The Right Photography Equipment Encourages Creativity

Last February I sold my Nikon D40 and purchased a Nikon D70 with 18-70mm lens. I did this so that I could do more creative things with my photography such as HDR, or High Dynamic Range photography. I also wanted to be able to use my Nikon SB-600 off camera with the help of Nikon's Creative Lighting System.

The D70 is an awesome camera, but I always found myself fighting with the controls. My D40 was very easy to use, even though it didn't have dedicated buttons for most of the settings that I often changed. I received my D80 yesterday, and after using it, it occured to me that having a camera that is easy to use really encourages creativity. Being creative takes practice, and if you are constantly fighting with your camera you are not going to use it. My Nikon D80 reminds me of my D40's layout, but includes the dedicated buttons that I use most often. Not only does it feel great, it has quite a few upgrades over the D70, such as a higher mexapixel count which will allow for more cropping, a bigger LCD for reviewing photos, and an easier to navigate menu.

Of course, having the right lens to achieve the photo that you want is just as important. In the past, the biggest block to my creativity was not being able to focus as close as I wanted to. Most of my lenses had a twelve inch plus minimum focusing distance, so getting close ups of flowers and other plants was not an option. The Sigma 17-70mm that I ordered to go with my D80, however, solves that by giving me a minimum focusing distance of seven inches! This is from the sensor, though, and not the end of the lens, so I am able to focus very close!

I have been reading up on panoramic photography as well as HDR. I believe photomatix is the best software for HDR, and also happens to be much cheaper than Adobe photoshop. As far as panoramas go, I found a program called Microsoft I.C.E., or Image Composite Editor. This is a free program from Microsoft that allows you to stitch your panorama photos together. It does a great job with the test photos that I used. It did seem to take a bit longer than photoshop elements, but the results were top notch. For a free program, it really does a great job. If you are looking to get started with panoramic photography, I recommend downloading Microsoft's I.C.E. and trying it out.

Have a great week!

Zac

Stuck In A Rut - Challenge 1 - Summary

Well it has certainly been an interesting week. I have been trying my best to look for things that I have not noticed before.

If I have learned anything this week, it is that there are some things that may not look like very photographic subjects, but when you view them from a new angle or get in close, they really stand out.

Since I started my photography hobby, I have always drawn inspiration from other photographers photos. I believe there is a great deal that we can learn from other photographers, but it is also important that we develop our own style. If we only try to imitate the work of others rather than branch out and create our own work, we are setting limits on our skills and talents.

I discovered that if I focused more on taking photos from my point of view rather than trying to get a similar result from another picture that I had seen, that I enjoyed myself more and became more creative at the same time.

I have read that photographers are artists, and rather than brushes and paints, the camera is our tool of choice. We compose the image in our minds and then capture our point of view. So many things can influence our photography. If you take two photographers who photograph the same subject at the same time, you are likely to get two sets of very different photographs.

Take what you learned from the last challenge and continue to develop your ability to see creative photos around you. We will start a new challenge next week!

Have a great week,

Zac

Stuck In A Rut - Challenge 1

Challenge 1 - Your Own Backyard

You do not have to go far to be able to find beautiful, creative images. Most of these photographs can be found right in your own backyard if you are patient enough to look.

---

Challenge Rules:

Subjects:

No limitations. If it is in your backyard, it is free to be photographed.

Photos can be either in black and white or color.

Only three (3) photos can be uploaded per challenge.

Photos must be taken on your own property.

Please put the following information in the description:

Camera Used

Lens Used

Why did you take that picture?

Any photoshop editing? If so, what?

---

I encourage you to take a fresh look at your surroundings. Look for creative lines and shapes. Get a new perspective. Look for something that you have never seen before. It is so easy to see the same thing over and over again. By taking the time to study our surroundings, we can begin to see our creative side grow.

I have created a flickr group under "One Creative Photo" to post the assignment pictures to. I believe that having this group will help us grow collectively. Posting your photos to the group will allow you to inspire others and get constructive criticism from fellow photographers.

Here is the link to the new Flickr group: One Creative Photo