Years ago, I took some courses from Lynda.com, and one of them featured a chapter called "Work the Scene." I've always remembered that. Unlike film days, when you had to make the most of every shot, today, we can shoot and shoot and shoot.

The idea behind "Work..." is that one shot is often not enough. I was just taking some pictures around the property outside, and I shot from lots of different angles. Shots that I thought would be good, weren't as good as shots that I took from other angles. Next time you're shooting something, try lots of different angles. You may be surprised at the results.

LOL. Old dogs never learn new tricks. Why pay $$$$ for a digital wonder of the modern world and then use it as it was meant to be used? So many think 'success' is to shoot one frame standing straight up, at eye-level, usually slightly out of focus, just like every other person who ever shot from that spot before. Their images look exactly like everyone else's. Success ....

That sarcasm aside, I still fear the old dogs don't want to learn. Varying the aperture, varying the zoom length, varying the AF point location involves learning how to use your camera. Getting down on a knee, getting down on the ground, even moving 5 steps to the left or right, or better yet: 10 steps closer. Some of these tricks might even involve cracking the manual to learn where those controls reside. Spending 5 minutes instead of 30 seconds, when most of us really have all day free; I don't see it happening. I preach these ideas whenever I can find a soapbox.

A newer 'theme' I've seen is "I don't want to waste time on a computer." Well, too bad, all I hear is "I don't want to succeed. I have an attachment problem and can't delete failed image files." They think a real photographer like Ansel Adams hiked all the way into those mountains, took one perfect shot, and hiked home to glory.

Myself, most times I find that I arrive at just the right time when a thousand images will surely capture something. This strategy is more likely to yield success than just one slightly out of focus frame, shot at eye-level, standing straight up, and moving on. Myself, if I stop to shoot at all, I take as many versions as to justify (find) why I stopped there and raised the camera to begin with.

Years ago, I took some courses from Lynda.com, and one of them featured a chapter called "Work the Scene." I've always remembered that. Unlike film days, when you had to make the most of every shot, today, we can shoot and shoot and shoot.

The idea behind "Work..." is that one shot is often not enough. I was just taking some pictures around the property outside, and I shot from lots of different angles. Shots that I thought would be good, weren't as good as shots that I took from other angles. Next time you're shooting something, try lots of different angles. You may be surprised at the results.

Every subject can usually be photographed from many different angles and not precisely from the first one we selected. Looking at the subject and what the light is doing to it is something we usually fail to notice. I agree with Linda, we look but most of the time we do not see. I agree also with the statements by Paul, CHG-Canon. Look at your subject from different angles. When I shoot sunsets or sunrises I usually look back also and many times what I see is more interesting that my original position to photograph the sunset or the sunrise.

Observing the subject and planning the photograph is the most basic approach to photography.

LOL. Old dogs never learn new tricks. Why pay $$$$ for a digital wonder of the modern world and then use it as it was meant to be used? So many think 'success' is to shoot one frame standing straight up, at eye-level, usually slightly out of focus, just like every other person who ever shot from that spot before. Their images look exactly like everyone else's. Success ....

That sarcasm aside, I still fear the old dogs don't want to learn. Varying the aperture, varying the zoom length, varying the AF point location involves learning how to use your camera. Getting down on a knee, getting down on the ground, even moving 5 steps to the left or right, or better yet: 10 steps closer. Some of these tricks might even involve cracking the manual to learn where those controls reside. Spending 5 minutes instead of 30 seconds, when most of us really have all day free; I don't see it happening. I preach these ideas whenever I can find a soapbox.

A newer 'theme' I've seen is "I don't want to waste time on a computer." Well, too bad, all I hear is "I don't want to succeed. I have an attachment problem and can't delete failed image files." They think a real photographer like Ansel Adams hiked all the way into those mountains, took one perfect shot, and hiked home to glory.

Myself, most times I find that I arrive at just the right time when a thousand images will surely capture something. This strategy is more likely to yield success than just one slightly out of focus frame, shot at eye-level, standing straight up, and moving on. Myself, if I stop to shoot at all, I take as many versions as to justify (find) why I stopped there and raised the camera to begin with.

I haven’t done it in a while, but an exercise I like and recommend if you feel like your vision is getting “stale” is to go out and shoot with nothing but one prime lens. Usually I use a 50mm, (or whatever is “normal” for the format), but sometimes a 35mm or 85mm. People often say “zoom with your feet” when talking about getting close enough, but I think more importantly it makes you move and when you move you see things differently. I love the convenience of a zoom lens, but it should be a tool and not a crutch.
As for post processing, the biggest time suck is learning. Occasionally I’ll spend a while on an image, but most images take less than a minute. Set white & black points, adjust highlights & shadows, and maybe a little clarity, texture & contrast and a little luminance or saturation. It doesn’t take long.