I subscribe to Joe McNally’s blog. He is the master of flash photography, which I myself haven’t mastered, so I’m in continual awe of his vision and execution. Plus, I like his writing.
I finally had a chance to read this blog post. What really struck me was his comment about reminding himself “entire to detail.” This is something I struggle with. I get so honed in on capturing one image, usually with my wide angle, that I get too lazy to switch lenses to get a different take, a different angle, or a different view.
A few years ago, Shamik and I were at Pemaquid Point Lighthouse in Maine. We had been there several times before. We’d both taken portfolio worthy shots here, and I think we were both inclined to take “the shot” again and just keep moving on. But I gave myself the assignment of using at least 3 different lenses in my bag. It was a great exercise because it got me out of my wide angle view of the world. I moved in on the detail and I walked around the lighthouse. It was a great reminder that that creativity is at hand regardless of which lens you’re using.
A wide angle shot taken on the Canon 40D. 10-20 mm at 20mm. ISO 200, f11, 1/400th sec.
An overview scene taken on the Canon 40D with the LensBaby Composer. ISO 200 at 1/400th.
A detail shot on the Canon 40D. ISO 200, 135mm, f16, 1/160th sec.
The portfolio shot, a 5 vertical image panorama. Canon 40D, 10-20mm at 10mm, ISO 200, f11, 1/200th sec.
The Light Diaries 