Subject Matter

I'm sitting here trying to figure out what photography topic I should write about next.  Should it be about composition? Or flash photography? Macro photography?  All excellent subjects, but ones I'm not sure I want to tackel without learning more first.  So I ponder...what should my next subject be.  Then it hits me....how about subjects?  What to take a picture of?

When I first got my camera I wanted to take pictures of everything.  That first evening I took it with me to my sister-in-laws house who had decorated beautifully with candles and all sorts of Christmas cheer. I took a few photos of the candlelit table (without a tripod), and then a few more of people opening presents.  It wasn't until the next day when I was looking back at the photos and realized I had taken photos that could have been taken with my cell phone.  I realized then, that if I wanted to get better and actually use my camera to it's fullest potential I was going to have learn WHAT to take a picture of, as well as how to take the picture.

This is Christmas this year, tripod in hand.

What do I look for when I search for subjects?  When I first started I would look for anything that appealed to me.  A bird in flight, a backlight goose, a pretty sunset.  Granted a lot of these photo walks are from around the lake by my house so there wasn't too much variety.  But as my skills have grown I've changed how I look for subjects.  Even though I still walk around the lake I usually don't take a picture unless it's something very special.  Probably because I have about a thousand "duck butt" pictures.  You know the ones...where just as you press the shutter button, the duck or goose dives to get something to eat underwater and it's butt is just waving at you.

So how do I choose now?  Well, sometimes I choose a particular pattern or color.  Walking around Frederick, MD one day I decided to shoot only things that had blue in them.  Another walk was just circles.  These exercises have helped me see the world a little differently.  They are great exercises to really just learn all the ins and outs of your camera and lens.   

I just learned of a new way to choose a subject and it seems so obvious to me now that I felt pretty stupid for not thinking of it first.  After I've taken pictures of all the obvious subjects or can't find anything else of the shape or color I've chosen, I look for what can't I do.  Can I get the exposure of the dark background correct while still stopping the action of a flag blowing in the breeze?  Can I get the reflection of myself as well as the Mormon Temple behind me?  How about a shot of inside the visitor center from outside with the reflection of the temple?  These exercises have been the most frustrating and yet most informative yet.

In the end, subject matter is all relative.  What appeals to me may not appeal to you.  And that's okay because I think photography is like life...beauty is in the eye of the beholder.