Every now and then, we come across a little gem of a book. That’s what I found when I returned from Arizona and discovered the book “I Don’t Want to Know All the Technical Stuff.. I Just
Want to Shoot Pictures” had arrived. A amateur photographer for a long time, I was disappointed the book hadn’t arrived BEFORE I went to Sedona, on of the most beautiful spots in the western U.S.
I’ve been thrilled as I have picked up this book over the last few days. Only sixty pages in length, it’s a quick read. Each page is full of photo examples, as well as specific photo tips you help you improve your photo taking. It’s not designed for the professional or serious amateur, but all of us who want to move beyond the simple snapshot.
Author David LaBelle has been a professional photographer, editor, teacher and author. He worked for 20 newspapers and magazines in nine states. He was also on the faculty at Western Kentucky University. He is the author of the Great Picture Hunt and Lessons in Death and Life, which explores the ethics of photographing grief.
David was kind enough to answer the following questions for the RLM Community.
What do you think is the biggest mistake amateur photographers make in taking pictures?
Two things: Not getting close enough to fill the frame and shooting too little. Photography can be a precise science but it can also be a joyful ride of experimentation. I find too many folks feel shackled by the “rules” photography instead of feeling free to try new things. Like anything, practice is essential to becoming a better photographer.
What do you hope the reader will learn from this book?
That they will toss aside some of their fears about digital photography and have fun. Also, that they will be taught or reminded that the core of photography is Timing, Light and Composition. By keep these three principles in mind they are bound to shoot better pictures.
Since many amateur photographers take the majority of their pictures during travel, do you have suggestion to help them, when so many pictures have to be taken quickly in the moment.
As I say in the book, keeping a camera handy and loaded is the best advice. This means keeping it with you everywhere! The great moments seldom come announced. And though it seems a bit corny, trying to carry a consistent theme like posing in front of every “welcome” sign or landmark can also be fun.
When traveling, is it better to ask a person for permission of a person to take their photo or do it on the sly? Should you pay people to take their photos?
This is a tricky question. I seldom ask first because I will miss the moment. However, I do make eye contact and smile and get a general visual approval. If someone doesn’t want me to make pictures, they usually communicate that in a variety of non-verbal ways. I never pay people to shoot their picture, or at least I don’t think I have yet. Because my background is photojournalism paying someone to photograph them (unless it is a fashion or product shot) would be unethical to me. That said, if someone is NOT doing documentary journalism where facts and an honest record or depiction of person or event is at stake, I see no harm in paying someone to make their picture, especially if I hope to gain from the image. One’s face, one image often has great commercial value.
What final piece of advice would you like to make to the amateur photographer?
Be careful of being seduced into “making a living” with photography. Sometimes when we turn something we love (an avocation) into a vocation (a job), it can lose some of its charm and childlike appeal. I have several friends who chose to be doctors, partly so they could continue their love affair with photography.
P.S. A note from Cathy. I appreciate the concerns David provides about trying to make a full time living as a photographer. With that said, there may be wonderful opportunities to make part time retirement income from photography. If this is a particular passion of your, explore how others are earning money through this fascinating art form.