Creative Mornings

Last month a friend of mine asked me if I wanted to attend one of the monthly talks held by Creative Mornings. Intrigued, I agreed to attend the event and decided to do a little research on this organization. I learned that Creative Mornings is a breakfast lecture series for the creative community. One Friday morning a month, attendees come together for coffee, breakfast and a chance to listen to a short talk. Each meeting is free of charge and open to anyone. While the program initially started in New York, cities all over the world now host Creative Mornings gatherings.

 Seeing as how this was my first event I did not know what to expect, but the experience was incredibly exciting and invigorating. The speaker for November in Washington D.C. was Kelly Towles an emerging street artist in DC. Aside from the energy I gained from simply being around creative people, I really enjoyed his talk because it served as a reminder that I need to believe in myself more.

Understanding Your Camera's Metering, Exposure Compensation and White Balance Settings

Recently, I wrote a post on understanding light, which touched upon different types of light and the color of light. While I briefly referenced white balance and metering in my previous post, I thought it would be best to explore these settings in greater depth because you must understand metering, exposure compensation and white balance in order to properly account for light. Therefore, below you will find an explanation of the metering, exposure compensation and white balance settings on your camera and how to use each setting.

Metering

Metering is how your camera determines what the correct shutter speed and/or aperture should be depending upon the amount of light that enters the camera. Every camera usually has three different metering options, generally referred to as "center-weighted," "spot/partial," or "matrix (Nikon)/evaluative (Canon)." Each option works by assigning a relative weighting to the light in your scene.

Photography Books: How to Photograph Everything

One of my favorite photography books is How to Photograph Everything: Simple Techniques for Shooting Spectacular Images from the editors of Popular Photography. I enjoy this book because it combines beautiful photographs with simple tips on how to photograph over 40 different subjects. Specifically, the book offers suggestions on how to photograph fireworks, the night sky, food, abandoned spaces, concerts, and museums and aquariums. It also contains a brief introductory section on the basics of composition, color, exposure and lighting. If you are new to photography (or just do not use your camera frequently), you might consider investing in this book as it is certain to help you improve and expand your photography skills.

Understanding Light

When it comes to photography, you need to understand light. Light is the difference between a good picture and a great picture. As a photographer, you should always be aware of the type and quality of light and you should use it to your advantage. Learning how to use light and produce your best photography in any light is not the easiest thing, but with a little time and practice you can learn how to use light best. 

Natural Light vs Artificial Light

There are basically two types of light -- natural and artificial. Natural light is any light that occurs naturally such as sunlight or candlelight. Artificial light is any light created by humans. Artificial light has a different color than natural light.

Hard Light and Soft Light

You may have heard the terms "hard light" and "soft light" before. Hard light is caused by a small directional light focused on the subject. Soft light, however, comes from a large or filtered light source.  Hard light creates harsh shadows and accentuates textures whereas soft light creates soft shadows and creates a range of tones bringing more detail to shadows. On a cloudy day, the harsh light of the sun is diffused by the clouds creating soft light. Reflected light is usually considered soft light as long as it is reflected from a large source.

Become A Better Photographer: Go Look At Pretty Pictures

Yesterday evening I attended an event at National Geographic's Headquarters titled "Pope Francis and the New Vatican." As you may (or may not) have heard, National Geographic was granted special access to the pope and permission to document his daily life inside the Vatican. The images and story behind the experience grace the cover of the magazine's August 2015 issue. The event I attended consisted of a panel discussion, moderated by National Geographic's editor in chief, with writer Robert Draper, photographer Dave Yoder and Archbishop of Washington Cardinal Donald Weurl. The magazine has also published a book with the same title as the event, which you can view or purchase here. The panel discussion was fascinating and the images were amazing. The event was the perfect end to what was an incredibly stressful day. As I left Nat Geo with more-than-a-little pep in my step I had the urgent need to go pick up my camera and start shooting. During my walk home, I realized that simply viewing great photography inspires me to BE a better photographer.

Become A Better Photographer By Defining Your Photographic Style

Whether you are new to photography or you have been a shutterbug for years, there is a good chance you have searched the internet for at least one "how to be a better photographer" article. In my opinion, however, these articles do not go far enough. If you have decided to invest hundreds of dollars into a camera and lens, you should be striving to define your personal style. It is relatively easy to improve your photography skills, daunting as it might seem, but defining your own photographic style will differentiate your photos from the rest of the crowd. Below are three tips on how you can become a better photographer by defining your style: