The Click Factor – 4

Our photography class drew to a close. It was a short course but I’ve learnt such a lot, it’s amazing. I’ve read enough photography books and spend ££s on photo-magazines, but these few days have clarified all that and more.

Here’s the lesson for writers: Move out of your comfort zone and take classes, if required. Whatever it is that you think will improve your writing, go for it. If photography classes will help you take better pictures and enhance your chances of a sale, do it. If you need a dash in confidence, take a public speaking class. Or hire someone to mentor you for a while, boosting your writing skills and helping you remember why you got into this profession in the first place.

There’s no substitute for learning. And when you’re done, teach someone else.

 

Things to do – 38

Talk about ambition.

The photography class I’ve been taken has given me ideas. In addition to becoming an artist and a good writer, I’ve added picture-taking to the list.

So, while I dream of an art exhibition (my target: Dec next year – time to get the dust off the brushes), I’ve added a photography dream to my list of Things-to-do.

I want one (or more) of my photos to make it to the cover of a magazine some day. Doesn’t matter which magazine. For now, a cover shot it is.

Will this happen? Well, that’s what the course was for. The next few months will tell if I was paying any attention. Watch this space.

 

View from the office

 

The Click Factor – 3

With some theory behind us, our photography class was given SLR cameras (some film, some digital) and let loose on the streets.

The theme of the day’s project was “People at Work”. The interpretation was left to us. Instead of just shooting blindly, we just had to be mindful of the technical bits like exposure, metering, shutter speed, light etc.

Easy Peasy.

Or so we thought.

The group headed toward the local market. What better place to shoot people at work than a market bustling with vendors and buyers? Goa’s affinity for tourists makes it a colourful, vibrant place with vendors from all over the country competing to sell their wares to foreign and domestic tourists.

We got down to work. For those of us who owned a camera or who were used to travelling, clicking came naturally. We didn’t feel embarrassed or conscious about putting the viewfinder to the eye.

The newbies however hesitated. And it cost them good shots. It take a while, but you soon realise that in India, permission is often not required to shoot people shots. A raise of the eyebrow, a smile and permission is granted.

This got me thinking. As writers, we often hesitate to approach people with seemingly interesting stories. We could be shy ourselves, afraid to intrude into someone else’s space or worried about the response we might get.

So we walk away. Or sit quietly without interrupting a story to ask questions. Or get the bare facts, sometimes distorted and come home wishing you knew more.

I’m not a natural conversationalist. Gimme email and I can look into your soul. Ask me to go interview someone and I’m petrified.

As a writer, I know that the best stories are out there, hiding behind smiles and sneers, behind closed doors that need gentle prying. I’ve got to get out of this ‘not talking to people’ phase. Perhaps I should buy ‘The Shy Writer’ by C Hope Clark. That might get me talking.

Are you shy? Do you hesitate to talk to new people? Any tips on how to overcome this?

 

The Click Factor – 2

The Photography Course continues.  Familiar concepts are starting to make sense to me. Except when it comes to the numbers. I’ve understood shutter speed, ISO, aperture… But ask me to convert one into another in numerical terms and I go blank. Blame it on my horrid math teacher in school. I’d rather stick a chart to the back of my camera than torture myself with the conversions. Don’t tell my tutor that, though.

Having dealt with the Science of Photography (fascinating, really) today’s class was on ‘The Art of Photography’. Composition, its rules, and discussing the kinds of photography made for interesting learning. I must admit I’m enjoying the class more than I though I would. The prospect of going beyond the ‘Auto’ mode does terrify me a bit (especially with a tutor around), but I’m sure it is something a brave freelancer can handle.

I’m starting to look at shadows differently. I find that delightful.

 

The Click Factor

Freelance journalists know that a well-written article has a greater chance of getting published if it is accompanied by good photographs. Not always, but often.

Travel articles, especially, need good visuals. I’ve usually submitted my own photos so far, taken initially on a point-n-shoot and lately on a ‘good’ DSLR or SLR-like camera (Panasonic Lumix). Both are excellent on auto-focus, yet there’s so much more that they can do if I could only get my head around the technical side of photography.

To fine-tune this blindspot and to take even better pics, I’ve signed up for a short course locally. The course began today and in just three hours, the terms ’shutter speed’, ‘depth of field’, ‘aperture’ ‘f-stops’ and ‘focal length’ make complete sense. And I finally figured out what the magazines mean when they say to send ’slides’ or ‘transparencies’ when referring to photo-submissions.

It’s fantastic when things click (pardon the pun) into place in your head – and to think of all those hours I’ve spent reading manuals, photo mags or websites in an effort to understand the jargon.

There’s no substitute (I feel) for a traditional class. Online is ok, but take away the human interaction and it becomes dull, just another email to deal with. We’re just four in the class, but that means individual attention, questions, going over stuff again and more time for hands-on work with the camera.

Tomorrow, we focus on ISO, metering and other concepts that sound terribly daunting, but which will help me take better pics in the long run.

Who knows, I might someday be a better photographer than a writer… Here’s to the rest of the course. Watch this space for more.

 

Photo blues

Wrapping up an assignment for a feature on Goa, I spent the better half of yesterday outdoors taking pictures. It was hot, humid and there were too many tourists around. I was looking for standard travel shots, nothing very dramatic – the kind you see in your regular magazine. The low lighting inside churches and the constant pressure of people made it difficult to hold the camera steady. Thoughts of the editor (and the upcoming deadline) kept the camera going. That’s the advantage of digital. You can take a thousand pictures. Hopefully, at least a couple of hundred shots will turn out okay.

I could have used a tripod for indoor shots – will think about it for the next assignment. Do you have any tips on shooting indoors, in low light or night shots?