Some of the best photographers I know are age 55+. There is something about having to learn about exposure, focus and timing before Photoshop, autofocus and 20 frames per second (fps)motor drives.
When I learned to shoot sports I was using a Nikon FM2 with a motor drive. I looked it up to see how many fps that was back then, 3.2! When I go to events, I hear the photographers who lay on the motor drive for a long sequence and figure they will get the shot that way. I still prefer to work on my timing. I shoot in short bursts hoping for subtle changes in action or facial expression. When I started shooting hockey, I learned to shoot it on strobes. We shot Fujichrome 200. That meant one shot for the lights to fire and it had to be the right moment. Talk about honing your timing skills! This was when you didn’t dare push film ISO higher than 1600. If you were desperate, you might try 3200 but it would be grainy and look like poo.
I dreaded the the days when I had to shoot chromes because I knew I have to get the exposure perfect for publication. Nothing like chasing defendants in a dark hallway hoping your Vivitar flash will not totally blowout the frame but still produce enough light to see who you were photographing. Black and white film was more forgiving when you made your prints. Even if you had a “thin” negative you could pull something from it, in most cases. Now, so many photographer set the camera on RAW and do all the exposure work in post production. I am old school. Get the exposure right and shoot jpeg because it is quicker.
I’ve been learning and observing by being out in the field making pictures. The photographers I have edited over the years taught me quite a bit about timing and capturing the moment, trying different angles to clean up a background or make the perspective more engaging. It’s been interesting to put what I have learned while editing into practice. I am also gratified that much of what I preached as an editor and teacher, is proving to be solid advice.
I am still learning about all the features my camera has to offer, especially when I accidentally hit a button and don’t know what I did to get from A to B. I learn from experience more that reading the manual. Thank goodness for YouTube tutorials!
I love freelancing and hope that I can make a living from covering events, news, sports and making portraits. I feel like my brain is working on puzzles each time I go out to take pictures. The other day, a very talented former staffer of mine said he’d noticed I had been working hard. Then he paid me the most supreme compliment, “I love an editor who knows how to shoot.”
Nell Carroll Photography 