In photography there’s very few things that fall under “always do this” or “never do that.” One of the things that seems to have become an absolute over time is “never put your subject at the center of the picture.” The goal of every composition should be to lead the viewer’s eye its subject in [...]
People may think that artistic compositions are grown out of an organic sense of aesthetics but there is one technique that is rooted in mathematics. It’s called the Fibonacci Sequence. Or the Golden Mean. Or the Phi ratio. Or the…it actually has a half dozen or so names. I learned it as the Golden Spiral. [...]
The subject for the latest Readers Photo Challenge assignment is inspired by the harvest season: Pumpkins. Halloween will be smack dab in the middle of the challenge so obviously jack-o-lanterns will be a natural subject. Try shooting them at night while lit up from the inside. It could make for a spooky shot. Don’t forget [...]
On September 10, an 18-year-old Israeli tourist fell to his death while taking a selfie at Yosemite National Park. He was at the top of Nevada Falls when he tried to take a picture of himself, lost his balance and plunged 820-ft to the bottom. A 2015 report found that selfies now lead to more [...]
One of the main goals of the monthly Readers Photo Challenge is to have you go out and actually take some pictures. Occasionally, someone will come up to me an say that they like the tips that are given in this column but they can’t take good pictures. To that I say “practice, practice, practice.” [...]
Glass is the subject of the next Readers Photo Challenge assignment. Glass objects are notoriously difficult to photograph. Take time in looking at the subject carefully before taking a picture of it. Unwanted reflections, including your own, can be a problem. Take steps to remove those reflections. If it’s a light, turn it off. Sometimes [...]
The new Readers Photo Challenge assignment is “Play.” The old San Joaquin County Fair photography contest used to have a category called “people at work or play.” Since this is summertime and many people are on vacation we’re going to take up the latter half of that and do photographs of people playing. Getting photos [...]
The latest Readers Photo Challenge is “bridges.” A bridge can be photographed as an architectural structure like any other building. Some are famous and iconic and be approached like photographing a monument or a statue. Like beauty found in nature, man made structures can have an aesthetic quality in their own way. Twenty-three readers sent [...]
Using a good, sturdy tripod is the best way to ensure that your pictures are shake-free. However, not everyone likes to carry one around all the time. Depending on the model, they tend to be bulky, heavy and awkward to use. I’m one of those people. If I have a subject that I definitely know [...]
The last run
The Record’s TKS web press ran for its last time on the night of October 20. The press was first run in late April of 2005. The Record’s then-corporate owners Ottaway replaced an old Goss press which dated back to the 1950s. For the photographers it was a welcome change. The Goss machine was what [...]