Digital Photography Tips

Having acquired an interest in photography you must now decide which subjects appeal to you the most. Remember another adage: “It’s not what you like to photograph, but what do you like enough to want to photograph ?”

Most subjects demand considerable attention if you are to obtain good results. Furthermore, your choice of subject will often dictate the type of equipment you need.

Some beginners simply make pictures of whatever appeals to them; invariably the results are mediocre. Take the analogy of a sportsman: imagine someone wanting to excel in football, cricket, rugby, tennis and swimming. If he were attempting all five at once, he would not achieve very much, but by concentrating upon one – or at most two – his success and satisfaction would obviously be greater.

Once you have decided upon your favourite subject, you must acquire a pictorial understanding of it. Study its characteristics both visually and factually, and find out what type of camera and/or accessories are best suited to your purpose.

Remember that many of the greatest painters are associated with the subjects they chose. We think of Constable’s pictures of the countryside – especially his native Suffolk; Lowry’s industrial landscapes; Rembrandt’s portraits; Turner’s seascapes, or Thorburn’s birds and mammals.

The accompanying pictures illustrate a few subjects which offer endless possibilities for photography.

Architecture

History has left us with a marvellous legacy of interesting buildings. Many years of happy leisure could be spent photographing churches and castles alone, so diverse are the styles and periods. Apart from the joy of actually photographing such subjects, you have the added pleasure of discovering where the most interesting examples can be found.

Close Ups

These reveal a new world of colour and intrigue. Flowers, butterflies, moths, smaller insects, stamps and coins can be photographed in detail with relatively inexpensive equipment. An Instamatic camera will take some larger subjects – such as the above – but for smaller items, you need a reflex camera fitted with extension ‘tubes and bellows’. These allow the lens to be moved further from the film.

Portraiture

Few subjects are more fascinating than people. They can either be taken formally – as seen here – or caught unawares by candid photography. A great deal can be achieved using the simpler cameras — with or without flash — but for more specialised studies a reflex camera with interchangeable lenses is necessary.

Landscapes

This is undoubtedly the most popular subject of all, and one for which any camera is suitable. Remember the words of the great painter Constable: “clouds are the keynote to landscapes” – a truth well borne out by this picture.

Natural history

Natural history photography has increased in popularity over recent years, largely through the availability of longer focal-length lenses. There has also been an increase in the number of Nature Reserves open to the public. A rather specialised subject but one which is challenging and deeply rewarding.

Transport

Photographers have always been attracted to the various forms of transport. Photography ‘freezes time’ and the transport wonders of today may be history in a few years to come. Railways, aircraft and buses are three obvious choices but perhaps you may prefer the picturesque industrial history of the canal network. This comprehensive scene includes two barges, the towpath and a lock-keeper’s cottage.

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