Ask Better Questions “Would you use an 85mm lens or something else, for this?” “Should I shoot this at f/8 or f/4?” These and variations on them, are the most common questions I hear on my location workshops. The only possible answer to questions like these is, “I don’t know, what are you trying to show the viewer?” Photography is not primarily a technical pursuit. At its heart, photography is an aesthetic, creative art-form — a vehicle for artistic expression. Of the two, technical or aesthetic, the aesthetic is much harder to define and to master than the technical. Putting the cart before the horse; making technical decisions before thinking about aesthetic considerations is the way too many photographers approach image making. Asking better questions will help you understand what you are trying to show your viewer. “Why this image? “Why right now?” “What is it that made me pick up the camera and point it at this subject?” “What is it about this subject that I am trying to show the viewer?” There are more questions than those that start with, “Why?”. There is also, “What if?” Asking “What if?” frees your imagination, allowing it to go in new creative directions. Letting go of all the rules instilled into us, rediscovering our inner child, and allowing ourselves to experiment and take creative risks that may lead to new visual discoveries. Asking better questions before we press the shutter button; questions like “Why?” and “What if”? are more important than, “How?” Both images here came from asking,. "What if?" Both share a common origin as well. More on the Blog, including a basic "how-to" Link in profile. . . . . . #createexplore #dowhatyoulove #elearning #FindYourLight #justgoshoot #landscapecaptures #LearnPhotography #onlinelearning #passionpassport #photoeducation #photographyeducation #PhotographyIsArt #PhotographyIsLifee #photographylovers #photographytraining #photographyworkshop #PhotoJourney #PhotoLife #PhotoSchool #PhotoTips #visualsoflife #YouKeepShooting #BPSOP #digitalart #gesture #lightcolorgesture #slowdown #lookcloser #creativity — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/eipCK9N

Positano, Italy . . . . . #createexplore #dowhatyoulove #elearning #FindYourLight #justgoshoot #landscapecaptures #LearnPhotography #onlinelearning #passionpassport #photoeducation #photographyeducation #PhotographyIsArt #PhotographyIsLifee #photographylovers #photographytraining #photographyworkshop #PhotoJourney #PhotoLife #PhotoSchool #PhotoTips #visualsoflife #YouKeepShooting #BPSOP #digitalart #gesture #lightcolorgesture #slowdown #lookcloser #positano — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/tnSmasg

Morning Break, Aix-en-Provence. . . . . . #createexplore #dowhatyoulove #elearning #FindYourLight #justgoshoot #landscapecaptures #LearnPhotography #onlinelearning #passionpassport #photoeducation #photographyeducation #PhotographyIsArt #PhotographyIsLifee #photographylovers #photographytraining #photographyworkshop #PhotoJourney #PhotoLife #PhotoSchool #PhotoTips #visualsoflife #YouKeepShooting #BPSOP #digitalart #gesture #lightcolorgesture #slowdown #lookcloser — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/3cDy9dB

A misty early Fall morning in Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia . . . . . #createexplore #dowhatyoulove #elearning #FindYourLight #justgoshoot #landscapecaptures #LearnPhotography #onlinelearning #passionpassport #photoeducation #photographyeducation #PhotographyIsArt #PhotographyIsLifee #photographylovers #photographytraining #photographyworkshop #PhotoJourney #PhotoLife #PhotoSchool #PhotoTips #visualsoflife #YouKeepShooting #BPSOP #digitalart #gesture #lightcolorgesture #slowdown #lookcloser — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/1TdVq4a

Line and colour. Two of the basic elements of visual design . . . . . . #createexplore #dowhatyoulove #elearning #FindYourLight #justgoshoot #landscapecaptures #LearnPhotography #onlinelearning #passionpassport #photoeducation #photographyeducation #PhotographyIsArt #PhotographyIsLifee #photographylovers #photographytraining #photographyworkshop #PhotoJourney #PhotoLife #PhotoSchool #PhotoTips #visualsoflife #YouKeepShooting #BPSOP #digitalart #gesture #lightcolorgesture #slowdown #lookcloser #details #veniceitaly — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/5xYrmSb

We’ve all been there. We’re in a creative rut, we’re not seeing images the way we used to, nothing seems to be working. This is when that little voice in the back of our head starts whispering, “If only I had a better lens, or that new camera.” The harsh reality is that neither of these will improve your image making. There are however, a few things I can suggest that will have a definite impact on your images. Drawing from my experiences teaching and listening to students over the last fifteen years, I’ve collected a few ideas in this short book. None of these are a quick-fix; nor does such a thing exist with anything worth mastering. But, applying these ideas to your image-making consistently will bear rewards in time. And best of all, they’re free. . . . . . #createexplore #dowhatyoulove #elearning #FindYourLight #justgoshoot #landscapecaptures #LearnPhotography #onlinelearning #photoeducation #photographyeducation #PhotographyIsArt #PhotographyIsLifee #photographylovers #photographytraining #photographyworkshop #PhotoJourney #PhotoLife #PhotoSchool #PhotoTips #visualsoflife #YouKeepShooting #BPSOP #digitalart #gesture #lightcolorgesture #slowdown #lookcloser #phototips #free_ebook — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/xmL9TPz

