Mocking Bird l Vancouver Film Photographer » Photography Tips

When Inspiration Is Too Much

Amanda — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 14:00:37 +0000

If you are anything like me, you spend a lot of time pouring over other people’s photographs on photography websites, blogs and in books and magazines. There is such an amazing truckload of inspiration out there for all kinds of photography no matter what your needs. I sometimes share some of my photography inspirations here on Mocking Bird but I try not to overload you with other people’s photographs as there are so many great blogs out there already doing that.

As great as all this inspiration is, sometimes the volumes of photography available to peruse can actually be debilitating to your own photography. If we spend more time looking at other people’s photography than shooting ourselves, this can actually be doing our photography harm. The only way to improve is to practise and the only way to find your own voice and style is by trying out different things and seeing where you fit.

I think a lot of people get caught up in shooting fads, shooting what everyone else is shooting and trying to fit in. As pretty as all that can be, it doesn’t help you grow as a photographer. For me, photography is about being original and having a style and voice that is recognizable as your own. I may not always achieve this myself, but when I shoot, I remind myself that these are my stories, my photographs and not something that should be heavily influenced by someone else.

I hope I’m not sounding too preachy with this post but I do want new photographers to be themselves, to be original, to share their own voice in new and amazing ways that only they can. I also mainly wrote this post to remind myself to get out there and shoot for me too. I’ve been doing a lot of shooting for non personal reasons of late and along the way forgot to make time to shoot for me. We all need to shoot for ourselves too!

p.s. We welcomed the newest little bub to our family yesterday. Hooray for darling, little Aislin!

Being a Stealth Photographer

Amanda — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 16:00:48 +0000

Do you see possible awesome photograph options while you’re out and about but don’t have the nerve to shoot them? Do you ever wish that you had more camera courage whilst out in public? Recently one reader asked how I shoot the things I do without getting funny looks. She wanted to know what my “secret to avoiding the silly is”.

Often times I have missed great photo opportunities because I’ve worried about what people may think. Nobody wants to be the crazy lady crawling through the bushes or laying in the middle of the street legs and arms a-flailing with a camera pointed in the air. The secret is…there isn’t one unfortunately.

However, I pose to you this…how badly do you want the shot? There are plenty of times that I have wanted to shoot something and been too nervous or worried that people might think I am a weirdo. It’s moments like those that I ask myself this very question: How badly do you want it? If I want it badly enough, I will size up the situation, shoot as quickly as I can and then get the hell out of there.

Of course, there is a time and place for photography. As I’ve mentioned before, I used to shoot a lot of bands. One time I had a really hard time shooting and simply had to put the camera away. It was a Joanna Newsom gig. It was in the famous Spiegel Tent and with nothing but a little lady strumming a harp, it was dead silent. Having my shutter button clicking away during the performance would have been downright rude, so I put the camera away. Obviously, some things are not appropriate to shoot and I make a judgement call.

The photographs that posed this initial reader question were taken in a store. Now quite often some stores have rules about taking photographs so you need to be careful. I will admit that when I took some pictures inside The Regional Assembly of Text, I was nervous about it. I wanted to ask permission but it was super busy, so I just took a few shots as I walked around the store. Thankfully, one of the owners actually emailed me telling me that she loved the post. There is always the chance that you won’t be that lucky.

I take quite a lot of photographs in cafes and people may think I’m a bit of a weirdo but I’d rather walk home with some lovely pictures of my day than regretting not shooting that moment. I guess it comes down to not being worried what people will think and being courteous. I am always mindful of my surroundings and if I think that my shooting might disturb others then I will give it a miss. You can always ask permission first too.

I’ve had some funny looks from people, I’ve had comments and even quite a few people asking me to take their photo. It goes with the territory. If you really want the shot, compose it in your head, stand tall, be quick and courteous and be brave! You never know what you might come home with.

Do You Get Photographer’s Block?

Amanda — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 15:00:20 +0000

Are you trying hard to improve your photography by shooting as much as you can? Do you sometimes get stuck in a place where you are unsure which way to go next? When photography found me (yes it found me, I didn’t find it) I was consumed by wanting to shoot until my shutter finger hurt.

I tried to shoot photographs every day but sometimes found myself with no direction if I wasn’t shooting for purpose. Once you’ve shot everything in your house and around your neighbourhood, a new photography habit can leave you wondering where to go to next.

