That’s just how I look at it.

Whenever people are gathering, you have an opportunity to have your camera out and be working on your skills, figuring out things on the camera, experimenting with techniques, and perhaps honing your skills in approaching folks with a camera.

You can call it street photography, photojournalism, or whatever you like.

Maybe you have a particular subject matter that you like to capture, for a potential series.
I have been photographing lunch scenarios for over 18 years, so there is always a new opportunity. Every day.

1 Taco, 3 Bottles from NomNom food truck on Abbot Kinney

Is the photo above a classic? Iconic? nope. Not meant to be. But part of a series that has been continually developing.
Working it.

So it may be like sketching, as you continually are making visual notes, or you learn best how to approach people to make a photo of them.
Maybe it’s just figuring out all of the controls on a new camera. It always helps to have a subject in front of you, I find.
Now, if people aren’t your thing, perhaps it’s that nature walk where you hit the trail and find what visually pulls you in along the way. Remember the city is a pretty rich subject , even without the people.
With the seasonal change, there are a ton of events that are coming up.
It could be a holiday like Halloween. (that’s a holiday, right?) Or maybe as in Canada, Thanksgiving this month.Pumpkin patches?
Or that Ocktoberfest event that always comes around. Just be careful about photographing inebriated folks. Not a fair fight, as it were.

The point is, stepping away from the computer, and joining in, even if you are the chronicler, will make you a better photographer.
The more you shoot, the more you will learn what to do, and what not to do.
I guess that’s why photowalks have become very popular. I led a Scott Kelby Photowalk this summer and it was a great time, as we had Los Angeles Chinatown as a backdrop and everyone was sharing their images as we went.

I will always have a camera with me. It may be a point and shoot, but it is usually a full frame DSLR, like a Nikon D700, and rarely is it only camera in my phone.
And what do you do with it?
C’mon there are many outlets to share and perhaps get feedback. I suppose that may be one of the points.
But it’s working that photographic muscle.
That’s what I think it’s about.

So….what are you shooting this weekend?
And can we see some of the shots?

This entry was posted on Friday, October 2nd, 2009 at 4:19 pm and is filed under Photo News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.