Be Prepared

When I began my adventures with photography, I read many photography blogs. One of the common recommendations from photographers I found to be solid is to always have a camera ready. This is especially true with street photography. Many surprise opportunities have come my way and I did not have a camera handy to make the shot. Not even my mobile phone was at the ready.

Now I work to pay attention to having one of my cameras ready whenever I'm out and about. It's not always convenient to carry around my Nikon D5100. If I'm using that camera it's for a planned photo walk. The cameras I have handy most of the time are my Canon S100 point and shoot and my Nexus 5 mobile phone. Those cameras are more convenient than the larger camera and they fit well into my pants pockets.

The photo here was a scene I walked upon in Savannah, GA. I had my Canon S100 handy this day. Many times I have come up to people making photos of others. It's a freebie where I don't have to ask if I can make a photo of someone. Just take the shot.

When you're out and about, have a camera ready. You never know what will come your way.

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What I've Learned About Photography

I'm not a fan of lists. Such as, 50 ways to this or 10 ways to that. You're not going to get a list of things that I've learned about photography. This will look like a list, but it isn't. Now, smile and read on.

One of the most important things I've learned about photography is, I make photos for myself and no one else. Making photos for yourself comes from the heart. I believe I make my best photos when I keep this mindset. If you are mindful of what people will think of a photo you make, it will never be good enough. It's good enough if you like the scene you capture.

I once read a quote from a photographer who stated one does not "take" photos. One "makes" photos. I believe this is correct.

The camera you know how to use is the best camera for you. I believe it is important to keep your equipment simple. So don't crazy with buying a bunch of stuff that becomes clutter.

If something looks good to you, shoot it and then share it with the world. I believe sharing your best shots is a good thing.

Attending photography courses or going to photography school may be a waste of valuable time and money. If you want to learn about photography, go out and make photos. Make a lot of photos. There more you shoot the more you learn. There are plenty of resources online one can access to learn from other photographers. Read photography blogs.

Zoom with your feet.

I'll close with this quote... "Beauty can be seen in all things, seeing and composing the beauty is what separates the snapshot from the photograph." - Matt Hardy

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Street Photography... My Passion

Since owning my first iPhone, I've unlocked a passion for making photos. For the most part, mobile photography has been my focus. Along with mobile photography, I now shoot digital and film. I do not consider myself to be a professional, but I am beyond being an amateur photographer.

I have traveled a lot in my lifetime. Most of the travel has been for work and the rest for pleasure. Of the cities I have visited most often and vacationed in, I have created galleries displaying photos I've made you can find at the link below. You'll notice the genre of photography that interests me the most is street photography.

When I first began using a digital camera I thought my interest would be in landscapes, flowers and macro photography. It did not take long before I found my heart was into capturing the beauty of people and scenes in cities. I also enjoy making photos of things vintage, rusted and abandoned.

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