First Post on a New Blog

Picked up my first camera some thirty years ago. Have rarely been without one since. Hopefully I have learned some things along the way.

Photography is both art and science. A technically perfect image is not necessarily what would be termed a great photographic image. Some images that dazzle and amaze, or perhaps engage the viewer in an exceptional way violate all the "rules". The challenge of photography is both the art and the science, especially in this digital age. Technology has transformed photography in truly amazing ways, but at the end of the day the basics of capturing an image have not really changed all that much. It still takes knowing the tools you are using, knowing what you want to do, and applying the fundamentals.

I believe it is important for a photographer to understand camera basics . Exceptional images are dependent on a photographer understanding the basics. Things like shutter speeds, f-stops, ISO and light temperature. I find that many now aren't interested in the basics, and that disappoints me. Perhaps I am old school, but fundamentals are important in any discipline be it photography, sports, cooking, dance - whatever one chooses to truly learn, understand and apply.

But I will add this: photography should be fun - any hobby or interest should be fun. Getting mired in the science can cause one to miss some opportunities to capture images, which is what photography is all about. It is easy to get caught up in the gadgets and gizmos. Of course a lot of hobbies and interests are that way from cooking to fishing to golf. So, keep it simple (something I am not good a doing), take lots of pictures, and blow off the critics - the biggest one usually being oneself.