Sample chapter from ...

Getting Serious About
Photography

A Self-Paced Workshop for Expanding
Your Photographic Skills and Vision

a how-to book by
Ernest H. Robl

Please Note: The entire work from which the following material is excerpted is protected by copyright. None of the content may be reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the copyright owner.

Copyright © 1998 Ernest H. Robl, All Rights Reserved

GETTING ACQUAINTED,
Part I: Teaching

Being a photographer has taken me through many doors normally closed to the public, from the sidelines of sports events to the engine of a train travelling at more than 170 miles per hour. It's allowed me to meet a few of the famous and near-famous—people whose names and faces you would recognize.

But, to me, none of the above represents the truly important aspect of photography: that photography is a means of sharing and remembering.

Photography, though it uses mechanical and electronic hardware, is no more about equipment than writing is about using a word processor. Photography is about seeing and imagining—and being able to preserve the things we have seen or imagined.

Every photograph exists first in the mind of the photographer before it can exist as an invisible image on sensitized film or (as is now also becoming the case) on a magnetic disc.

Consider this an extended workshop that you can participate in at your own pace. I've always found that I did best in conveying information when I was showing others something on a one-to-one basis or in a small group.

There are no bonus points for finishing quickly. In fact, you'll probably get much more out of this book/workshop if you take your time.

One advantage you'll have over a one-time workshop is that you can go back and cover any of what's discussed a second time—and it won't cost you anything extra.

Why go through any of this text more than once? Why can't he explain everything right the first time?

Well, photography is a many-faceted subject. There's no way I can explain everything at once, and some concepts may make more sense as other concepts become clear.

The beginning of any workshop or class is usually taken up with the workshop leader and the participants getting to know a little about each other—and finding out how each other's expectations about the workshop fit together. (I like the workshop analogy better than that of a classroom, because a workshop implies participation. And, in the latter setting, everyone, including the leader, has a chance to learn something.)

Photography is something that you'll probably continue to learn about the rest of your life. It's also something that you can only learn about by doing. You can read all the books you want about photography; it's only when you try to apply what these books are telling you that you'll begin to learn.

I'll try to keep my own background brief. Many of you may have seen a little of my photographic work (in print or on my Web site—at http://www.robl.w1.com) and, I hope, decided that it was worth learning more about how and why these photos were made.

I've been involved with photography for over three decades, with varying degrees of intensity. Over much of that time, my photography has been on a professional basis, first as news coverage and more recently as someone supplying stock photos to book and magazine publishers.

One of the things that gave me the confidence to tackle as ambitious a project as trying to teach the basics of photography has been not just that my friends survived my lessons but also that a range of photo trade journals have run my how-to articles. And, there's the fact that publishers and other clients are willing to pay for my photos.

No, this is not a book about professional photography—doing photography for money. It's a book about learning to produce professional-quality photos, regardless of who your audience is. The word "amateur" has taken on a pejorative meaning, when it really shouldn't have. The term should neither be used to describe someone who is a beginner, nor someone who does something badly. An amateur is simply someone who does something for the love of doing it.

There's nothing wrong with doing something because you like doing it. And, there's nothing wrong with making money from that activity if you want to and are able to do that.

But, though almost all professional photographers started out as amateurs, one doesn't necessarily have to follow the other. Doing anything as a business always imposes limitations, because now it's more important to satisfy the client or the boss than to satisfy yourself. (If you don't understand that, you won't stay in business long.)

And, though it's not the main focus of this book, I'll come back to the subject of doing photography for money later, if only to explore a few ethical considerations and to point out areas where you can find out more about this business.

While you can't tell me about your own background individually, it's probably safe for me to make a few assumptions:

You've probably tried your hand at photography with a simple camera for a while and reached the point where you're no longer satisfied with the results.

You're probably looking not just for pointers on technique and an understanding of the process, but also for better equipment.

We'll talk about equipment, too. But, one of the truths that I hope you will learn is that the equipment is far less important than the vision of the photographer—and, that there are a few pieces of equipment that can have an effect far out of proportion to their cost.

So, don't rush out to buy a new camera just yet.

Yes, I know you're anxious to get on with this workshop; I am too. There are just a few more ground rules we have to cover.

I promise to be honest with you. I'm not going to tell you that something is easy, when it's not. Much of what we're going to talk about is going to take practice, practice and more practice.

On the other hand, because I can't physically be there looking over your shoulder, you'll have to promise to be honest with yourself. That includes not just in judging the results of your efforts, but in the effort itself. Did you really do the best you could? (There's nothing wrong with not succeeding the first time; there is something wrong in not being willing to learn from your mistakes.)

As part of this workshop, I'm going to ask you to do a few exercises. Some of them may appear to be silly or a waste of time. But, please, humor me and do them anyway. You'll only be cheating yourself if you skip over them.

Finally, a few more words about the format of this workshop: I don't know anyone who likes being lectured to for hours on end. So, we'll consider a little theory and then go out and try out the ideas we've talked about. Consider these the lab sessions.

In addition to main thread of the workshop, we'll also pause to take in subjects that provide side trips of varying lengths. These trips are organized into two special categories, "Hardware" and "Detours," each set off from the main text.

These special sections not only let you skip around to first consider of particular interest, but also to more easily refer back to some of these topics later. But, don't skip these sections all together. They are part of the whole workshop. They are important.

So, if we're all comfortable, let's get on with the process of learning.

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Getting Serious About Photography.

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