Recently, my photography business has been taking off!
It's been amazing!
Also, I've thrown myself into learning more about photography by being in the Headshot Crew run by Peter Hurley. It's been amazing as well!
Sadly, my blog has suffered, but I'm getting a handle on balancing everything. I've thought about my blog and you, a lot, though.
One thing Peter keeps saying is, "Get people in front of your camera." It's his way of telling us how to get better doing headshots.
Then, it dawned me, I could apply that here.
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| Old chair with years of paint, taken in Golden Hour |
How?
I want to start a challenge.
Why?
Because practice with your camera is the best way to improve your photography!
Yes, I know that sounds obvious, but until you use it regularly, you won't improve as much. And, as I've said before, you want to know your camera well so that you're ready when the big moments come!
What's the challenge?
It will only take 5 minutes.
That's it.
No day trips. No exotic locations. No need to spend any money.
I will give you a specific challenge with your camera that I've already done. Hopefully, my shots will provide some inspiration. Too, I want to hear about your results!
The limit is 5 minutes of your time.
Sound good? Here's your first challenge.
This week, I want you to go and shoot in late afternoon or evening sun, called Golden Hour, or right after sunrise if you're a morning person.
(Posts here: Golden Hour, part 1, Golden Hour, part 2)
Use your yard, or take your camera and take pictures after work. You just need to use Golden Hour sunlight, the first hour after the sun rises, and the last hour before the sun sets.
Set a timer and try and find as many interesting shots as you can in 5 minutes. Then stop. That's it.
It may not sound like a lot, but it will teach you to hone your photography skills and your photographer's eye. You will have to actively look around you and actively deal with the changing light.
I'm starting with Golden Hour since the light is so pretty and you can silhouette your subject if you want or create sun/lens flare!
Here are some more shots I took in my yard in 5 minutes while my son mowed the lawn.
I lay down in the grass to get a different perspective.
I played with getting different shadows. They're wonderfully long during Golden Hour. The lighting is great to work with.
I moved around my yard and took a detail picture of the St. Francis of Assisi statue.
Even the swing looked really cool.
By setting a timer for myself, I had to move quickly and focus on the play of light.
I want you to try this too. Challenge yourself photographically.
Another benefit may be that if you're a blogger, you can use this challenge to brainstorm ideas for posts, or, learn to look for post ideas just like you look for great photo ideas!
So, follow me on Instagram:@MaryFDenman and tag me in a comment of any pictures you'd like me to see!
Too, if you have photography questions that you'd like me to answer or blog about, please leave a comment below!
TWEETABLE
BLOGS I JOIN:
I'll try to remember to take your challenge tomorrow evening and see what happens. Thanks!
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