Where Do I Come Off?

Here yet another blog enters the immense blogosphere. Although at times doubting whether this endeavor will be beneficial, I have nonetheless decided to take the plunge.

We live in a time when everyone seems to be taking photos, so perhaps this is a good reason to let my opinions fly, and, more importantly, to share my enthusiasm for the art of composing an image. Now you may ask yourself -what gives me the right, or, where do I come off?

It's simply because I've been taking photos for a long time. I've learned a few things. I've formed some opinions. I want to share. Here goes.

One of my first magical photographic moments occurred in 1976, when my future wife allowed me to borrow her Minolta SLR camera. We were both working at the Veterans Administration in Manhattan. During a lunch break, I took a walk uptown, where the Democratic National Convention happened to be occurring. It was the year Jimmy Carter ran and won. I spotted a masked man with a sign in a portable homemade booth. Here was my first opportunity to do a little street photography.

"Pardons $1,"  New York 1976

The man with the mask was poking fun at Gerald Ford, the incumbent President, who had recently pardoned Richard Nixon after he resigned during the Watergate fiasco.  

I discovered that with an SLR camera, I was able to quickly bring the viewfinder to my eye. This made it easier to take a quick photo and do a decent job of composing it.

It seems to me that amateur photographers have gotten away from using the viewfinder. With the advent of digital photography, and compact cameras, most people use the LCD screen. This is not a bad thing, but if you really want to improve your photos, purchase an SLR camera, whether it's film or digital, and start using the viewfinder. Here's a look at the back of an SLR digital camera.

Once you start using the viewfinder on your SLR,  you will feel more intimate with your subject. There's something about placing the camera next to your eyeball that helps you to become more instinctual, and less logical, when you release the shutter. You will start noticing an improvement in the compositions of your photos, whether they are portraits, landscape or street photography (especially street photography).

So, kiddies, my lesson for today? Use your viewfinder.