PHOTOGRAPHY Chapters 1 & 2

Lately I seem to be doing more organizing of my study time than actually studying!  Put the book on the table, get some coffee, check the forum, drink coffee, and look up flash cards.  Then I flip through the book, more coffee, schedule a webinar, make a new pot of coffee, go print flash cards, cut out flash cards, figure out where to keep the flash cards and so on!  So it’s been a while since I had to study anything and I’m not surprised that I work this way!  In fact it is no surprise that I have not really gotten into my camera settings either because there are so many different things to play with on that thing!  I think it may be because I have imaginary ADHD (Anything Difficult is Healed by Distraction) and when I approach the thought of smaller numbers meaning bigger things such as F-stops ISO’s and shutter speeds, I go in reverse as well!  My husband Jim reminds me that it will become second nature to think on these things this way and also to think in fractions!  OK & Yes I know that’s true!  A 125 speed really is 1/125^th of a second!  AaaGGHH!  All those little things really do help when I finally get down to it and my favorite tool is a yellow highlighter, which marks up my textbook quite well, giving my right hand a job to do and my eyes a pretty color to look at!  Later I go to the PHOTOGRAPHY 9^th edition companion website to take one of three chapter tests!  I actually did pretty well and my mind is slowly acknowledging that I am actually getting this stuff! The fun part of my diversion during the first two chapters was finding my Father in Law’s old View Camera; a massive black box that makes me so thankful for the word DIGITAL.  I would love to have seen the images that came from it!  I am positive that Chapter 3 will go a little smoother… But right now I think I need more coffee!

Bounce Light

It is so great to have great equipment! How can you expect to take better pictures if you don’t surround yourself with the right stuff? Since starting the Certification Study I feel very lucky to be surrounded by a nice group of fellow photographers who are willing to bounce the light of education with a bi-monthly Study Group! The Nor-Cal Certify Group meets every 1st & 3rd Tuesday of each month at a Borders Café in Sacramento. Perfect timing too because as a mom of two little ones on summer vacation, nothing sounds better than a cup of coffee and conversation that does not include the words “I’m Hungry!” So far the discussions have been on all subjects of photography, mostly involving the certification process but also on some exciting hands-on ideas, marketing, workflow & postproduction! PHOTOGRAPHY information bounces here from one person to the other and by the end of each meeting I feel inspired to continue the Journey! The Light that passes through our cameras connects our subjects to an image. We view the image and learn from what we see! Connection to others is such a powerful part of the learning process whether it’s through a forum, meeting or webinar. I am so glad that I will not be doing this alone… If there was not a group effort in place I think it might seem impossible to even attempt the PPA certification! Proverbs 27:17 says “as iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.” Even God thinks this is a good idea!

Where's my Book?

So the Book we need to have to study for the Certification Test is Photography 9th or 10th Edition by London, Upton & Stone. I searched, I shopped, I bought, I read! HEY! Why did some of these photos look so familiar to me? You guessed it! Another search around the house produced a book named Photography 5th edition! Wow! Had I really been on the right track so many years ago? I Guess so except for the fact that Digital cameras have very little space in that edition! Photography 5th edition... I would like to introduce you to Light Meter!

Lesson #1!

The first thing I have learned is that I need a light meter! The 4 part webinar on Lighting with Roger Daines has been GREAT! I can't believe I have been getting away with so much and not having this piece of standard photographic equipment! I had a very old light meter years ago in college and right after the webinar (Part 1) I went searching all around the house for it! I found lots of stuff too! Like my old dark room easel, Dodge & burn tools, some old Ilford Paper, a very large timer and my film developing tank! You can imagine the mess I created looking for the meter... An obsolete mini darkroom sprawled all over the room - What memories! What relief! The digital world has made things so much easier! But then again... Could this be the reason why my old Light meter has been packed away? Allowing my skills to relax & rely only on the meter in my modern camera! AHA! I finally found the darn thing cowering in a box two rooms away! I gently coaxed it out promising that I would never take it for granted again! I know the poor thing will probably end up with my collection of old camera equipment again someday... but for now I am remembering the value of it! A PRO has to know! Just looking at it reminds me that I will have to start doing some of the work to be GREAT at what I do! Come on Light Meter! Let's Shoot!

Where do I start?

I feel like I have been taking pictures blindly for about 10 years now! Although I hold an associates in Fine Art and have completed courses in Basic Photography, I have relied on my camera HEAVILY! I have never felt confident in charging people for what I do because I have never really gotten to know my Best friend - the Camera! Three months ago I had almost given up on photography altogether. "A lack of education can promote hopelessness with inexperience" 
Being a person who trusts God in all things I had to give it to Him in Prayer! Almost immediately the answer was presented to me in the form of Sandy Puc's Certification Website. No hesitation in clicking the GO button on this one... but all of a sudden everyone else who knows who Sandy is was clicking the same button! WOW! I am surprised to find out how many photographers in the sea of GREAT photographers are not certified yet! Maybe I still have time to catch up and be a PRO! I am so happy to start on this journey not just for certification, but I will be justifying all of the images and pastime spent by improving my skills with education. (Cue the patriotic Music!) I expect our future images to be based on the skillful handling of our equipment instead of LUCK and Automatic exposures! I will be meeting others who can teach and relate to the problems I face. Hopefully in a few short months I will start to build up the courage to be compensated for Images that are worthy of Professional Photography! PPA certification will bring Fourth Floor Studio customers QUALITY preserving memories and spreading the goodness of FAMILY VALUES through the art of photography! God Bless our cameras!