AbovePhotoprojects,likethechanging
oftheseasons,tella storywitha naturally
progressive timeline.
AboveThe free
CameraKnow-
howebook
on your disc or
download will help
you get to grips
with your camera’s
key features.What’syourgo-tomodeon yourcame
Maybeyou liketo useaperture-priority
tocontroltheblurin yourbackgrounds
or you prefer to work in manualmode
for maximum control over whatyour
camera is doing.
Here at PP we champion thishands-
approach, as learning, understanding
and mastering all your camerasettings
is a vital part of being a creative
photographer. But could therestill
be a place for the ‘P’ setting?
Leaving your camera in its program
or auto mode, or using one of the
pr esets that entry-level camerashave
fo r different scenarios, may beseen
as something that only a beginner
would do, but modern camerasare
incredible pieces of technology,
and the latest metering systemsand
on-board computers will generallyget
ri ght in 99% of situations. Andby lettingyourcamera
lo ok after the technical aspects,youarefreeto
concentrate on the elements ofa shotthatarenot
re liant on camera settings. This means more time to
allocate to composition, more freedom to look at the
way your scene is lit and more chances of grabbing
those decisive moments, minus any distractions.
Try it for a while and you’ll see how liberating it can be.10 Ways To ImprovePRACTICALPHOTOGRAPHY.COM 37
in mind during every shoot then you
should start to see a more ‘complete’
look to your images.
Working towards a project
Adding this narrative impact into your
work isn’t always easy. It’s one of those
aspects of photography, which, unlike
the technical aspects of aperture, shutter
speed and ISO, can’t be easily taught. To
get you started, one of the best ways of
introducing story-telling into the images
you shoot is to set yourself a project. If you
are a landscape photographer think of
documenting the way that nature changes
with the seasons; if you shoot people then
consider some environmental portraiture
to add context to your images; and if
you’re open to anything, try something
more open, such as a ‘life in a day’ project.