When photographing things in flux, our first exposure is the most important.
Because chances are that moment won't spontaneously happen again.
Think of first-time events.
A child's first step or the first kiss of a married couple during a ceremony or even a sunset or sunrise.
Nothing in flux ever recreates itself.
A teacher often reminded me that we can never step into the same stream twice.
I like that word, stream.
It reminds me that life and what we see in life flow. As photographers, we often record fleeting moments that make up the ongoing, flowing stream of life in a fixed form/document, such as a photograph.
During my classes, photographers frequently mention they struggle to photograph these fleeting moments because they come and go so quickly.
They missed recording the moment because they weren't ready to take the unexpected photograph.
The majority of the work I do is unexpected.
But the trick is to be prepared.
We do that by keeping our cameras close to us, but we also need to have our exposure and ISO settings pre-set to achieve the tonality and other elements of composition we want.
We do this by metering to get the tonality,
depth of field (aperture), blur (shutter speed), and noise (ISO) the way we want/need relative to the characteristics of light we're working in.
As long as the light doesn't change when we see a moment happening, we all have to raise our
camera, set the framing and content, focus where we want, and press the shutter release to make the picture.
Another alternative, especially in low-light situations, is to use a flash.
Still, even when using a flash, we have to get familiar with the characteristics of the available light, especially intensity.
I know many photographers aren't thrilled with using a flash, but if we understand how to use it, it can be a helpful and creative addition to our compositional elements.
Using a flash may be the only way to capture that once-in-a-lifetime moment.
Which every moment is.
Being prepared is crucial if we don't wanna miss the fleeting, in-the-flow-of-life moments that are important to us.
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The Introduction To Photography class starts soon.
More ways to study and practice photography with me are below.
Call me if you need help determining the best course for you.
I'll help you be a better photographer—study and practice photography with me.
Currently scheduled classes are below.
Smaller classes mean better learning, so class sizes are limited to 5 participants plus me.
But smaller classes also mean spots fill up quicker, so sign up soon.
And what if the timing doesn't work for you in any of my scheduled group classes? Private in-person lessons suited to your schedule are always an option.
And remember, we learn and improve by doing, so practice making at least one picture daily.