And so this is New Year. What will be your contribution to learning more about photography? What you did last year can be continued, or you can start a new lesson for yourself. I often find myself revisiting over again so it sinks in & becomes second nature. Although often when I am out shooting I find that I cannot see the forest for the trees. In this photo of a rusted seat on a turn of the century Hay rake, I wanted to capture both the grain of the rusted steel seat, but also the vibrant green of the grass below. Really contrasty. Nothing at all was done to this. It is straight out of the camera as a JPEG. Not even sharpening. In addition to getting the shot I wanted, I realized later I had captured a virtual face, as the eyes of my Hay Rake seat add expression to the captured image. It is this unrealized add-on that I often find elusive and a real pleasure to recognize. So it is this ability to recognize before I fully depress the shutter, that I want to concentrate on. As not only in this photo, but what developing this skill can do for my photography in general that I can gain from.

Perhaps you may have found yourself in a similar position. On your next venture outside, be aware of everything you are doing in order to capture the shot. Notice the lighting, the shadows, the composure, the exposure, notice all of the elements of settings as a means to an end. And somewhere in this group of knowledge, skills & manipulations you'll discover something you have either been unaware of, or just blindly doing over and over without taking notice, which you can learn from and improve upon. Make it a great year to learn. Then share it with us. Perhaps you can learn even more by sharing.

Dimensionz Gallery