Simplify. Composition is often more about what you exclude than what you include. Composing with fewer elements allows the voices of those that remain to be heard most clearly. . . . . . #createexplore #dowhatyoulove #elearning #FindYourLight #justgoshoot #landscapecaptures #LearnPhotography #onlinelearning #passionpassport #photoeducation #photographyeducation #PhotographyIsArt #PhotographyIsLifee #photographylovers #photographytraining #photographyworkshop #PhotoJourney #PhotoLife #PhotoSchool #PhotoTips #visualsoflife #YouKeepShooting #BPSOP #digitalart #gesture #lightcolorgesture #slowdown #lookcloser #simplify — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/rhv8HAY

We’ve all been there. We’re in a creative rut, we’re not seeing images the way we used to, and nothing seems to be working. This is when that little voice in the back of our head starts whispering, “If only I had a better lens or that new camera.” The harsh reality is that neither of these will improve your image-making. There are however, a few things I can suggest that will have a definite impact on your images, and I've collected them together in this free e-book, no-charge, no-strings attached. None of these suggestions are technical — I’m talking about gear, camera settings, or how to apply some exotic post-processing technique. This is a collection of ideas of which even I have to remind myself of now and then. Others as well that I have managed to avoid, but watched others fall prey to... I hope you find it useful, perhaps thought-provoking, or at least interesting. . . . . #createexplore #dowhatyoulove #elearning #FindYourLight #justgoshoot #landscapecaptures #LearnPhotography #onlinelearning #passionpassport #photoeducation #photographyeducation #PhotographyIsArt #PhotographyIsLifee #photographylovers #photographytraining #photographyworkshop #PhotoJourney #PhotoLife #PhotoSchool #PhotoTips #visualsoflife #YouKeepShooting #BPSOP #digitalart #gesture #lightcolorgesture #slowdown #lookcloser — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/eT9b5gx

Harbour in Capri, Italy Colour, texture and shape. Three of the basic elements of visual design. Oh, and I wrote and e-Book. First of what hope will be many... and the first is on me, Free! No-charge! Nada! Link in Profile. . . . . . #dowhatyoulove #elearning #FindYourLight #justgoshoot #landscapecaptures #LearnPhotography #onlinelearning #photoeducation #photographyeducation #PhotographyIsArt #PhotographyIsLifee #photographylovers #photographytraining #photographyworkshop #PhotoJourney #PhotoLife #PhotoSchool #PhotoTips #visualsoflife #YouKeepShooting #BPSOP #digitalart #gesture #lightcolorgesture #slowdown #lookcloser #free_ebook #Capri #visualdesign — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/Ipnt2WP

However you celebrate this time of year I wish health and happiness for you and your family during this holiday season and throughout 2023. Thanks to all for your likes, follows and comments over the past year. . . . . . #createexplore #dowhatyoulove #elearning #FindYourLight #justgoshoot #landscapecaptures #LearnPhotography #onlinelearning #passionpassport #photoeducation #photographyeducation #PhotographyIsArt #PhotographyIsLifee #photographylovers #photographytraining #photographyworkshop #PhotoJourney #PhotoLife #PhotoSchool #PhotoTips #visualsoflife #YouKeepShooting #BPSOP #digitalart #gesture #lightcolorgesture #slowdown #lookcloser #Christmas #hanukkah — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/tZo2jfD

Pass Lake, WA . . . . . #createexplore #dowhatyoulove #elearning #FindYourLight #justgoshoot #landscapecaptures #LearnPhotography #onlinelearning #passionpassport #photoeducation #photographyeducation #PhotographyIsArt #PhotographyIsLifee #photographylovers #photographytraining #photographyworkshop #PhotoJourney #PhotoLife #PhotoSchool #PhotoTips #visualsoflife #YouKeepShooting #BPSOP #digitalart #gesture #lightcolorgesture #slowdown #lookcloser — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/1DtoMS6

Inspiration exists, but it must find you working. - Pablo Picasso I did not expect to find the full moon setting through the fog on my walk along the river that morning. I had other photographic ideas in mind, but finding nothing of interest, turned back and almost immediately stopped dead in my tracks. A simple composition - just a few lines and a single shape isolated from an otherwise chaotic background by fog lying low over the water. Inspiration or Luck? I'd like to think the first, but truthfully there is more of the latter in this image. But as someone once said, "The harder I work, the luckier I get". Perhaps Picasso's admonition applies equally to both? . . . . . #createexplore #dowhatyoulove #elearning #FindYourLight #justgoshoot #landscapecaptures #LearnPhotography #onlinelearning #passionpassport #photoeducation #photographyeducation #PhotographyIsArt #PhotographyIsLifee #photographylovers #photographytraining #photographyworkshop #PhotoJourney #PhotoLife #PhotoSchool #PhotoTips #visualsoflife #YouKeepShooting #BPSOP #digitalart #gesture #lightcolorgesture #slowdown #lookcloser #Steveston #FraserRiver — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/WHCKg5z

