Wake up with IR! Here’s today’s cup of Caffeine Priority…

Food photographer and writer Lauchlan Toal recently wrote an article for Photography Life about “why good photographers take bad photos.”

We need to get something out of the way first. For the purpose of this discussion, Toal suggests defining photography as the art and craft of image making. “Good photography requires a knowledge of both technical and artistic techniques,” he says. “A good photograph, on the other hand, is not dependent on technique.” Obviously with all else being equal, a sharper, well-exposed image is better than an otherwise identical image that is blurry and blown out. But Lauchlan’s point is that a good photo need not necessarily be technically perfect.

Do good photographers take bad photos? Well, yes and no. Good photographers can take photographs that are technically bad, but still a good photograph overall. Toal talks about the importance of the subject in an image and says, “A terrible photo of an amazing subject will always be more interesting than an amazing photo of a terrible subject.” It’s hard to argue with that. A “bad” photo of a lion chasing a gazelle at sunset will always be more interesting than a technically perfect image of a stack of newspapers, for example.

Toal has a more recent example, consider the recent photo from Rio of Usain Bolt smiling while looking back at the elite athletes he’s dominating. This is a great photo, but as Toal notes, “It’s not 100% sharp.”

Another aspect of making good photos is related to the passion the photographer has for the subject they’re photographing. There’s nothing controversial about that: It’s definitely easier to make good photos of a subject you’re interested in. It gets a bit more polarizing after that though, as he writes “I might even take it a step further, and suggest that good amateur photographers often take worse photos than worse amateur photographers.” If you’re interested in this claim, read the full article.

Ultimately good photographers, according to Toal, are the ones who routinely photograph interesting subjects. That isn’t to say that simply photographing something visually intriguing makes you a good photographer, but instead that good photographers are the ones who seek out interesting subjects or make the mundane beautiful. If those photos are technically sound, all the better, but that’s not a prerequisite for a good photograph.

(Seen via Photography Life)

Caffeine Priority is a series of short photo-tidbits to ease you into your day, and give us a chance to share a bit more of what life’s like here at IR. We’re more like a group of friends testing and talking about cameras and lenses than the buttoned-down, big-corporation world that some of our photo-friends at other companies work in; hopefully these little snippets will share some of that. So… grab another coffee and join in the conversation with us down below!

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The post Caffeine Priority: The recipe for a good photograph and the importance of the subject in an image appeared first on Imaging Resource.

To complement its Nikon School, the Japanese camera maker has launched Nikon School Online. The new service will allow photographers to access online video courses from their computer, tablet or smartphone.

Launching with three courses, Nikon School Online will continue to add new lessons for photographers of all skill levels. The courses available at launch are “Getting Started with Your Nikon DSLR,” “Photographing Children & Pets, Featuring Tamara Lackey” and “Hands-On with the SB-5000 Speedlight featuring Joe McNally.” The first course is available for around $15 and the latter two longer courses cost just under $50.

For a limited time (until September 30), the SB-5000 course with Joe McNally is available for free for any U.S. customers who register a selected Nikon Speedlight here. The eligible flashes are the SB-5000, SB-910, SB-900, SB-800 and SB-700. If you have already registered one of the above Nikon Speedlights, you should be receiving a redemption code for McNally’s course in your associated email account shortly.

Screenshot from Nikon’s “Getting Started with Your Nikon DSLR” course

Nikon’s Director of Marketing and Planning Kosuke Kawaura says of the site, “Without traditional geographical constraints, Nikon School Online can reach a wider variety of photographers eager to get the most of their images and video. From amateurs using their first DSLR to enthusiasts eager to master their technique, these new online classes will educate passionate photographers and inspire them to capture the things they love.” Providing more photographers the opportunity to learn and improve is always a good thing and I’m excited to see what courses Nikon adds to their online course library in the future.

Learn more about Nikon School Online and preview the available courses here

The post Learn from the comfort of your home: Nikon launches Nikon School Online with three video courses appeared first on Imaging Resource.

There are a lot of excellent resources for those who are new to photography or for experienced photographers who want to pick up an additional skill, but Digital Photography School’s Stacey Hill says that there are “10 Things Nobody Tells Photography Newbies.”

When you’re trying to sell someone on something, such as a tutorial or class to help improve their photography, it’s typical for educators to leave out the part about photography being difficult. There are technical things you have to learn, such as how to actually operate modern cameras, but there are artistic things as well (composition, lighting and much more). That’s a lot to learn, and it’s rarely straightforward. Stacey puts it well when she writes, “Dropping $3,500 on a fancy new DSLR and lens doesn’t make you a capable photographer any more than buying a set of chef knives makes you a Michelin-starred chef.”

Speaking of money, photography can be very expensive. It isn’t just the camera and lenses that cost a lot; the other necessities such as memory cards, a tripod, a camera bag and more add up quickly too. Be sure to check out our site to help find the best prices on the gear you’re interested in, and to stay alert to any of the awesome deals we come across.

Putting down nearly $50,000 for the Phase One XF 100MP won’t make you a better photographer. But trying to create great images with your cell phone might not work out too well either.

It isn’t so much that no one tells you whether or not gear matters that’s the issue. It’s more that you can easily find conflicting information about the importance of equipment in photography. Some people insist that it doesn’t matter, and that you just need something basic. Your skills as a photographer take care of the rest, they suggest. Others say that it definitely matters — perhaps a lot — just what type of equipment you use. The truth most likely lies somewhere in the middle, and it absolutely depends on the types of photos you want to capture. You’re unlikely to get great wildlife or sports images with a cell phone, for example, but having the most expensive gear won’t help you capture great images if you don’t know how to best take advantage of them.

To see Stacey Hill’s list of 10 things nobody tells new photographers, view the article here. Readers, are there any lessons that you had to learn the hard way, and that you wish someone had told you before you started learning photography?

(Seen via Digital Photography School)

The post Become a better photographer faster: 10 things every new photographer should hear appeared first on Imaging Resource.