It is humbling to talk with my Leica instructor, Donald Pebble. We met on Zoom this morning.
He is 23, articulate and knowledgeable. He knows so much more than I do about photography, and I’ve been taking pictures now for some years.
The good news is that he is a beautiful teacher, and every time I speak with him, I learn two or three essential things that will help me take better photos and already has.
These are things I never bothered to learn, but which often make the difference between nice photos and special ones.
He seems to get me, which is not simple for people at any age. A wise man, a fine teacher. I guess he is someone who learned early, and I am getting late for it. He likes my sky photos and gave me some ideas about how to take the photos.
We talked about exposure, how to balance the shutter speed with the aperture settings, when to go manual versus automatic, and more about a two or 4-second delay when doing landscapes.
He seems to grasp my weaknesses, and I sent him many photos to look at this morning. I was pleased by his comments. I have a lot more to learn but am learning a lot.
Donald and I are making arrangements for me to come to Boston so I can spend a morning with him at the Leica store working on Lightroom and other issues revolving around photo editing and settings.
I’ll spend a morning with him; if Maria can come, we’ll see some museums together, if she is busy, I’ll go alone.
I’m learning to enhance details in my photos without changing the basic nature or structure of the photo. I like enhancing photographs, I won’t fake them. The more thought I give a photo, the more I can work with it.
This big sky photo needed some detail, and I have found a graceful and simple way to do it. This is an important and meaningful experience for me, thanks for sharing it.
Jonathan, what a treat it is to see this wonderful photograph. You are correct about learning. A true artist is always eager to learn. I’m glad you found this new teacher.
What a treat to get this message, Noelie, thank you.
I’m in too, Jon. Have you read Desmond Tutu’s book “Made for Goodness”? I think you may find it thoughtful and helpful.
yet another beauty, Jon. the depth of field your Leica (and your eye) captures is incredible. I love them!
Susan M
Jon…
I’m struggling with the line between photography and art. In the Capture Phase of a photograph, the art is in the application of photographic tools and technologies to achieve a desired effect. The photographer knows what he is going for, and has the photographic knowledge to achieve it. So, a photographer’s pre-planning decisions for composition and photographic set-up might be the art.
Art could also be in the physical act of getting the shot. As the painter picks up his brush to apply his skills, so the photographer picks up his camera. I’ve seen products of exceptional urban photographers who, almost clairvoyantly, seem to anticipate a winning shot. This serendipitous gift could also be a form of art.
Finally, in the Postprocessing Phase of a photograph, where is the line between photographic enhancement and artistic alteration? Is the photographer improving a captured image or creating a new product? It seems your position is still on the side of maintaining photographic integrity.
I love your big sky photos. It is amazing the similarities between your upstate New York sky and terrain to Wyoming and Montana. This one looks a bit like the terrain if battle of the Big Horn, aka Custer’s last stand…
That’s very cool, Janette, thanks..