Well ever since I’ve got this dSLR, everyone has been asking me how my new favourite hobby has been going. It’s just as well, what else would we talk about besides the new things we pick up? The problem is, I don’t quite have a ready answer. A blog post usually helps.
First things first, it’s been great. I’m absolutely loving my new cam, the Nikon D3000, as it’s easy to use, looks good, fucking comfortable, and is able to produce some good results. For those who are asking for my non-professional opinion, it’s a good camera and I think you should go for it. Oh did I mention I’m getting a 50mm f/1.8 prime lens instead of this rather average 18-55 zoom lens?
But all that’s the least important aspect of this thing called ‘photography’. Unlike using a point-and-shoot to click family photos and cats doing cute faces, there’s a whole new world opened up in front of that lens, and I feel compelled to capture it. It’s not all easy though, as getting into this mode is I’m sure worse than going through a sex change. To be able to visualise what the final image should look like on Flickr, and then grabbing the shot so is quite a difficult process as I’ve found out. Then there’s the aspect of everything being a cliché. How many shots of a bridge can be justified in this world? These are of course self-created impressions, as I’m sure there are thousands of potential bridge photos waiting to wow the world. I’m still learning see?
This past week I’ve been just about carrying the camera everywhere I go. I’ve got a large backpack and the camera along with the tripod fit in just nicely. So I’m riding along, when I notice this bus stop along a lonely field. I stop. Will this make a good picture? Will I be wasting my time trying to capture it? What about the light? Unlike regular ‘for memories sake’ photography, there’s no real reason to go capture an image. It’s optional, and that’s scary. I’ve also had great difficulty in getting a scene I see into the lens. I know some really scenic places, they look like something out of Lord of the Rings. But turn them into a jpeg and it looks like a regular old backyard. To be able to add depth, perception of size—I know it’s possible, and I’ll get there some day. I’ve found that sticking to a scene, and trying to make it work, ultimately lets you understand the scene better. I couldn’t have done it without the unlimited digital shots and the large LCD screen which is perfect for reviewing and deleting crap.
The Small Cat has been a total fucking useless asset in my training. He’s got the same face, has the same poses, and doesn’t do any cute tricks. There’s only so much orange a lens can open up to, so the cat is abandoned for now. I’m sure there’s some squeeze left in that sloppy beast, but for now I’ll leave him aside.
One thing I haven’t been doing much, is pictures of people. I’m terrified of people. For one, you can shoot as many shots of a tin can, in as many angles and poses as you’d like, and at the end of it, the tin can doesn’t ask you to show him the pics. The problem is also of expectations. The moment someone see’s you with a dSLR, they assume you’re completely professional, and will produce stunning images that their point-and-shoot wouldn’t even be able to dream of. At least I think they do. I can’t produce those yet. In fact mine are worse than from a regular cam since I’m only shooting manual (well, aperture priority). I plan on doing more people photography though, soon (did I mention the new lens?).
The third interesting change that a dSLR brings about, is everyone gives you more respect. I went about Mapusa to shoot some images of the Narkasura. Every time I asked if I could shoot a couple of images, they were most accommodating, and best of all—”Which paper are you a photographer for?”. I didn’t deny myself any of the attention and told them I was a freelancer. It’s the half-truth; flickr is my publication. In those cases of course, where I’m all professional, there’s no scare of someone asking to see the results of the images. “I can’t do that” is the perfect answer, where they’re even more impressed! I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to get cops to do fake chase just for a pic in the papers.
On the software side, Aperture has been great. It’s totally the tool to use if you’re not shooting family and friends. It’s fast (when it’s the foreground app), and has a beautiful workflow for organising and publishing images. It’s way better than iPhoto, and I even prefer it to Lightroom. Although that’s more of a personal preference and might be hindered by the fact that Aperture is made by Apple, and Lightroom by Adobe. I wouldn’t know really.
To sum up, it’s been going great, I’m learning a lot, and I’ll soon upload some good shots on flickr. In fact, if you check there now I’ve gotten some pretty cool shots of gadgets.