You lead a hectic, on-the-go kind of lifestyle. The kind that's so full of activity that you barely have time to down your Red Bull/Espresso smoothie in the morning. There's the S.O., the kids, the pets, the traffic, the day job (what a time-waster that is!), the gym, the appointments, the post office, the laundry, the dinner, and American Idol. Gosh! Just thinking about it is EX-HAUS-ting... Zzzzzzz...
Oh, sorry, where was I? Oh, yeah. Your crazy-busy life. With all the activity you have going on, when do you have time to indulge in a little pic snapping? "Um, like never," you say? Au contraire! (That's French for, "That is so, like, not even true.") See, even with a busy schedule, you can still take time for pics. You just have to do it in increments. This is where a cell phone camera can be your best friend.
Now, if you have one of those sleek, thin digital cameras or you work for the CIA and have some crazy James Bond pinky ring that hides a camera, phone, computer, helicopter and fully stocked mini bar, you can definitely use that. But the camera on your cell phone is super-convenient and will save you the trouble of lugging around both the phone and your camera. Remember, this is an on-the-fly Blitz, so you don't need your DSLR with its thousands of megapixels. That's for more intensive Blitzs. So leave it at home.
Okay, a Blitzette is one picture. That's it. Just one pic, composed and shot during your day. This Blitz is all about using those spare moments that actually do exist in your day to work on your skills, a little at a time. Check it out.
Exhibit A: You're walking to the supermarket, camera in pocket. You look up and see a great morning sky. Stop for a moment, grab your camera, take the shot.
Oh, sorry, where was I? Oh, yeah. Your crazy-busy life. With all the activity you have going on, when do you have time to indulge in a little pic snapping? "Um, like never," you say? Au contraire! (That's French for, "That is so, like, not even true.") See, even with a busy schedule, you can still take time for pics. You just have to do it in increments. This is where a cell phone camera can be your best friend.
Now, if you have one of those sleek, thin digital cameras or you work for the CIA and have some crazy James Bond pinky ring that hides a camera, phone, computer, helicopter and fully stocked mini bar, you can definitely use that. But the camera on your cell phone is super-convenient and will save you the trouble of lugging around both the phone and your camera. Remember, this is an on-the-fly Blitz, so you don't need your DSLR with its thousands of megapixels. That's for more intensive Blitzs. So leave it at home.
Okay, a Blitzette is one picture. That's it. Just one pic, composed and shot during your day. This Blitz is all about using those spare moments that actually do exist in your day to work on your skills, a little at a time. Check it out.
Exhibit A: You're walking to the supermarket, camera in pocket. You look up and see a great morning sky. Stop for a moment, grab your camera, take the shot.
Exhibit B: You're at the carwash. You look around. You take a few shots while you wait. You get one you like.
Exhibit C: You're shopping. You walk along, now in the habit of observing everything.You study the plants along the walkway. Out comes the camera, and you take the pic.
Voila! You've done three Blitzs and you haven't even had lunch yet. In the course of a day, you could easily do from 5 to 10 Blitzettes. The goal: one good photo. Remember, these aren't meant to be masterpieces. They're meant to get you in the habit of observing and training your eye to see composition, lighting, good photo subjects. But they don't have to be perfect. You can always pretty up the ones you like with editing software if you have time and interest later. But for now, just get in the habit of looking around and using your camera every day. (Just don't hit the mini-bar before taking pics. Tends to make both you and your pics a little fuzzy.)
Come back later, and we'll discuss the Mini-Blitz, with pics from the Maestro.
In the past photographers were so careful to set up every shot because every single one cost them for film, developing and printing. Now we can take a 100 or a 1000 pics and not have to feel bad about tossing 99.9% of them.
ReplyDeleteInitially I almost felt as if I were cheating. I thought how much easier it is to take dozens if not hundreds of shots and always be sure of having a couple good ones. Well, thats not cheating it's just the advance of technology. It's no different than flying faster, living longer or using the internet (thank you Al Gore!). Hmmm I might just write something along this line at my place now....
Good point, John! But, hmmm, wondering if you started reading my next post before I even wrote it this evening. Is telepathy yet ANOTHER of your superpowers? Holy moley, John Danger -- we are in awe of your awesomeness!
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