"A good photograph is knowing where to stand." ~ Ansel Adams ~

The collaborative journal of two intrepid photographers on an epic quest to
figure out just where to stand -- while watching out for what they step in.



3.20.2010

Level One: The Blitzette

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.



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.

3.19.2010

The Goal and The Levels

Twelve significant photographs in any one year is a good crop. ~ Ansel Adams ~

Twelve. Significant. Photos. In one year.



Woooo-hoo! Lucky us! We're not even aiming for significant. We'll be happy with a few half-way decent pics each time we PhotoBlitz. That sure takes the pressure off. Ooh, I see a raised hand. Yes, you in the lovely Guns 'n' Roses T-shirt.

"Tim, Lisa," you say, (or if you're too shy, we'll say it for you), "What exactly amounts to a few?" "Well," we respond sagely, " it depends on the Blitz." "Ah," you say soberly, nodding, "I see." We smile and nod along with you, because: (1) we know you have no idea what we're talking about, and (2) we're pretty sure you're not sober. Guess we've got some 'splainin' to do...

Why do we take pictures? To have fun. And if we're not taking pictures, we won't have fun. (Fun being defined as all the cool stuff that happens when clicking: documenting life, doing something creative, and other things mentioned in previous posts, which you have read, right? There will be a pop quiz, ya know.) But we also take pictures to improve our photo chops. Like anything else, you have to practice to get better...and that means regularly clicking pics.

Unfortunately, people tend to fall into the whole all-or-nothing mentality. Either they have to be out all day and fill a 4GB card, or they don't take pics. At all. So their practice is sporadic because -- except for National Geographic photographers and Lottery winners -- who has hours to spend every day taking pics? (BTW, if you are a Lottery winner, we'd still really like those Nikon cameras. Just a suggestion.)

This is why we've come up with a variety of Blitzs to encourage you to take pics everyday. Yes, you read that correctly. Everyday.


Maestro Tim is really good at Blitzing daily. I am working on it. When I realized that time was a key factor in his success, we came up with a "Blitz List". This list is designed to help a person work snapping pics into the daily grind. The Blitzs are as follows: (1) The Blitzette; (2) The Mini-Blitz; (3) The Standard Blitz; (4) The Mega-Blitz; and (5) The Ultra Blitz. Intriguing? Oh, it is, you betcha. Want more details? Sure you do.

Come by later. We'll talk.

3.17.2010

Today We Are In "Genius Mode"


"It takes a lot of time to be a genius, you have to sit around so much doing nothing, really doing nothing." ~ Gertrude Stein ~