The Passionate Photographer: Ten Steps Toward Becoming Great

✍ Scribed by Steven Simon

• Publisher: New Riders Publishing
• Year: 2011
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 266
• Edition: 1
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

If you've got a love and passion for photography, a feel for your camera gear and settings, yet your images still fall short--The Passionate Photographer will help you close that disappointing and frustrating gap between the images you thought you took and the images you actually got. This book will encourage you to determine what you want to say with your photography, then translate those thoughts and feelings into strong images. It is both a source of inspiration and a practical guide, as photographer Steve Simon distills 30 years of photographic obsession into the ten crucial steps every photographer needs to become great at their passion.   Simon's practical tips and advice are immediately actionable-- designed to accelerate your progress toward becoming the photographer you know you can be. Core concepts and suggestions include:   The power of working on personal projects to fuel your passion and vision Shooting a large and targeted volume of work, which leads to a technical competence that lets your creativity soar Learning to focus your concentration as you shoot, and move outside your comfort zone, past your fears toward the next great image Strategies for approaching strangers to create successful portraits How to edit your own work and seek second opinions to identify strengths and weaknesses, offering opportunities for growth and improvement with a goal of sharing your work with the world.  The critical need to follow, see and capture the light around you Along the way, Simon offers inspiration with "Lessons Learned" culled from his own extensive experience and archive of photojournalism and personal projects as well as images and stories from acclaimed photographers. If you're ready to be inspired and challenge yourself to take your photography to the next level, The Passionate Photographer provides ideas and creative solutions to transform that passion into images that convey your unique personal vision.

✦ Table of Contents

Contents......Page 5
Introduction......Page 8
Step one: PASSION: AN INCH WIDE, A MILE DEEP......Page 11
My Inspiration......Page 13
Finding Your Passion......Page 20
The Sum......Page 21
The Good Book......Page 22
Lessons Learned: The Power of Photography…......Page 27
Personal......Page 29
The Idea Is Everything......Page 30
The Cause......Page 31
Personal Challenges......Page 32
Meetings......Page 34
Your Story......Page 35
The Written Component......Page 36
A Framework......Page 37
Step two: VOLUME, VOLUME, VOLUME: 10,000 HOURS: PRACTICE AND PERSISTENCE......Page 40
Hurry Up and Wait......Page 43
Close the Gap......Page 44
Just Shoot It......Page 45
Style and Technique......Page 46
Master Your Gear and Creativity Soars......Page 49
Simplify......Page 52
How I Work: Aperture Priority......Page 55
Why I Choose Aperture Priority......Page 57
ISO and Auto ISO......Page 59
Shutter Speed: The Deal Breaker......Page 61
The Argument for RAW vs. JPEG......Page 64
Your Best Friend: The Histogram......Page 66
Eye on the Prize......Page 70
Step three: WORK IT: DON’T GIVE UP ON THE MAGIC......Page 72
Some Basic Guides......Page 75
The Moment......Page 78
Work the Scene......Page 79
Change Your Vantage Point......Page 81
The Problem with Zooms......Page 82
Choices and Limitations......Page 83
More Deconstruction......Page 85
The Enemy......Page 87
Patience in Composition and Life......Page 91
Design and Tradition in Composition......Page 94
Lessons Learned: Don’t Give Up on the Magic......Page 101
Step four: THE LONELY ADVENTURER: CONCENTRATION AND NEVER LINGERING IN YOUR COMFORT ZONE......Page 106
Learning to Concentrate......Page 107
Instinct and Intuition......Page 111
In the Moment......Page 113
Lessons Learned: Instinct, Intuition, and Concentration......Page 115
Finding Direction......Page 118
Image Review......Page 121
The Fixer......Page 122
The Warm-Up......Page 123
Step five: THE EVOCATIVE PORTRAIT: PHOTOGRAPHING PEOPLE GETS EASIER......Page 128
Portraits Beyond the Surface......Page 129
Candid Portraiture......Page 130
Access Is Everything......Page 131
Talk to Strangers......Page 135
The Self-Conscious Smirk......Page 139
Formality......Page 141
Work with Me, Baby......Page 144
Lessons Learned: The Chief......Page 145
The Portrait Assignment......Page 147
The Light......Page 149
Step six: FOLLOW THE LIGHT…AND LEARN TO MASTER IT......Page 156
Follow the Light......Page 161
Lessons Learned: Find the Light and Stick with It......Page 163
Color......Page 165
Color Temperature and White Balance......Page 167
Black and White......Page 172
Step seven: THE ART OF THE EDIT: CHOOSE WELL AND BE THE BEST YOU CAN BE......Page 175
Your Own Best/Worst Editor......Page 177
First Impressions......Page 180
Lessons Learned: To Delete or Not to Delete......Page 183
Did I Say “Ruthless”?......Page 185
Making Things Better......Page 186
Editing with Purpose......Page 189
Get a Second Opinion......Page 191
Sequencing and Order......Page 192
Post Inspiration......Page 194
Step eight: ASSESSING STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES: NEVER STOP LEARNING AND GROWING......Page 198
Lucky Accidents and Learning from Mistakes......Page 201
Critical Think......Page 205
Lessons Learned: Getting Naked......Page 209
Just Shoot It......Page 212
Step nine: ACTION PLAN: SETTING GOALS AND CREATING STRATEGIES......Page 216
Goal Number One......Page 218
Mark Them Down......Page 219
Project Goals......Page 220
Artistic Goals......Page 222
Lessons Learned: If You Want to Know It Well, Teach It......Page 223
Equipment Goals......Page 225
Step ten: FOLLOW THROUGH: SHARE YOUR VISION WITH THE WORLD......Page 230
The Social Network......Page 232
My Experience......Page 235
The Business......Page 236
The Website and Blog......Page 237
The Good Book......Page 238
The Personal Meet-Up......Page 241
Lessons Learned: Keeping the Faith: Empty Sky Project......Page 245
C......Page 257
F......Page 258
L......Page 259
P......Page 260
W......Page 261
Z......Page 262
Acknowledgments......Page 263