Lou Jacobs - Take Great Pictures: A Simple Guide

Why do we take pictures? While I dont know you personally, Ido know die reasons why most people take pictures. Your incentives to enjoy photography are probably on this list:

To record the activities of yourself, your friends and family. Everybody (except the occasional Scrooge) likes to shootor at least seepictures of new babies, family and friends at leisure or playing, celebrations, and scenic destinations.

Another prime reason to take pictures is to frame and hang your best shots. Which reminds me, do you keep your prints in orderly albums? My wife is our album archivist, and she gives each print a roll and frame number on the back, plus a date. We can easily find negatives to make reprints. Assembling albums takes more time than storing pictures in drawers and shoe boxes, but the effort is absolutely worthwhile especially when you show them off.

Photography is a fulfilling hobby. On vacation few people travel without a camera, and they are often rewarded with images of beautiful scenes, details of nature, cityscapes, seascapes, etc. For photo enthusiasts, getting there can be at least half the fun. I jokingly say if the weather was nasty on a trip and I couldnt shoot many worthwhile pictures, I wasnt there.

Showing your pictures can be a kickmaybe at a camera club where you can win awards. Discussions about picture-taking stimulate us to find good subjects around home, at the zoo, at county fairs, etc. Then its fun to get encouraging feedback from others.

Having saleable pictures is a further incentive. You dont have to be a professional to make saleable pictures (although you might not know how and where to sell them yet). When your pictures are good enough, sales to friends and relatives can get you started.

WHATS AHEAD?

Ive been a professional photographer for a long time, and many pictures in this book are mine, but some were taken by other professionals and skilled amateurs. Each subject and technique is presented to stimulate your creative urge to shoot your own versions of the subjects you choose. Composition, lighting, people, activities, and photos of photogenic places are yours to emulate. Dont worry about being a copycat. Every successful photographer has been inspired by role models. Famous painters were, too in his early years, Van Gogh did well-known copies of artist Millets work. Admiring quality photographs is a neat way to be under the influence. When you are feeling enthusiastic about your photography, you can move on to read more about the subjects that particularly interest you in other books. But now, read on and get involved.

What sort of plant is it? Maybe its two plants, one with flowers? Why do the long green leaves appear transparent in some places? Actually, its a double exposure. My SLR was set for two exposures on the same frame of film, and I doubled the film speed to ISO 200 so the combined images would equal a single exposure. Theres more about this technique in chapter 10.