Welcome Summer! New Photo Challenge!
Summer 2021 is upon us. With pandemic restrictions being lifted across the country and more people getting out and living their lives again, we will experience more adventures, more memories, and of course… more pictures!!! There has never been a better time to get out and take some amazing images to document our life’s journey and of course, capture still shots of time.
Whether you are going out to the beach, hiking in the mountains, or just relaxing by the pool, there will always be something to photograph. In this year of 2021, we have the best technology that has yet to be available to us in the form of dslr, mirrorless, action, and phone cameras. There is an absurd number of megapixels, lenses, and options. Sometimes it is difficult for me to choose a camera or lens. I overwhelm myself often with all the options available. Even if we only have one camera or just our phone, we tend to overdo it with image overload. I take pictures of just about anything that I come across from my family to landscapes, to things at work. I find myself sometimes taking three, four, five, or even more of the same shot and mulling over which is the best, which I will edit, how I will edit, and on and on. Sometimes after the day is done, I have already looked at the crazy number of photos I took a few dozen times. In my opinion, some of those photos become a blur and get lost will all the hundreds to thousands of other images I have taken. Every now and then I get a real gem, but I feel the rest are almost throw away images. The advantage of LED display screens on the cameras, and the phones’ ability to show us the image we just captured in the last fraction of a second is that we could see if someone had their eyes closed, the exposure was wrong, the scene wasn’t right, the angle was off, and an infinite number of other problems we can encounter while shooting.
This applies to all forms of people taking pictures. If you are a professional, amateur, or just love to take pictures of your fur babies or human babies, we have all been through this scenario. Now I want to introduce something that some of us, especially of a certain age and older, remember well. The “Disposable Camera”. Holy flashback Batman! For those of you that are only used to the phone camera, or only know that there is a camera on your phone, there once was a time when you could go to the store and buy a disposable camera (yes, we actually used to physically go to the store too). At the store we would purchase a small plastic camera that had a built-in flash, averaged 27 pictures, no LED screen to view pictures, no exposure adjuster, no timer, no selfie feature, no digital anything. There was a roll of film inside, and you had to bring it back to the store to get the pictures developed. Sounds like it came here with the Pilgrims right!? This little camera was great to take on a night out, a day trip, a vacation, pretty much anywhere. With this camera, you had to plan out your shots a lot more than the “shoot till you’re happy” approach. It was always great to get the envelope back and see how many pictures came out blurry to how many were in focus, how many pictures had your finger blocking them, how absolutely dark it was or just how good you were at taking the photos with the camera. There was the reward of getting some great images that were printed on the shiny paper sized 4”x6” that you could hold in your hand, appreciate, show to everyone, and make a scrap book with.
My challenge to you is go to the store, or order online, one or more disposable cameras and make it a priority to make that your main source of images for a set time frame. Whether you choose a weekend adventure, a week, or a month, make this your only source of camera. Don’t cheat and use the phone camera or your actual camera. Make it fun and exciting. Challenge yourself to take the time and study your subject to photograph. Slow the process down and understand you only have 27 pictures to take per camera. This will challenge you to think through your idea before you make it happen, for you only have so many chances to get it right. Another advantage of this method is that you’ll be able to experiment with film without the hefty price tag that comes with larger film cameras. Disposable cameras will give you the classic colors and grainy quality that we all love, and will put Instagram filters to shame. Make each image count. See how you can make use of natural light better, how you can capture real time emotions in people, and learn to make each shot the best it can be. Remember, there is no playback screen to check how good or bad they came out, that comes when you get the images back and flip through them. Nothing can compare to holding those pictures and seeing your work on that paper. Also, these little cameras are recyclable and can be reused infinite times after bringing it to the store to get the pictures developed. Spread the word and have a competition with friends where you each get a disposable camera and challenge each other to who can get the best picture. Enjoy this fun experiment, make it challenging, make it fun and enjoy the laughs, wows and smiles you will get when you get back the envelope and see your treasure trove of goodness!
