Gimme a number from 1-50 and point me in a direction...

JermsDayOut · 24th September 2003

Interesting exercise when we're bored and haven't been touching our cameras for weeks...

"Outdoor Photographer: Do you carry along reflectors?

Patterson: Sometimes, but usually it’s just a piece of kitchen foil I’ve folded up and put in my jeans. I always try to keep my equipment simple, and this helps to keep my thinking uncluttered. One of the things I often tell people in a workshop is that the best place to make photographs is right where we are—wherever that may be.
Perhaps, I’ll say to one of the participants, Okay, give me a number between one and 50, and he’ll say, 37. Then I’ll say to another participant, point me in a direction, and she’ll turn my body halfway around. I ask the group to follow me as I walk 37 steps and put the tripod down with the camera and the lens on it. Then I’ll tell them that I’m not going to move the tripod until I make 10 compositions that I feel good about. I’ll only move the tripod head.

That makes a person learn to see. You have to pull the label off things. You have to start observing the fundamental designs in your surroundings and how they relate to each other. I often give all the students this same exercise with different numbers and different directions. They start to realize that they don’t have to travel across three states to get good pictures. They can make them in their driveway, on their balcony, in their garage—wherever.

Kira · 24th September 2003

Interesting. I'll try this sometimes.....

JermsDayOut · 23rd October 2003

finally tried it in my own backyard and had a mini-competition with my girlfren... damn tough man this exercise... we only limited each other to 10 shots. but by the time 7th shot, dunno what to shoot liao...

Challenging and fantastic for exercising the "eye"

Clown · 23rd October 2003

i'll try this out in my house toilet. will post best 3 results when i finish processsing them. (taking pictures is ok.. it's processing them that drives me nuts!)

24th September 2003	#1
JermsDayOut Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 259	Gimme a number from 1-50 and point me in a direction... Interesting exercise when we're bored and haven't been touching our cameras for weeks... "Outdoor Photographer: Do you carry along reflectors? Patterson: Sometimes, but usually it’s just a piece of kitchen foil I’ve folded up and put in my jeans. I always try to keep my equipment simple, and this helps to keep my thinking uncluttered. One of the things I often tell people in a workshop is that the best place to make photographs is right where we are—wherever that may be. Perhaps, I’ll say to one of the participants, Okay, give me a number between one and 50, and he’ll say, 37. Then I’ll say to another participant, point me in a direction, and she’ll turn my body halfway around. I ask the group to follow me as I walk 37 steps and put the tripod down with the camera and the lens on it. Then I’ll tell them that I’m not going to move the tripod until I make 10 compositions that I feel good about. I’ll only move the tripod head. That makes a person learn to see. You have to pull the label off things. You have to start observing the fundamental designs in your surroundings and how they relate to each other. I often give all the students this same exercise with different numbers and different directions. They start to realize that they don’t have to travel across three states to get good pictures. They can make them in their driveway, on their balcony, in their garage—wherever.

24th September 2003	#2
Kira Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Singapore, West Area Posts: 546	Interesting. I'll try this sometimes.....

23rd October 2003	#3
JermsDayOut Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 259	finally tried it in my own backyard and had a mini-competition with my girlfren... damn tough man this exercise... we only limited each other to 10 shots. but by the time 7th shot, dunno what to shoot liao... Challenging and fantastic for exercising the "eye"

23rd October 2003	#4
Clown Moderator Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 2,965	i'll try this out in my house toilet. will post best 3 results when i finish processsing them. (taking pictures is ok.. it's processing them that drives me nuts!)