So you think you’re a good photographer?
Some time ago I read a tantalising article in a photographic magazine where the writer challenged the reader with the question, ‘so you think you are a good photographer?’ His point was that if you are totally satisfied with your current images, and in particular with your work taken years ago, then you might be deluding yourself on the quality of your photography. That of course is a pretty harsh statement, but what he wanted us photographers to do, is continually improve by trying different techniques to push our artistic and technical boundaries.
This challenging accusation made me think about my own work and to look back at images I had taken years ago to see if I had improved my photographic abilities. The short answer was that I thought I had got better, but a lot of those improvements could be attributed to a higher resolution camera and better lenses. The big question was had I really become a better and a more ‘exciting’ photographer? The disappointing answer was, not really.
The writer of this provocative article suggested that we become more adventurous, try new techniques and challenge our creativity. I love taking portraits, so my first venture was to convert some of my colour pics to black and white and try with alternative crops. This proved to be very rewarding, so much so that I eventually self-published a book using only black and white portraits. I now delight in converting to black and white some of the portraits that arise from the event shoots that I do.
Another challenge I set myself was a black-and-white shoot using only a 50mm lens in and around the Fremantle wharf. I usually use a zoom lens so photographing with only a prime was something quite different for me. I had to get used to positioning myself to get the right composition; a zoom tends to make you a bit lazy. I found that the lighting and textures for black and white is more important than for colour and of course, Photoshop allows you to emphasise both these attributes. I was very pleased with the results, and I feel the experience of the challenge had made me a better photographer.
Recently I went on a trip to China, however since I couldn’t fly direct from Perth, I ended up having a couple of days in Sydney to make the connection. One of the lenses I had for my Canon R5 was a 16mm f2.8 pancake lens. I set myself the challenge of taking photos around Sydney only using the 16mm lens. Since the R5 is a full frame camera, this lens gives a true wide-angle view. From a tourist perspective, a wide-angle lens has many advantages: firstly, you can get a lot of scenery in your image, secondly, because of the physics of the lens, you get excellent depth of field while using quite large apertures and lastly, this lens was small and light which made carrying it around easier and less intrusive.
The 16mm lens proved to be perfect for photographing around Circular Quay where I could include the iconic shapes of the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge in one shot. On a ferry ride to the Australian National Maritime Museum, it allowed me to take great images of the skyline and the ships moored at the museum’s jetty where space was at a premium.
Its limitation was that you had to get very close to an object if you wanted to fill the screen. I tested this problem out at an exhibition of Egyptian artefacts being held at the Sydney Museum. Because you have to get very close to objects, camera shake can become a problem. Anyway, with a lot of care and using a very high ISO setting, I managed to get some good shots of a number of the exhibits.
The moral of this little story for my fellow photographers, try something new, set yourself a challenge and I can assure you that you will become a better photographer!
Camera IconEskimo Joe front man Kav Temperley at a Melbourne gig. Credit: David Nicolson/The West Australian
Camera IconA very sad little boy. Credit: David Nicolson/The West AustralianCamera IconA grandma meets her new grandson. Credit: David Nicolson/The West AustralianCamera IconMarine artist Ross Shadlow on the Endeavour replica. Credit: David Nicolson/The West AustralianCamera IconFremantle wharf with a 50mm lens. Credit: David Nicolson/The West AustralianCamera IconFremantle sheds with a 50mm lens. Credit: David Nicolson/The West AustralianCamera IconThe Opera House and Harbour Bridge in one frame. Credit: David Nicolson/The West AustralianCamera IconThe Endeavour taken with a 16mm prime. Credit: David Nicolson/The West AustralianCamera IconSydney underground with a wide-angle lens. Credit: David Nicolson/The West AustralianCamera IconA wide angle shot of the galleries at the Sydney Museum. Credit: David Nicolson/The West AustralianCamera IconLow light Egyptian galley shot using ISO 12800. Credit: David Nicolson/The West AustralianCamera IconClose up of Egyptian sculpture using 16mm lens. Credit: David Nicolson/The West Australian
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