Comments on: On Aerial Photography http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2009/03/08/on-aerial-photography/ Web site and blog for Maria Langer, freelance writer, commercial helicopter pilot, and serious amateur photographer. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 19:33:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Maria Langer http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2009/03/08/on-aerial-photography/#comment-2391 Maria Langer Sun, 08 Mar 2009 16:38:14 +0000 http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2009/03/08/on-aerial-photography/#comment-2391 I agree that you either have a good eye for photography or you don't. And I also agree that a lot of folks just don't "get it" when it comes to photography. Their eyes see a beautiful place and they try to capture it with their camera. But the eye/brain combination doesn't work the same as the CCD/lens combination. There's something that most people just seem to miss when they're trying to create "art" with their camera. The folks who have the right eye and brain for photography make the incredible shots we see in galleries and posters and in the pages of quality publications. In photography, light is at least 75% of what makes a good photo. You can have perfect composition, but if the light sucks, the photo won't be good. Harsh, midday light out in the desert usually washes out the scene and leads to flat photos. Yes, the shadows are minimized -- and that's what makes the light good if you're trying to document a building or road under construction or something like that. But if you want artistic photos, the light just has to be softer. I understand what your photographer was getting at. Yes, he has an eye for photography. But he also knows that he has to experiment and shoot as much as he can with the light that's right for him. I think all photographers do that these days -- after all, it costs nothing extra to shoot 300 photos rather than just a "roll" of 36. They can experiment with light, filters, lenses, exposures, shutter speeds -- all of it. And out of 300 photos, maybe one or two of them might be the <em>perfect</em> image they were hoping to capture. But someone who doesn't have that photographic eye can shoot 300 photos and still not get the right shot. I agree that you either have a good eye for photography or you don’t. And I also agree that a lot of folks just don’t “get it” when it comes to photography. Their eyes see a beautiful place and they try to capture it with their camera. But the eye/brain combination doesn’t work the same as the CCD/lens combination. There’s something that most people just seem to miss when they’re trying to create “art” with their camera. The folks who have the right eye and brain for photography make the incredible shots we see in galleries and posters and in the pages of quality publications.

In photography, light is at least 75% of what makes a good photo. You can have perfect composition, but if the light sucks, the photo won’t be good. Harsh, midday light out in the desert usually washes out the scene and leads to flat photos. Yes, the shadows are minimized — and that’s what makes the light good if you’re trying to document a building or road under construction or something like that. But if you want artistic photos, the light just has to be softer.

I understand what your photographer was getting at. Yes, he has an eye for photography. But he also knows that he has to experiment and shoot as much as he can with the light that’s right for him. I think all photographers do that these days — after all, it costs nothing extra to shoot 300 photos rather than just a “roll” of 36. They can experiment with light, filters, lenses, exposures, shutter speeds — all of it. And out of 300 photos, maybe one or two of them might be the perfect image they were hoping to capture.

But someone who doesn’t have that photographic eye can shoot 300 photos and still not get the right shot.

]]> By: Keith Gill http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2009/03/08/on-aerial-photography/#comment-2390 Keith Gill Sun, 08 Mar 2009 15:36:59 +0000 http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2009/03/08/on-aerial-photography/#comment-2390 I remember spending about a week with a professional photographer shooting in various scenic locales.He was an early bird that knew the value of the early light shots,avoided harsh midday light even though it cast the least shadows and would keep us on the ground till the evening light was almost perfect. After our time was over he asked if I had spotted the secret of his photographic success. I had not, I told him. He laughed and said, "you were there and saw it, Keith"."I take a lot of shots in differing light and angles with as many different cameras and lense/filter combination's as I can fit into the time that I want to be shooting." I didn't buy his story then and 20 years later I am convinced that you either have the gift or you don't.The rest of us can still enjoy our attempts. I remember spending about a week with a professional photographer shooting in various scenic locales.He was an early bird that knew the value of the early light shots,avoided harsh midday light even though it cast the least shadows and would keep us on the ground till the evening light was almost perfect.

After our time was over he asked if I had spotted the secret of his photographic success. I had not, I told him.

He laughed and said, “you were there and saw it, Keith”.”I take a lot of shots in differing light and angles with as many different cameras and lense/filter combination’s as I can fit into the time that I want to be shooting.”

I didn’t buy his story then and 20 years later I am convinced that you either have the gift or you don’t.The rest of us can still enjoy our attempts.

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