Created April 9, 1999 Last Modified: April 9, 1999
This document is a compilation of my thoughts and opinions about photography.
Try, Try Again:
A lot of people try to take a picture of something once, and if it doesn't turn out well, then they just quit on that. The next time a situation arises that is similar, they say "oh, I can't take a picture of this" and they don't try, so they miss out completely. Bad dog, no biscuit. They should (IMHO) figure out what went wrong and go try it again until they get a good image.
Printing:
Remember that a lot of times bad pictures are a result of bad printing by the developer. Over time, you will learn to be able to identify a good negative from a bad negative. Sometimes a good negative just gets printed badly. If you get a bad print, ask the people at the developer to show you what is wrong with the negative. You will start to learn quickly, and you will find out if they know anything.
Learn:
Try to find a class or something that will teach you the basics of exposure, shutter speed and aperture. You will be a much better photographer once you really understand these things, and they aren't as tough as some people think.
Rules are meant to be broken:
As you get more experienced, you will learn that photography is full of rules, and once you know all of the rules, then you can start breaking them. Once you really understand when and why to break the rules, and when and why to follow them, that is when you will start getting really great pictures.
Shoot the Right Film:
You should try to match the film to the task at hand. When I am shooting Hockey indoors, or kibuki dancers indoors, I use the very fast Fuji Super HG 800 speed film. When I shoot outdoors, I use a slower film, that gives excellent grain size. Learn which films work for you, and select the right film for the conditions. Personally I try to keep a variety of film types and speeds on hand at all times.
If you are going to be a serious amateur, you should get a film retriever so that you can change rolls in the middle if you want to. Don't shoot on the "wrong" film, when the "right" film is in your bag. Rewind, mark the roll, and finish it later.
So go for it.
Feedback or comments? Mail to: John Schultheis /