I've been into photography since I was young, but never really got into it seriously until the past few years. The big thing that drew me back into the fold was the caliber of photos taken with digital cameras; but it hasn't been until recently that SLR digital cameras have been cheap enough for me to be able to afford one. Using a digital camera is great when learning photography. You can experiment with all kinds of different settings, and see the results immediately. I think that this allows someone to learn photography more quickly than with film cameras. Even with immediate feedback, there are still many many things to learn. There are numerous resources available online to help a new photographer, or someone that wants to take their craft to a new level; the problem is that the tutorials and information online tend to be either very general, or very specific. Online tutorials also tend to make many assumptions that the person reading them knows all the information needed to be at the point where the tutorial will be helpful for them. The goal of my blog is to help new photographers, or those wanting to go further with photography; such as those people that want more control over their photographs. I would like to take questions and answer them in-depth, not glossing over the beginner stuff so that people can build a strong base skill set. This will allow the budding photographer to go to the next level with confidence.
Introductory stuff is often glossed over in many online photography resources. This is because most of of the people blogging and writing about photography are experienced photographers, and writing the intro stuff is really boring. Its so boring, in fact, that almost all foundation and beginner classes cost money. I'm sorry to say that this blog is not a replacement for these courses. Specifically, what I would like to do is post about my experiences and things I learn as I continue to progress with my photography. This is somewhat selfish, as it will help to to document what I learn. Its also selfish because I tend to learn more when I turn around and teach what I have learned. This is where my readers (if I can manage to get a few) will come in. Your questions and suggestions will help me direct my energy and help stretch me as a photographer.
I intend to do this through the comments here on blogger and through e-mail. To avoid spam and inappropriate comments, I have decided to moderate the comments section. I'll try to be fair, and yes, I will post negative comments, but only if they contain constructive criticism. You can tell me over and over that I'm terrible photographer or writer, but I won't take that to heart until you tell me exactly what I'm doing wrong. I'm afraid this blog won't be as active as I would like simply because I have a [more than) full-time job, and a family.
I hope this introduction explains what I hope to accomplish. I have some good ideas, so check back!
-Heath
