Photography is like fishing

OK, I was going to name the blog, "Mangrove 'Snap'per" but my wife didn't know that a Mangrove Snapper was a kind of fish and you may not know what a mangrove is if you're not from around here. So, I thought I would reflect on how photography is like fishing.

First, you have to know your gear. It's no good to have a nice camera, lenses, strobes, whatever and not know how to use light, composition, framing, leading lines, aperture and shutter speed. And, what good is it to have a bunch of lures and a nice rod and reel if you don't know where the fish are, when to go, how to fish the lure and what to do when you get a bite.

Second, you can shoot or fish anytime you want but usually the light and fishing are better at sunrise and sunset. Again, it depends and there are ways to control and change things - like strobes, diffusers, nets and dynamite. =-)

Third, if you want a good shot or fish you have to take a risk. Jumping on rocks, wading through streams, crouching down low, varying your retrieve/shutter speed/aperture are all part of it. The greater the risk, usually the more interesting the shot and more fun when your rod bends.

Fourth, getting bit is part of it. Sun and bugs are out during these times and they will bite. If you want to be a fisherman or photographer you better learn to deal! You must perservere! Of course sunscreen and repellent don't hurt. And, I guess you can shoot in a studio!

We don't pose too much when we shoot, and I don't like to use live bait. I like to try and trick the fish into believing that it (the lure) really is what they're looking for. I try to trick the subject into feeling comfortable and at ease because I know the final prints will be better. If a shot doesn't work well, just cast out again.

Last, a good fisherman can catch fish in difficult circumstances and a good photographer can use what he has around him to make a good photograph. Creativity, experimentation and thinking outside the box are all encouraged!

And, when you wade the stream for an hour, jump from rock to rock, get your pants wet, lose a box of lures and have to re-string your line, it will all be worth it to see the trout rise or the line bend in half. The mystery of whether or not it's big and what type of fish it is dangle as you reel it in. When it gets there it's so beautiful, twice as amazing as you could have imagined. Whoever said there wasn't any "chimping" before digital photography never knew the joy of fishing.

May God make me a fisher of men,
Sam


Here are some pictures of Josh who inspired Sam's fishing analogy. Sam and Josh went out to Lover's Key State Park last week, where Josh works, to take his senior pictures. Check out that giant mangrove tree! It looks like I missed out on this one, but someone had to stay home and snuggle with Isabella.

Check this out!

You have to check out this site. It's called Pandora and it's amazing. You type in either an artist or a specific song that you really like and then it goes through its database and finds songs that are similar that you may like. When I heard about this (in a Mac magazine) I though it sounded a little hokey, but it honestly works. I typed in a couple of songs that I liked and when it came up with other suggestions of things I may like I was really surprised how much they appealed to me. It goes through songs one at a time and you give it either a "thumbs up" or a "thumbs down." If it gets a "thumbs up" then the song is added to your radio station. If you give it a "thumbs down" then Pandora promises to never play that song again!

This is the perfect tool for me because I am always looking for a certain type or sound of music to use with my videos or slideshows but sometimes I just can't find them on my own. Usually, when I get stuck like this my first resources are my two sisters who know the latest trends in music. Now I don't have to bother them with these questions and we can spend our time talking about more important things like world peace and stuff... Anyway, check out Pandora.com. It's great for everything from putzing around on the computer to a bride trying to put together a great DJ mix.

Night of a thousand bites!

Tonight we were assaulted by gnats! Not one, or two, or a few swarms - but what seemed like thousands. I felt like it was straight out of the book of Exodus. I seriously don't know how Pharaoh could have stood the locusts and frogs. Gnats was enough for me!

Between the itching, we actually got some great shots of another senior. She loves the beach, so we were able to shoot on location at Barefoot Beach. It's one of our favorite spots, especially in the quiet off-season. I love it so much because we always shoot at sunset; so we not only get to take great shots but to see one of the unique sunsets that God paints everyday. This one was amazing, by the way!

Lindsey was great, too! She told us she just was looking for "3 good shots" and that she wasn't very photogenic. Ha! We got a lot more than 3 good ones, especially since she was ready for anything. She was even willing to get a white dress dirty and wet. My favorites were on the beach in that dress at sunset. Really cool with the water, which was fairly choppy for our beaches. For anyone not from the area, that means it didn't look like a lake. =-)

We used a Photoflex reflector which just came in and were finally able to use our Speedlites (strobes) like we have been trying to for several shoots.

Lindsey was one of my students in Spanish the last couple of years, so it was great to see her and talk with her again. She's a great student, and I am sure she will succeed in whatever she chooses to do in the future. At the end of the night, she told us that she hadn't really been looking forward to the photo shoot; she had been really nervous. However, when were walking back from the beach she admitted that not only had she become comfortable with us clicking the shutter but that she had a lot of fun (we seem to hear that a lot)! So did we, apart from the plague of gnats! Have a great senior year Lindsey!

Movie Star Style

This week we had the opportunity to shoot Shari's senior pictures. Shari is a superstar actress and dancer. I've seen her in several plays and she always steals the show. So when deciding where she should have her pictures done the logical choice was a theater. We used the Arcade theatre in downtown Ft. Myers. The Arcade is super cool and has a very classy old theatre feel. I actually got to perform there twice when I was in high school. Being in the theatre and with Shari really made me miss acting and being on stage. I love things that have a vintage feel. The seats are covered with red velvet and the carpet has a huge swirly floral design. Now swirly red floral carpet would definitely not be my first choice for my house, but in this theatre it felt so....dramatic! In my opinion too many theatres today look and feel like basketball stadiums or movie theatres. Kudos to the Arcade for keeping the tradition and personality of this theatre over the years and not trading it in for scotch guarded upholstry and cupholders. And bravo to Shari for coming up with a great location and being her beautiful self to once again produce some awesome pictures.