An Exercise to Improve My Photography

The last couple of days, while taking a few days off of work, I have done something a bit different and the results have been very pleasing. For one, I have gotten some good and well-needed exercise and fresh air. More importantly, I have discovered a new challenging way to improve my photographic vision. It really has been great.

Here is how the process goes: I pick a place where I can go and walk around for an hour and a half or so. After strapping on my walking shoes, I grab my SLR camera (not a point-and-shoot) and sling it over my shoulder. Why not a point-and-shoot? This decision to avoid a P&S is to force me into a complete photographic mindset. If it were my only camera, that would be a different matter. However, the point of this exercise is to push me into using my professional equipment and to get completely used to it being on my person at all times.

Now, here is where it gets interesting. I choose to not take my photo bag with all of my lens collection with me. For one, it would be inhibiting for the exercise (brisk-walking) part of the outing. Second, it forces me into making a decision that has incredible ramifications for the duration of the exercise.

This critical decision is to choose a single lens, any lens, and fix it onto the camera before leaving. I will have to endure the decision and make it work for me for all of my shooting choices. Thus, to quote the knight in “Indiana Jones: The Last Crusade,” I have to “choose wisely!”

So, what choice should I make? Zooms are the first thing to come to mind. They cover a largish range. However, they do suffer from being slower. If the lighting is not right, a good fast prime lens might make more sense. Ideally, one would like a 14-500mm/f1.4 lens to cover all situations! One of the nice things about this single choice is the fact that you HAVE to live with it. There is no use in complaining if it is wrong.

Ultimately, two major results come from this single-lens decision. The first is that one learns the dynamics of that lens in a new way. If there is no other alternate “plan B” to fall back on, one has to determine how THAT lens can be coerced into achieving the capture. Therefore, one develops a real hands-on understanding of the lens’ failings and strong points.

The second positive experience is that one improves as a photographer because one is forced to move into place to capture the photo. It is easy to become complacent with our large collections of lenses. Instead of jockeying ourselves into a better position to shoot a memorable shot, we tend to stay where we are and swap the lens to a wider angle or a telephoto to adjust the camera to the scene. Some scenes need a wider angle and a closer position while others need a telephoto and the photographer to move away from the center of interest.

On my first day, I used my daughter’s DX zoom lens (17-105). It was an ok choice since it covered about 24mm-150mm in reality and the day was one of open shade (light overcast). The second day, I took my 24mm lens since I preferred the larger aperture and wanted true wide angles on my D700. The results of this are on my Flickr photostream at www.flickr.com/photos/claforet/. They are dated 4/21/2011 and 4/22/2011.

So, let me urge you to try this for yourself. It really has been a good experience for me already. I find myself looking forward to the next experiment to see what it would yield. I can tell that it is really making some improvements in my techniques.

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