GET CLOSER! Then Shoot like Crazy!

That is why I made it RULE NUMBER TWO, you know, right after I noticed that RULE NUMBER ONE was going on right in front of me!

Come on! Just LOOK AT THE LIGHT! That light, which yes! Causes those SHADOWS!

And yes, you can then rest assured that I did follow my other rule, you know, say it with me, RULE NUMBER THREE, which is, TAKE LOTS OF PICTURES!

You know me! SHOOT, ADJUST, SHOOT ADJUST, SHOOT, ADJUST ... SHOOT, SHOOT, SHOOT!

And yes! That is where that whole MINUS, MINUS, MINUS thing comes into play!

Which, yeah, is also what makes that SHADOW, which I made sure ended up in the background, that perfect BLACK BACKDROP, that I just love to "MAKE" into MY IMAGES!

Yes! I "put it all together", to get the image I "see in my head", long before I ever bring the camera up to my eye!

Really.

And yes! It works with both FLASH, or SUNLIGHT!

The LOOK, and EFFECT, are exactly the same!

You just have to work a little harder to capture it!

Sometimes!

LIGHT is LIGHT ... That is what makes becoming a photographer so exciting! In fact, my whole point when using FLASH, or STROBES, is to make it "LOOK" like I didn't! I try this, and then try that ... Over and over again!

Can you tell which I used in THIS image?

Well, can you?

Is it the SUN, or did I hold out my FLASH?

OK! I checked ... And was even "surprised" myself, you know, just a little!

I took this image a "couple of years ago", yeah, only just back in 2023, but yeah, that is part of what surprised me!

Then, THE KEY, which really did surprise me, was that it mentioned NO FLASH, which yeah, that means the sun caused the "shadows", not my flash, you know, held off-camera, like I thought was the case. Yeah, I've done that "little trick" many, many, times before ...

In fact, I was way off!

Yeah, this was taken with my ever present, small, Nikon W300, which yeah, is my favorite, small, weather-proof, "do everything", POINT-n-SHOOT, camera that I take with me, you know, EVERYWHERE, and ALWAYS!

Which yeah, is the other thing that, you know, SURPRISED ME!

Wrong camera, wrong light source!

But hey! I'll take it as long as I "GOT MY IMAGE"!

Whatever it takes!

Were you ever with me, out there, with our FLASHLIGHTS up at the college? Oh yeah, those were always FUN!

That's why I TAKE SO MANY PICTURES, and tell you to, say it with me (again!) ...

"SHOOT, ADJUST, SHOOT, ADJUST, SHOOT ADJUST, then, SHOOT, SHOOT, SHOOT"!

And yeah, I'll admit it, I don't have all the results right here with me at the moment, but yeah, you must know that I also shot this at -0.3, and -0.7, and -1.0, and then maybe even -1.3, and yeah! Maybe even a few more, you know, MINUS, MINUS, MINUS!

What can I say?

I tend to get carried away while out shooting and come across an image like THIS ONE!

FIRE AWAY!

Remember, I did spend time at the Rifle Range at Parris Island back in the day!

And then I just PICK the one that I like the best, out of all my options! Which again, is THIS ONE, the one shot, or exposed, at -0.7!

Well, that is what the DATA tells me anyways!

Like I said, and have said all along ... Shoot like crazy, and then pick the one you like best, you know, after seeing all your options! That is why you want so many options in the first place ... You know, like walking into a Candy Store as a kid! Or a camera shop as an adult!

You know what I'm talking about! We are HUMANS!

And I want OPTIONS, lots, and lots, of OPTIONS! The more the merrier!

I mean, how BLACK do you want that shadow, and/or "backdrop", to actually be?

It's all up to YOU!

Go for it!

I just hope you have as much fun as I've had over the years!

Good luck with that.

Now, get out there and see what you can come up with!

LOOK AT THE LIGHT

GET CLOSER

TAKE LOTS OF PICTURES

And don't forget!

MINUS, MINUS, MINUS!

Over, and over, and over again!

Enjoy.