When is the best time to take a photo of something interesting , well it the moment you see it , what’s the best camera use, whatever you have with you at the time , which may be your phone.

I often re-tell   a story about a friend who sometimes drove past an old house that was falling down and leaning sideways covered in vines, it looked like the vines were holding the house up, he thought that would be a great photo, after months of seeing this building one day he took his camera so he could get the photo, when he got the house was gone, it had been putted down and the block leveled.

That has stuck in my head that in photography timing is everything, so seize the moment take the shot.

Some people I have met have a shot list of the things they want to capture for me it about discovering interesting subjects to capture, so my shot list is open ended and blank at the same time it that makes sense.

I want to capture a wide range of subjects in my images, I once thought I was an landscape photographer, but now realise that I am a photographer who like shooting landscapes, but I am not just a landscape photographer I shoot people, sport, macro, street photography, low light and well anything.

So what type of photographer are you? I hoping you say I am a “photographer” I shoot all things interesting, so shoot often and shoot varied.

The other thing enjoy your photography and make sure you share it and print it

Regards Stephen Finkel

It’s a question you often hear asked, and I sure there has been plenty written on the subject, but for me I believe in a number of things, first start calling yourself a photographer, took me a while to learn this , picked up a camera at age seven and all my life there has been a camera in hand where ever I go, recording life one frame at a time, so I been a photographer most of my life.

Like any pursuit in life to be good at it you need to be passionate about it, recently I heard a photographer at the top of her field, say take photos because you love photography not for the money, this what will make you a better photographer.

Be diverse learn to photograph everything , go outside your comfort zone push your boundaries, photography is such wide field of subjects all with their own challenges, a lot of the technique’s you will learn will cross over in to other areas of photography

Take lots of photos, and I mean lots, take a camera everywhere you go you will take more bad photos then good ones learn this lesson it’s a part of the journey, learn from the bad ones.

When it not possible to take a camera, take the photos in your head of the things you see, look for the light, shadows, textures and shapes

Look back on the photos you took 12 months can you see them differently now it so you have grown as a photographer.

Connect up with other photographers, you can learn so much from their experiences

Start learning about post production , lots of divided opinions about this ,but it you truly want to grow as a photographer you need to able use this just like the settings on your camera to create the image you see, as the photographer it is your vision of what you see.

In summing up, Be persistent , Experiment, Review your own work , don’t let the creative process stop behind the camera.

Stephen Finkel Photographer