I am taking a good rest this February weekend. The gear is getting cleared off and ready for more events that we will be covering this month. There is the USA Dance Mid-Atlantic Championships this upcoming weekend. Back to the dance floor with our cameras, and I am sure that the dancers are getting ready as well.
The weekend after is SingStrong DC in Reston, VA! Since this is an anniversary year from when I was first introduced to a cappella music, I will be definitely be ready to get an update on what groups are doing this year. Singing, choreography, arrangements – so many things have changed over the last 20 years, and I look forward to my annual “check-up” on the latest and greatest. If you are in the area, be sure to go to their website to get info on tickets. There will be lots of performances and workshops over the three days. Plus, I can make a photo of you!
We just watched the new motion picture, “American Hustle” which was a movie heavily focused on character development, and character interaction. In movies, the examples of the rule of thirds is used during scenes of dialog, and other half or close up shots of the actor’s faces. When there is only one face on the screen at a time, the extra space that the other third of the frame gives the audience a space to place themselves, or to place the other character that is not on screen.
Having this space really places you in the scene making the viewer more engaged in the film. If this space was not there, it will be jarring to viewers, and will create a tension – like something is not right. This can be used as a compositional element too whether in still or motion pictures. In these photos, the subject is placed on a third, looking through the long side of the frame.
This composition will also work for landscape or still life photos. Placing objects along the grids or having objects “face” the open part of the frame creates a better composition. It works for many situations. Additionally, it can make a great starting point. When presented by a tricky scene try this to make your photos better with your new camera.
In my corporate job, “Improvement Needed” or “IN” used to be the lowest rank you could receive on a review. Yes it does not sound good, and is in fact very discouraging. It was meant to be a sign to the person receiving the score that they are the lowest performer. Subsequently it will likely push them out the job to something else, or out of the company completely.
Work Review
As a freelancer, it seems like I do nothing but look at where I need to make my skills better. I look at things like photo shoot setups, camera technique, composition, post-processing, etc. Then there are business things – my contracts, marketing, website – it is really an endless list. Looking back on where we are now, it would be possible to think that everything is setup just as we like it. However, I am constantly thinking it needs improvement.
I do see a correlation between my view of my work, and the work that is done by my photography subjects. I revisit many venues and events. It is easy to see the progress artists put into their craft in between the times that we see each other. It inspired me to come up with new ideas. My setup cannot be the same as the last time. It would look like I am satisfied with where I am, and what I am doing. This pushes my photography to improve every time I go out on a shoot.
Use weaknesses to push you off the plateau and get to the next level. Yes, a photographer needs to have good gear, but you need to have something in the frame that will hold viewer’s attention. For a singer, singing in key is the prerequisite, but singing something that people want to hear will bring you to the next level. More shoots are on the schedule, hopefully more improvements will be made!
