Sometimes the best thing is to just say yes. Sometimes, it is the best thing to say no – even when we’ve said yes before. Challenge yourself. Ask yourself why you are doing something.
The image I have chosen to go along with this post is of a swimming penguin at Moody Gardens Aquarium on Galveston Island. The penguins that swim there are precious. I adored watching them as they zipped around. They are swimming much faster than the penguin in this photo appears to be. They seem to stay busy doing this all the day. And so I decided to stay busy trying to capture one image that conveyed their grace and beauty, while conveying personality. This image has been published in The Islander Magazine.
If you are ever at the aquarium and, of course, this holds true for others – I can tell you a few things about photographing penguins through the glass. First, when you place a camera lens right up against the glass I have found it to be true that the imperfections in the glass will not transfer to the image. Doing this causes the imperfections to become invisible. Second, set your ISO to a high if not the highest setting. In digital photography, ISO measures the sensitivity of the image sensor. It is my understanding this is about the equivalent of what film speed you are choosing. Third, I guess after that you may want to learn if your camera has a setting to adapt to different forms of light. Most cameras will have some form of white balance to use if you are photographing under fluorescent light, incandescent light or out in the sunshine. It is worthwhile looking into this setting.
You might have to take fifty pictures of swimming penguins to get one you are happy with, I know I did. Perhaps I took more. But in a digital age, who cares? And, if you’re having fun please go with it. It’s good for you. I’ll add a fourth thing, right here, … anticipate the movement of your subject. Know to the best of your ability what is going to happen in the next moment. Learn to feel that. One thing you might not know about a camera that sure took me a long time to learn is that the moment you push the button is not the moment that is captured. It is the next moment. Try it out. But whatever you try, enjoy it or find something else. Try many things. Live life, the adventure is yours.
c.s.
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