Shooting to a theme is a great way to get you out with your camera and thinking visually. Picking one of the fundamental elements of visual design AS a theme is a great exercise in seeing, making you more aware of how these fundamental building blocks: line, shape, form, texture, pattern and colour, can strengthen the photographic message in your images. PATTERN is a favourite of mine. To be successful, a pattern needs to fill the frame with an unbroken array of the elements forming the pattern. The pattern can be interrupted by a object of similar shape but different colour, for example, creating an additional area of interest, and the pattern can be bordered by other elements (which can help to create context, but the pattern itself must be the dominant, unbroken element in the image. . . . . . #createexplore #dowhatyoulove #elearning #FindYourLight #justgoshoot #landscapecaptures #LearnPhotography #onlinelearning #passionpassport #photoeducation #photographyeducation #PhotographyIsArt #PhotographyIsLifee #photographylovers #photographytraining #photographyworkshop #PhotoJourney #PhotoLife #PhotoSchool #PhotoTips #visualsoflife #YouKeepShooting #BPSOP #digitalart #gesture #lightcolorgesture #slowdown #lookcloser #pattern — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/AdMEIhf

Winter is coming.... . . . . . #createexplore #dowhatyoulove #elearning #FindYourLight #justgoshoot #landscapecaptures #LearnPhotography #onlinelearning #passionpassport #photoeducation #photographyeducation #PhotographyIsArt #PhotographyIsLifee #photographylovers #photographytraining #photographyworkshop #PhotoJourney #PhotoLife #PhotoSchool #PhotoTips #visualsoflife #YouKeepShooting #BPSOP #digitalart #gesture #lightcolorgesture #slowdown #lookcloser — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/F2dWJ1L

Wait for the Trigger This is such a simple concept, and yet it’s so often overlooked. I’ve been re-reading Jay Maisel’s “It’s Not About the F-Stop”. Among so many jewels of wisdom contained there, this one stood out: “Wait for the Trigger”. How often do we encounter a lovely scene, point our camera at it and press the shutter? How often is the result a lovely, well-composed background without anything significant going on? I see this often in my classes and workshops, particularly so in travel images. How many pictures of the Eiffel Tower have you seen that look remarkably alike? The question to ask yourself is, “Why this image – why right now?” What makes it unique? What makes it “my image”? Jay’s point is that every image needs a “trigger”, a reason to make that image with that framing, at that exact moment. Without it he points out, “your picture can become wallpaper”. The image above is from the Jardin de Marqueyssac, above the Dordogne River in Southern France. Compare this to the “postcard shot” (swipe left). I wasn’t happy with this rendition; it needed something more, something to make it unique. Fortunately, it had been raining earlier in the afternoon and a little patience soon paid off when a few minutes later someone walked into my frame holding a red umbrella. That was the trigger. Click… got it. . . . . . #createexplore #dowhatyoulove #elearning #FindYourLight #justgoshoot #landscapecaptures #LearnPhotography #onlinelearning #passionpassport #photoeducation #photographyeducation #PhotographyIsArt #PhotographyIsLife #photographylovers #photographytraining #photographyworkshop #PhotoJourney #PhotoLife #PhotoSchool #PhotoTips #visualsoflife #YouKeepShooting #BPSOP #digitalart #gesture #lightcolorgesture #slowdown #dordognevalley #jardindemarqueyssac #photographytips — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/spFMGAQ

Paragliding in the clouds, near Kula, up-country Maui . . . . . #createexplore #dowhatyoulove #elearning #FindYourLight #justgoshoot #landscapecaptures #LearnPhotography #onlinelearning #passionpassport #photoeducation #photographyeducation #PhotographyIsArt #PhotographyIsLifee #photographylovers #photographytraining #photographyworkshop #PhotoJourney #PhotoLife #PhotoSchool #PhotoTips #visualsoflife #YouKeepShooting #BPSOP #digitalart #gesture #lightcolorgesture #slowdown #lookcloser #Maui #paragliding — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/9z7hCGa

New on the Blog - "The Power of Triadic Colour" A triadic colour scheme provides the power and energy of complementary colour pairings, but resolves the tension between them and brings a sense of harmony. Triadic combinations are created when the three colours are equally spaced around the colour wheel (swipe left). In this image the red tone of the flowering vine resolves the tension and energy of the blue-yellow complement created by the door and window shutter, bringing a degree of harmony and a sense of "completeness". More discussion and examples on the Blog, link in profile . . . . . #createexplore #dowhatyoulove #elearning #FindYourLight #justgoshoot #landscapecaptures #LearnPhotography #onlinelearning #passionpassport #photoeducation #photographyeducation #PhotographyIsArt #PhotographyIsLifee #photographylovers #photographytraining #photographyworkshop #PhotoJourney #PhotoLife #PhotoSchool #PhotoTips #visualsoflife #YouKeepShooting #BPSOP #digitalart #gesture #lightcolorgesture #slowdown #lookcloser #colortheory #colortriads — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/kGvOuC1