the shutter must be timed to open only long enough to get a good picture; not to bright or too dark. This is too basic for some of you, I know, but there's more to come. To improve your photography you must decide that the exposure settings built in to the camera by the engineer in Japan are fine but may not be best for your purposes. I suggest you try putting the camera in the "manual mode" and literally playing with the settings for shutter speed, aperture (f-stop), and ISO (sensitivity), to see what your different results are. The lens should focus when you partially press the shutter button so just pick something on which you want it to focus. In digital photography you can waste as many shots as you want and then delete them. First, though, you can learn what the different adjustments do to the finished image. Important note: I expect you to download your images to a computer frequently so you can reuse your memory card.