*Photography Manifesto*

Inspired by Ali on this post, I thought I would share my own little photography manifesto. I'm posting it here as well as on my personal blog, because I think it is relevant to both. :-) Enjoy!

My personal photo basics:

1. I use a Nikon D50.
2. I own two lenses at this time, the 18-55mm kit lens and the one I use 99.9999999% of the time-my Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 (love this lens, I don't know how I lived without it).
3. I shoot in manual-it was super easy for me to pick up and is easy to use (some people have a really hard time with it, though). I will occasionally use the "running man" mode, but only when things are moving way too fast for me to keep up with proper exposure.
4. I rarely get photographed. I really need to work on handing the camera over so that my presence is known. There are some events that you would never know I attended.
5. I keep my camera and lenses in a camcorder bag. It sits in the kitchen or living room for easy access. I've been better about grabbing it and snapping the shot I want, when I think of it. I used to think, "Oh, the light coming through the leaves on that tree is beautiful, but I'll capture it another day." Now I grab and snap. I keep the 50mm lens on my camera at all times, because it's the one that I want *almost* all of the time.
6. I am also getting better at remembering my camera when we go out. I tend to see photos that I *really* would love to take and would never have the camera in the car with us. If I know for sure that I most likely won't want it, I'll leave it home (ie, trips to the store or church). However, if there's a remote possibility that I will take even one photo, I bring it along (and Paul has been really good at reminding me and encouraging me to take it 'just in case').
7. I use Photoshop Elements 6.0 to edit my photos. I would love to upgrade to CS3, but the price tag is way steep for us right now (even with a $300 student discount).

What do I think about when taking everyday photos?

1. I love to capture the little details of the world. The color, the light, the flowers that are blooming, the way the sunlight is caressing the leaves. I love details.
2. I try to capture the things that I want to remember. The moments that mean the most to me. The things that mean the most to me. The people that mean the most to me.
3. Sometimes I will *see* a photo in my mind. I look at something and the composition sort of comes. Other times I know what I want to photograph, but have to really brainstorm my composition.
4. There are just some emotions and moments that have to be lived. You can photograph them, but the photograph will always feel flat and dull. It's a precious photograph, but nothing compares to the emotions that were *felt*.
5. I constantly strive to remember that it's sometimes about simply capturing the moment instead of having everything technically correct. And that sometimes it's about living the moment instead of capturing it.
6. I shoot a wawillion shots at a time. You never know which shot may just be *the one*, and it's better to delete them later than miss that *one* at the time.
7. I love to shoot at all different angles. I try to see my subject from different points of view and try out different angles and such. Up close, farther away, lying on the ground, standing above it, horizontal, vertical, the options are endless.
8. I have been slowly losing my inhibitions. I am a person that prefers to go unnoticed, however I have been getting down on the ground, taking pictures of what I want-even if it's silly, and just working to really get the shot that I want.
9. I think about the light, the composition and the subject. How they all align. What is going to make the best photograph? What can I do to make my photo be unique? What is the best angle? Are my leading lines good? Is the horizon straight? Am I following the *rules* of photography? If not, do I have a good reason not to-and does it really make my photo better?

What do I think about when taking portraits?

1. Often the same things as above-especially #s 1, 3, 6, 7, 8 and 9.
2. I try to capture the connections between people. And the connection between my subject and a passion of theirs.
3. I also try to capture the personality of my subjects through my photos. Their laughter, their silliness, their love, their tenderness. I love photographing people.

How do I deal with my photos?

1. I simply organize them in my picture folder. When PSE uploads them, I have it title them with the date and put them into a folder with the same date. Once they're on the computer I go through them, deleting those that are way too blurry or just not good. Then I upload them all to Flickr (and keep them private, as they're unedited) as a backup and burn them to CD. If they're just random photos of flowers or something, I may not burn them to CD. However, if they are from a vacation or special event or (obviously) a photo session I will burn them.
2. I then pull them up in PSE and begin my edits. This is also when I delete the duplicates and ones that are keepers, but not really great.
3. I will generally print my personal photos at home. About six months ago, I had 200+ photos to print as 4x6s so I just had them printed at Winkflash-much more cost effective.
4. I send my portraits to a professional lab for printing.

And I think that's about it. Sorry for the novel. :-) It's fun to look at why I do what I do and why I take the shots that I take every now and then. Like a self-inventory.