Opinion

Even people who are passionate about photography often make common mistakes that prevent them from reaching their maximum potential. No one is immune. To advance to the next level of proficiency, overcome the tendency to fall victim to these common goofs.

Throughout history, photographers (famous and not so) have described photography in their own words. This article isn’t about that—because that horse has been ridden so many times that the saddle sores have saddle sores. This is a request—an invocation if you will—for you to express how YOU define photography.

Film photographers from yesteryear, as well as today’s 35mm hipsters, have eagerly awaited Yashica’s triumphant return to the digital era with a widely teased camera promising “a journey to the truth.” But now that the camera is here, it’s a major letdown—at least for me..

Before you bought your last camera, did you weigh the pros and cons of the sensor’s aspect ratio? My guess is no—not in the face of more solemn considerations such as style, trim, and a boastful shoulder strap.

Here are seven film shooting skills that make you a better digital photographer. And I’ll bet my last roll of Tri-X that they work.

I used to believe that the Auto setting on a camera was something to be avoided the way a tired waitress avoids eye contact when you’re signaling for a coffee refill—she can’t deny that you’re there, but she can ignore the hell out of you. I still feel that way about fully auto exposure, but my maniacally stubborn attitude toward Auto ISO is softening like marshmallow Peeps in a microwave.  

People often ask me, “What sort of lens should I buy as my second lens?” and my answer is always the same: “What sort of pictures would you like to take?”  I’m getting that question a lot right now because a zillion people got new cameras over the holidays. There are so many options I’ve decided to deliver the answer in two installments. But first, let’s take a close look at that kit lens that came with your camera.