Picture This!

This is my first post to our new blog spot at www.jimgarviephoto.bloggespot.com. The first thing to know about my photography is that I've been doing it for a looooong time! Over 40 years. Back when film was the recording medium and not CCD or CMOS sensors. And in all that time, the basics of photography haven't changed: you still have to expose the sensor with a certain amount of light for a certain amount of time to get properly exposed images. What folks may not realize is that back in the film days, it would be a week or more before we'd see our images so we learned quickly what combinations of amount of light (f-stops) for amount of time (shutter speed) would give us the best chance of getting usable images.

Today of course, we can see what the camera sees almost immediately. But the basics remain the same: you still have to expose your subject for a certain amount of time with a certain amount of light to get properly-exposed images. And sometimes, just placing the camera on "Auto" won't work. You have to know intuitively what combination is necessary for not only proper exposure but proper sharpness, proper depth-of-field, proper ISO to control the noise factor, etc. In short, being a "photographer" is more than having the right camera gear. It's a matter of what's between your ears and how much mileage is under your feet. The camera is simply a tool -- a very sophisticated tool but a tool nonetheless. The real creative force in image creation is the photographer him or herself. Keep that in mind when you think of hiring a photographer for your event or your creative project. Pick a photographer that knows how to create great images and not just how to set the camera properly.

Jim Garvie