What Are Your Personal Goals?
So, you're new to photography and more than a little confused about it all. I remember that feeling and still have it at times, even though in the last five years I've managed to learn a lot and now feel much more comfortable both with taking photographs and processing photographs. That's not to say I don't still make mistakes, I most certainly do, and I am still gaining knowledge and hope to continue that process right up until the day I check out of this life. I love learning and that's why I want to share what I know with you.
My intent with this site is to help people who are new to photography and photography software to learn and grow knowledgeable about the craft of photography; this site is not for those of you who are engineers or are technical geniuses, but more for the average person who finds they need a little more help. I hope the information in this site enables you to enhance your photographs in new ways and allows you to grow technically in your photographic journey and reach your goals. It's at this point that you say, "Goals? What goals?"
Setting annual goals is a must in order to begin the process of technical and artistic growth in photography. If you do not set goals you'll soon find yourself stuck in a quagmire of confusion and uncertainty, bouncing around aimlessly in a sea of endless information. Goals can be very small in direction and number or very large, it all depends on you. Goals help you define and hone in on specific techniques and/or skills that you can then build on year after year. I generally set two or three goals a year, but still continue to learn all I can outside those goals as well. For example, one of my goals in 2014 was to learn more about off-camera flash, often called speed lighting. To this end, I attended a Kelbyonelive/Joe McNally (he's wonderful) seminar (with several hundred other people!); bought a lighting umbrella and a light stand; and, learned some of the terminology of lighting, i.e., a snoot, a soft box, a beauty dish (which is not, contrary to the name, designed for "pretty," but instead for "pop") a grid, etc and what each item does. I also read a couple of books and online articles on flash lighting. Then, I found an outdoor site and got a couple of friends and we went to the site with a model (my first time hiring a model, a tatooed skateboarder) and our combined flash gear and took photos using all our different gear. It was a wonderful experience. Your goals can often be achieved at a modest cost, there is so much free information available these days, but you do need to do some planning.
One other thing: photography can be confusing and overwhelming at times. I can still recall instructors explaining something in a class and me sitting there thinking what the heck is he or she talking about? Then later on, when I finally achieved an understanding of what had been said, one of the things I realized is that the instructor forgot to tell me several things that would have made things easier and more understandable. I'll try to present information in a step-by-step process that strives to include all essential information.
My intent with this site is to help people who are new to photography and photography software to learn and grow knowledgeable about the craft of photography; this site is not for those of you who are engineers or are technical geniuses, but more for the average person who finds they need a little more help. I hope the information in this site enables you to enhance your photographs in new ways and allows you to grow technically in your photographic journey and reach your goals. It's at this point that you say, "Goals? What goals?"
Setting annual goals is a must in order to begin the process of technical and artistic growth in photography. If you do not set goals you'll soon find yourself stuck in a quagmire of confusion and uncertainty, bouncing around aimlessly in a sea of endless information. Goals can be very small in direction and number or very large, it all depends on you. Goals help you define and hone in on specific techniques and/or skills that you can then build on year after year. I generally set two or three goals a year, but still continue to learn all I can outside those goals as well. For example, one of my goals in 2014 was to learn more about off-camera flash, often called speed lighting. To this end, I attended a Kelbyonelive/Joe McNally (he's wonderful) seminar (with several hundred other people!); bought a lighting umbrella and a light stand; and, learned some of the terminology of lighting, i.e., a snoot, a soft box, a beauty dish (which is not, contrary to the name, designed for "pretty," but instead for "pop") a grid, etc and what each item does. I also read a couple of books and online articles on flash lighting. Then, I found an outdoor site and got a couple of friends and we went to the site with a model (my first time hiring a model, a tatooed skateboarder) and our combined flash gear and took photos using all our different gear. It was a wonderful experience. Your goals can often be achieved at a modest cost, there is so much free information available these days, but you do need to do some planning.
One other thing: photography can be confusing and overwhelming at times. I can still recall instructors explaining something in a class and me sitting there thinking what the heck is he or she talking about? Then later on, when I finally achieved an understanding of what had been said, one of the things I realized is that the instructor forgot to tell me several things that would have made things easier and more understandable. I'll try to present information in a step-by-step process that strives to include all essential information.
