Here's a thought…

HT1942 - The Problem with Cameras

Cameras are marvelous devices that do incredible things. The problem is they can do none of those things if you don't have it with you when the photographic opportunity appears. Mark Twain said that those who don't read have no advantage over those who can't. The same could be said about making pictures. A person who leaves their camera at home has no advantage over those who don't own a camera.

HT1943 - What You Are Working On, What You Have Finished

No one cares what you are working on. No one ever will care what you are working on. It's only what you have finished that matters or will possibly survive you.

HT1944 - Different Sources of Illumination

The key attribute of travel photography is seeing something new. Seeing something new is the topic for this thought. But travel is difficult, expensive, and takes a lot of time. What if we could invoke that idea of seeing something new by simply changing the source of light? What if we photographed in our home or neighborhood with illumination by candlelight, flashlight, portable video lights, or reflected flash photography?

HT1945 - Parallel Light

A lot of photography instructors these days talk about "good light" and "bad light," in particular morning light and evening light. It's been my experience that morning light and evening light are great not because of the time of day but rather because of a characteristic I think of as "parallel light."

HT1949 - Love of Photography, Love of Photographs

I hope I'm not splitting hairs here, but which do you love more, Photography or Photographs? Photography is a process; photographs are a point of connection and sharing. Understanding this difference about ourselves helps clarify where to focus our activities. For example, I'd much rather spend time looking at, thinking about, and discussing photographs than I would spending time in the darkroom.

HT1950 - A Visual Diary Project

I've never done a visual diary project, but I've seen quite a number of them over the years. There's something fascinating about a daily image combined with commentary of the moment, that creates a personal history. I've always been hesitant to start one because it could go on forever. But it doesn't have to! Why not just a week, 10 days, a month, a season?

HT1951 - Animal, Vegetable, or Mineral

I remember once attending a lecture on photography (I don't remember who) in which it was suggested that a productive way to think about photographing was a variation on the old animal, vegetable, or mineral game. The variation, he proposed, was to replace animal with things that move, replace vegetable with things that grow, and think of mineral as inorganic stuff. He suggested that photographs that contain all three elements are likely to be more interesting than those that don't.

HT1952 - Portraits of Doing

I suppose because we are people, we enjoy looking at photographs of people. I have noticed, however, that I'm much more drawn to portraits that show someone doing something rather than showing merely what they look like.