The first Readers Photo Challenge assignment of 2021 is going to be an open one. That is, the subject is open for you to decide. More over the time period, normally 2 weeks, will be extended retroactively to Dec. 22 and forward to Jan. 26.
Some may think that having an unlimited choice of subjects may be a utopia but don’t forget about the parable of the dog with 2 bones. The dog couldn’t decide on which bone to choose so it didn’t make a choice and ended going hungry. Don’t get so caught up trying to decide what to photograph that you don’t take any pictures at all.
This time of year is a good time to photograph sunsets due to the relatively early hour when the sun goes down at around 5:00 p.m. Try to find a sky with clouds if you can. Clouds can pick up the warm golden colors of the sunset rather than just having a flat, plain sky. Having something in the foreground, a person, a tree or even a flying bird, can add some visual interest to your sunset.
Rather than the constant sunshine of spring, summer and fall, winter weather can be the most interesting the photograph. There are more days of the aforementioned clouds which can be more interesting than a featureless sky. Inclement weather can also be advantageous for photography. Rain and raindrops can add a visual element of weather to your photos. Rain-sickened streets make a urbanscape more picturesque especially at night where the city lights can reflect off of the wet surfaces.
If portraits are your thing, the cold, wet weather may not be a benefit for you. But you could move your sittings indoors. Try looking for some soft window light to flatter your subjects which can include pets as well as their human counterparts.
This is also a good time to take pictures of birds. Migratory birds are currently wintering in the area. Birds such as sandhill cranes or snow geese can be found places like, the Woodbridge Ecological Reserve outside of Lodi, Staten Island near Walnut Grove and the Cosumnes River Preserve near Thornton. Smaller birds such as sparrows, pigeons and humming birds can be found as close as your own backyard.
You need not limit yourself to just these suggestions. The possibilities for photos are endless. From still life to selfies, from animals to landscapes, the limitations are only your imagination. As the Nike ad says, all you have to do is to get out and just “do it.”
How to enter:
1. Entries can be emailed to coto@recordnet.com. The preferred format is jpeg. Type in “Open” in the subject line.
2. Photos have to be taken between December 22 and January 26.
3. The number of photos is limited to 10.
4. Include your name (first and last), hometown, the kind of device you used, how you got your close up and where the photo was taken (eg.: John Doe of Stockton, Canon Rebel T6i with 50mm macro lens. At Victory Park in Stockton).
5. If there is a recognizable person or persons in the photo please identify them (name, age, hometown) and describe what is going on in the photo (eg.: “Jane Doe walks her dog Fido past a tree wit fall leaves at Victory Park in Stockton”). Please indicate how they are related to you (friend, mother, father, daughter, son, etc).
6. Please feel free to include any interesting anecdotes or stories on how you took the picture.
7. The deadline for submission is January 26. The top examples will be published on February 8, with an online gallery of all the photos on the same day at recordnet.com.
The ones that got away
I remember one the first times I covered a prep football game as a young photographer. The quarterback faded back and threw the ball in a beautiful arc. It sailed gracefully in the air and the receiver made a perfect fingertip catch. I remember it so vividly because when the play was over I realized that I was holding my camera in my hands but not looking though it. The whole play happened right in front of me and I hadn’t taken a single frame.
Every photographer has a story about the shots that they’ve missed. Many, like me, have multiple tales of the ones that got away.
Sometimes you’re just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Recently I photographed a drive-thru flus clinic held at the SUSD School for Adults in Stockton. I asked a woman who drove up I she wouldn’t mind having her picture taken and she agreed. When the nurse came up to give her the shot I was standing outside the driver’s door. The woman turned her head away so as not to look at the needle going in her arm, so I hustled around to the other side of the car to shoot through the passenger side window. But when I did he woman changed her mind, turned her head back the other way and I missed the photo.
One of the things I see other photographers do when they miss a shot is when they “chimp.” Chimping is a slang term for looking at the monitor on the back of the camera. In and of itself chimping isn’t bad. It’s when you do it that’s a problem. Quite often something picture-worthy will happen right in front of them and they’’ll be looking at a photo that they shot previously. Chimp only when you’re sure that there’s a lull in the action and not when it’s still going on.
Baseball is the bane of my sports shooting existence. You have to practice constant vigilance. But there can be inning upon inning, sometimes entire games, where nothing happens. It’s easy to have my mind wander off to what other assignments I may have, or what to have for dinner or even to think my your taxes. But then, in an instant, all hell can break loose. A runner can decide to steal a base, a batter, who’s previous at-bats have produced nil, may hit a grand slam or a shortstop may make a diving catch. Over time I’ve learned to focus on the game, but I can’t count the times when I’ve been daydreaming and missed a shot.
Preparation and experience accounts for a lot when it comes to getting the shot. Many wedding photographers will attend the wedding rehearsal and ask questions so they know things like what the layout of the church is like, or when the cutting of the cake or first dance is going to be. The more you know going into any event, the better off you’re going to be.
Many people think that photographers capture everything that happens at an event. The trick is to get the right shot at the right time and not to worry about getting every single thing.
You can’t be everywhere, all the time. You’re going to miss some shots. It’s inevitable. With focus and vigilance, hopefully it won’t be THE shot.