STUART M R HILL.CO.UK

 

I am an amateur photographer based in Leigh-on-Sea, still in my photographic learning curve, despite having been interested, and having dabbled with some developing, in photography for many years. This has been boosted considerably since completing several short academic courses in both photography and photographic digital manipulation.

My personal interest in photography began many years ago using a Zenit 11 35mm film camera with the benefit of several lenses from a 44mm prime through an 80-200mm zoom and a 400mm fixed which grew to a whole range of paraphernalia, including the setting up and experimentation with the dark room.

But I was young and impetuous, and despite my interest, just could not grasp the basic principles of 'exposure' and there was always a feeling of anti-climax following a shoot and having to wait varying amounts of time to see the results or without fully understanding things, producing inadequate results in the dark room.

My interest has, in recent years been re-inspired by the purchase of a Canon DSLR camera (which has been upgraded to a Canon 7D) and multiple lenses. Canon in my view delivers a second to none range of products that has certainly helped me to see everything clearly, that I had previously found unexposable, and pretty instantly too, in an easy to understand format. Although the basic photographic principles apply in any event, whichever type or brand format is comfortable for the user.

I have been working to make available my booklet of introduction in photography specifically aimed to assist newcomers to confidently step into manual mode and take full control of their photographic experiences, with auto as your fall back not your first choice or first point of call, or indeed even, your only choice.

Sadly, over time, I have discovered there is a further human element, with which I find I cannot comply. That, we lovers of photography soon discover is; the photographic eye. I don't believe it is something that can be learned. You either have it, or you don't. And I don't.

"One day, several years ago, a girl friend and I went for a photographic picnic. She was driving, with her new Canon DSLR on the back seat and the twinkle of excitement in her eye. Asking me all sorts of questions which I tried patiently and coherently to explain. I knew mostly what I was talking about, but she, like I in the beginning, just couldn't grasp the concept of 'exposure' and how to achieve a roughly correct one.

As we walked along the bank of the river I continued with my technical banter whilst setting up both our cameras after dialling in manual mode, where at this point I begun to notice it was all going over her head, bless her!

As we continued, she started to point to scenes or subjects she wanted to photograph. I dutifully tried to help with adjusting her camera for the shot as I started to notice how she was 'approaching' the shot and was staggered at the result. She had it! What, after all these years I had now discovered I didn't have, she did; the photographic eye"

It was quite a good feeling really as the missing link in my photographic life was suddenly exposed.

I didn't despair; I enjoy photography for the sake of photography and am more than happy with some of the products of my efforts, and as such, strongly urge those who find similar problems, not to give up. Photography can be a very soothing and enjoyable medium.

"But it's true, I do envy and admire those with the eye, especially those with the eye and their camera setting's dial turned to manual."

The result of this little experience got me thinking, photographers claim to want to bring more into the fold, but yet seem to keep the exposure secret tightly sealed away from learning eyes?

Over the following period I put together a booklet which I hope goes some way to ease the strain of understanding photographic exposure and how to obtain a largely correct one quite quickly, in manual mode.

 

PLAY IT AGAIN SAM?

NO!

 

 

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