3 Pinterest Boards Each Photographer Needs To Have To Improve Your Artistic Vision

How using Pinterest can help you to become more creative and improve your photographic vision

Pinterest is used by many people to capture and share ideas, projects, and products. Every photographer, however, should have three specific Pinterest boards to boost your creativity and improve your photographic vision.

• A Photography Board

• An Inspiration Wall

• An Interior Design Board

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Photography Board

Although this sounds like a no-brainer, you definitely should not forget to have one general board where you can capture photography tips, techniques, technical information, and information about cameras you have or would like to have. This is your general go-to board that you can use when you need a quick refresher on technique and which you can use to share with fellow photogs.[back to top]

Inspiration Wall

As every dedicated artist knows, an inspiration wall will help you to develop your artistic insight, ideas and developing your photographic vision. What do you like, what do you not like. What type of photography would you like to learn or sell. [back to top]

Interior Design

Do not forget that the best place for pictures to live is not in the digital world, but in the real world. Having tangible products enhances the experience of your pictures. And clients rather will buy prints than electronic versions to keep on their screens. Printing is sharing.

An interior Design board will help you to capture and share ideas for yourself and your clients for what to actually do with the prints and how to use them best in your interior. In order for them to be viewed in the best possible way, and in order to use them in the best way to enhance your interior. [back to top]

5 Great Reasons For Shooting Film (part 3)

How shooting film will improve your photography (part 3)

This is the third post in a series of five in which I share the for me five best reasons why I will continue to use my film cameras. Reasons, for which I recommend that you also should consider picking up one of those older cameras, a roll of film, and giving it a try; and why it actually will improve your photography [first and second posts in this series].

My third great reason for shooting film after the break.

For some shots, film is just better

In my opinion film still has more detail retention in highlights and shadows than electronic sensors can capture. There is no need for HDR photography because film is HDR. Film has a huge dynamic range, with even gradation from dark to light tones.

Of course, it is up to you to choose the right shutter speed and aperture to achieve this. Keep in mind, however, that there is no such thing as the 'right exposure': you decide what feeling, mood, and effect you want to create with your shutter speed and aperture selection.

And then there is that specific film look: blogs are filled with discussion about whether film images actually look different from digital images. And what to think about the numerous "film" presets available for digital post-processing software. Probably a lot of personal taste is involved, but to me for some pictures film just works better.

The next post in this series will provide you with information on how you can spend more time actually taking pictures.

Five Great Reasons For Shooting Film (Part 2)

How shooting film will improve your photography (part 2)

This is the second blog post in a series of five in which I will share the for me five best reasons why I will continue to use my film cameras. Reasons, for which I recommend that you also should consider picking up one of those older cameras, a roll of film, and giving it a try; and why it actually will improve your photography. Look here for the first post in this series.

My second great reason for shooting film after the break.

You need to know your photography theory

As I mentioned in the first post on this topic, most of the older film cameras do not have any auto mode settings. You all have to do it yourself: transporting the film to the next frame and cocking the shutter, setting the shutter time, choosing the aperture, focusing, and of course taking the picture.

Since you have to change settings manually, you really need to know what you are doing: why for example are you choosing a specific aperture, or specific shutter time. You also can not switch film sensitivity between shots (some medium format cameras, however, have changeable film backs, which do allow you to actually use films with different ISO values). Yes, even before you go out to take pictures you need to think about what kind of images you want to capture. Is it very light outside, or dark? Do you need to freeze motion, or do you want to blur motion? To answer these questions and make the right decisions for the pictures you want to achieve, you need to know a bit more about photography and light theory than when working with a fully automatic digital camera that can adjust ISO settings 'on the go'.

The next post in this series will explain why for some shots film just is better.

First Great Reason For Shooting Film

How shooting film will improve your photography (part 1)

About two years ago I took a major step with regard to my photo equipment: I sold my Nikon D700 full-frame DSLR and my Nikkor 24-70mm and 70-200mm lenses, went mirror-less, and also started shooting film again.

The main reason for this was that I relocated from South Africa to South Carolina. The D700 was just too heavy to lug around at trips to small towns and local events, and there are a lot fewer wildlife parks in South Carolina. Although the 24-70 would be great for capturing the images I started taking here, the 70-200 really didn't make any sense anymore to me. Instead, I purchased the (then quite new on the market) Fujifilm X-Pro1 with the 18mm and 35 mm lenses.

The sale of the D700 and lenses left me with some money after the X-Pro1 purchase, and since I had been reading some articles and blogs about medium format film I thought I would give that a try. I eventually ended up with a Mamiya RZ67 ProII (talking about weight!!!) and the 110mm standard lens. And now I am shooting film again...

I actually started photography in the film-age: my first camera, an Agfa ISO Rapid I-c I got in the early '70s, later moving on to SLRs. I switched to digital when the Nikon D70 came on the market, and since then I really forgot how working with film is do differently from the digital experience. And I love it! After the Mamiya, a FED 2, Canonet QL17, and Voigtlander Vitessa T have been added to the collection. All of which I use regularly.

Working with the medium format Mamiya, however, is a revelation! Looking through the viewfinder is looking at a miniature real-life version of what I see in front of my lens, with an almost 3-D feel to it. And the quality of the lenses is just great.

I am not unique in going back to film photography: there is an abundance of sites and blogs from enthusiasts and pros who fully or partially are shooting film again. And on each of those, you can find several reasons why you should try film too.

This is the first blog post of five in which I will share the five best reasons why I will continue to use my film cameras. Reasons, for which I recommend that you also should consider picking up one of those older cameras, a roll of film, and giving it a try; and why it actually will improve your photography.

You need to be disciplined and follow a set process

Most of the older film cameras do not have any auto mode settings. You all have to do it yourself: transporting the film to the next frame and cocking the shutter, setting the shutter time, choosing the aperture, focusing, and of course taking the picture. In some cases, you even have to do all these in a specific order to prevent damage to the camera. As a consequence, shooting film will slow you down quite a bit, helping you to really think through why you are making specific adjustments to your settings.

Furthermore, you only will see the results of your actions hours, days, or even weeks after taking the pictures. No chimping... You better spend some time on making sure that the composition is right, that your lens is clean, and that you exactly have in your frame what you want to be in it.

The next post in this series will focus on how shooting film will help you to learn to make better pictures.