I soon discovered places like Photo Friday and Theme Thursday which I loved participating in each week. Each week a theme is posted and photographers are asked to go out and shoot one photograph on that theme. Tracey runs photography lists and scavenger hunts over at Sh1ft and Shutter Sisters have similar things happening in their flickr pool.

Themes are a really great way to stretch yourself as a photographer and make your eyes notice things they may not have before. If you are feeling a bit of photographer’s block, here is a list of themes to go and just shoot!

Doors and windows in your neighbourhood
Signs- street signs, storefront signs, church signs, road signs, neon signs!
Anything that is pink.
A word theme e.g. “soft” or “memoir”
Sidewalks/Footpaths- Eons ago I ran The Sidewalk Project where I asked people to send in photographs of things they found on the sidewalk. I got hundreds of entries from sidewalks all over the world.
Self portraits- yes, shoot your own face for 365 days, 52 weeks or every day for a week. Chantelle is doing her 52 weeks and sharing them at Fat Mum Slim.
Books- on book shelves, in book stores, left at bus stops.
Coffee designs – a favourite of mine.
Things found at the beach.
Bathroom Mirror Reflections- Damn Hell Bathrooms on flickr.
Different body parts- just hands, just eyes, just feet.
Strangers- get up the courage to ask a stranger if you can shoot their portrait.

There are thousands of different themes you can choose to inspire your photography and get yourself out of a camera funk. If you do decide to take on a theme based project, get yourself a flickr account and share it in a set.

Have you got any other nifty ways of coping with photographer’s block?

How To Shoot In Dark, Winter Light

Amanda — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 22:14:26 +0000

Since moving to Vancouver, I have had to deal with one nasty, ugly problem. Despite its mountains and ocean, its pine trees and snowy fields, its absolute and utter beauty, in the wintery months, Vancouver is one dark city. This is no big deal for most, but for a natural light film photographer like myself, it does cause a few problems. Now, I could very easily just pack up the cameras until next April, but for someone who craves photography, who needs to take photos every day, that is never going to happen.

I’ve never had to deal with this before as Sydney is more sunny than it is rainy and the light there is very easy to come by. This is a whole new learning curve, so rather than just staying inside with a hot chocolate, I’ve decided to find ways to make photography work for me in the dark, winter light. I hope this new school of education for me can be of some help for you with your own photography.

Firstly I need to make a few changes to my usual mode of shooting:

To think about my equipment (film types, camera types, flash vs no flash, reflectors, light sources, tripod).
To find different times in the day to shoot.
To apply my knowledge of Polaroid photography to all photography. I will explain why.
To shoot things I would never have thought to shoot before i.e. people in the rain, beaches with an overcast sky.
To accept and find beauty in the dark, winter hues.
To set up an indoor studio.
To buy thin, warm gloves and protection for my cameras.

I have to make these changes because I am used to having light pretty much whenever and wherever I want it. I shoot with natural light as I find flash to be too harsh and it really can destroy a photo. The only time I think flash is necessary is when your are shooting indoor portraits and parties with your point and shoot.

In the coming weeks, I am going to offer you my ideas about those points above. Do you have any questions that you would like to share about this kind of photography? I look forward to sharing what I learn with you!

Subscribe to the RSS so you don’t miss coming Winter Light posts.

In the meanwhile, here are a few inspirations from winter photographers on flickr.

Discovering New Places With Your Camera

Amanda — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:00:52 +0000

Making my way around the Vancouver hot spots with my camera is a great way to get to know the town. Not only do I get to visit new places and discover possible future favourites, but I get to remember them all over again when I get back a roll of film.
I find using your camera as a way to discover new places is a real inspiration. It gives you a reason to get to places that you may not have discovered for any other reason that to pretend you’re still a tourist.
I am still technically a tourist in Vancouver, but pretending to be one was something I did a fair bit in Sydney.

You Can Be A Tourist Too

Grab your camera and put your tourist eyes on and find new and wonderful parts of your community- places you may never have imagined could be very clickable (Amanda-speak for “photogenic”).
Pick a suburb that you may not ordinarily go to and shoot the streets.
Go to your local market and shoot the produce.
Attend a community street parade or multicultural fair.
Go to your local park and shoot the flowers and wildlife.

Getting to know your suburb and neighbourhoods with your camera is a great way to discover new things that you may have overlooked for years. You never know what is hiding around a corner!