Steven Simon - The Passionate Photographer: Ten Steps Toward Becoming Great

Ten Steps Toward Becoming Great

Steve Simon

THE PASSIONATE PHOTOGRAPHER
TEN STEPS TOWARD BECOMING GREAT

Steve Simon

New Riders
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Berkeley, CA 94710
510/524-2178
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New Riders is an imprint of Peachpit, a division of Pearson Education

Copyright 2012 by Steve Simon except where noted
All photography Steve Simon except where noted

Editor: Ted Waitt
Production Editor: Lisa Brazieal
Cover Design: Charlene Charles-Will
Interior Design and Composition: Kim Scott, Bumpy Design
Indexer: James Minkin
Front Cover Image: Steve Simon
Back Cover Author Image: George Barya

Notice of Rights
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. For information on getting permission for reprints and excerpts, contact .

Notice of Liability
The information in this book is distributed on an As Is basis without warranty. While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of the book, neither the author nor Peachpit shall have any liability to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the instructions contained in this book or by the computer software and hardware products described in it.

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ISBN-13 978-0-321-71989-8
ISBN-10 0-321-71989-1

9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Printed and bound in the United States of America

For my wife, Tanja, my greatest inspiration
...and to passionate photographers everywhere.

To see more of Steve Simons work:
www.stevesimonphoto.com

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www.thepassionatephotographer.com

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When I think back to the initial spark that ignited my passion for photography and all things photographic, it takes me to my childhoodand to a specific moment when I was 11 years old. Outside my suburban Montreal apartment building, my two best friends, Andre and Roger, were devouring a photo store catalog with geeky excitement. I quickly joined them in their enthusiasm.

There was page after page of cool-looking cameras decorated with buttons and knobs. I have to admit, it wasnt photography as an instrument for social change that I was thinking about. I was enamored with the camera as this cool object that I wanted to own.

The object of my desire? A Russian goddess called the Zenit E. It was the beauty of this intricate tool with all its magic dials, plus the fact that, at $79, it was within the financial realm of a newspaper boys salary. With an interest in journalism, I had spent my first summers savings on a Smith Corona manual typewriter and was about to spend my life savings on a tool that would save me from typing a thousand words every time I clicked the shutter. It turned out to be my greatest investment.

My enthusiasm for the process could not be contained when I finally bought my first camera, a Yashica TL Electro X (which I ultimately chose over the Zenit). Every day, I climbed to the roof of my apartment building on Ward Street in Montreal to photograph the beautiful sunsets and planes making their approach into Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (then called Dorval). I dont remember consciously thinking that I would someday like to be on the planes I photographed and see the world with my camera, but thats what happened. In retrospect, it was what I had dreamed of. I thought about the people on those jet airliners and speculated on who they were and where they came from. The camera was my ticket to achieving my dreams of travel and experiencing the people and cultures of faraway lands, and it changed the way I saw the world around me. Of course my eyes were always open, but with a camera it felt like I was truly seeing for the first time. Photographic gifts were out there, everywhere, in unlimited supply and free for the taking. I also knew that I had stumbled upon something I would never grow tired of. Not only was photography fun and rewarding, but it was a way for a shy kid to communicate and share his vision and passions with the world.

Sunset, from the roof of my apartment building on Ward Street in Montreal. Captured on GAF 500 ASA film.

Steve Simon

That was a long time ago, and so much has changed. Yet my enthusiasm for photography has only grown more intense. This too is the gift of photography, a lifelong love. If youre reading this, I suspect you know from where I speak.

I have owned many cameras over the years and have experienced the paradigm shift from analog to digital. Even with this dramatic transformation, important concepts of photography have remained the same. Its the content that counts the most. An image has the power to move people, to enlighten, inform, entertain and transform light and time into something tangible. Images can change the world. This is what The Passionate Photographer: Ten Steps Toward Becoming Great is all about. If youve ever been disappointed by the gap between the picture you envisioned and the one you actually got, this book will close it for you.

Looking back at 30 years of photography, I have culled from my experiences the best ways to help you become a better photographer. I have distilled the process into 10 steps. This book puts forward ideas and creative solutions to draw out the personal vision of every reader, encouraging a unique way of looking at the world we all possess but dont always have the confidence to develop.

There has never been a better time to pursue photography. We are in a new golden era. My passion is ignited, much like it was when my friends and I pored through that camera catalog, dreaming of following our cameras into the adventures that came with it. If you read this book and make serious attempts at the 10 steps, I promise you will become a better photographer and your passion fire for photography will ignite, and stay lit always.

The shadow of my plane en route to Nairobi; my Nikon and I, off on another adventure.