Image Conscious

Photography? Yup, Give It Your Best Shot

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

It might just be the fact that I am a career journalist, but I always encourage bloggers to post their photographic efforts on their sites. Why? Simple.

Because an image provides a visual point of reference. That's why you never see a newspaper page without a photograph on it. So get those cameras out. Post those images. Doesn't matter if it's your local fishing hole, or your corner store. Remember, ninety per cent of the people who read your blog are NOT from your city - so any image you post is going to have some appeal.

So it was great to hear from Who Dat Dare Pokah recently, saying he is going to buy a camera and wants some advice on photography. Another Aussie photographer-blogger, Dave, also got in touch and we nutted out how best to choose between a couple of cameras he was looking at. If ever you have a query, get in touch with me. No worries at all. I'm always there to help. And it was heartening to see Hammer saying he'll start using his camera again.

Over the past few months, I have encouraged some very good bloggers to put more emphasis on posting their shots. Among them are Bart, Dan, Bob T Bear, Deborah Gamble, Carol Cooper, Jenera Healy and Shashikiran. I'd like to think, in an avuncular sort of way, that it has added considerable value to their sites.

Of course, there are bloggers who make very good use of their own photography, like Abraham Lincoln, Photoxification, Helena, Cecilia, Mushy, Fat Hairy Bastard, GS, Ruth, Mrs Nesbitt, Ms Creek, Merisi, Dot and Country Girl City Living, as well as many others.

As you know, I always have a camera with me. If I didn't, I would never have got the shot The Star-Bangled Spanner, nor would I have got the impromptu photo sequence How Do You Hide A Skyscraper, showing how the Melbourne fog hid an entire high-rise office block.

Let me tell you, from the bottom of my heart, that the single most important add-on for a good blogger is photographs or graphics. And if you want to disengage the ``automatic'' button on that camera and start using manual commands, you can refer to my notes at the end of each post where I publish a photograph. I record all the technical information on each shot - to share my secrets with you.

Maintain Your Focus

The Most Important F-Word Is Fun

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

A few hours ago a US blogger, Jenera Healy, got in touch with me, saying she felt her photography was not making progress. I immediately emailed her back. I told her to take a close look at her most recent work and compare it with her photographs from six months ago and to gauge how much progress she's made.

I guess my advice to all budding photographers is simple. If you look twice at something - photograph it. If it's caught your attention, chances are it'll catch our attention as well. If you are a beginner and you are frustrated by working in harsh daytime light, then take some pictures early in the morning and late in the evening, when the light is much softer.

Use your surroundings and look all around you, because sometimes the best angle is not necessarily the one you are instinctively drawn to. And most of all, have fun with your camera. Don't be shackled to tradition. Don't be afraid to experiment.

Have a look at the photograph I've posted here and you'll see what I mean. My first frame showed only the glow on this building. Then I walked backwards for about three metres, found this slender bare branch - and it gave the shot an added dimension.