My ten day workshop on photography in Varenna, Italy, overlooking beautiful Lake Como, is about halfway complete. I’ve learned so much already and there is so much ahead of us.
Last year I felt my photography skills had improved a good deal, but in fact before this trip I knew very little about my camera.
So far, we have been introduced to Photoshop Bridge, a package that comes bundled with CS4 and CS5. I had barely glanced at it, and really had no idea what a terrific asset to the photographer it is. Bridge gives you a wide range of tools to organize photos and create collections. Anyone who has ever searched their computer for a missing photo, filed in the most ‘logical’ place, will appreciate this.
Additionally, we downloaded Camera Raw from Adobe, and that is where we edit our images.
Although some photos simply can’t be saved, I’ve now learned to use the histogram to balance color ranges and about ten other adjustments that can overcome the robotic point of view of the camera and recreate the natural beauty that the human eye observes.
I’m lucky in that I have an eye for composition. One of the most frustrating things about taking photos for me has been the inability to get my shots as sharp as I wanted. I’ve now learned that it takes more than a tripod to get those sharp images. You need to use either a remote device or the timer on your camera. Even pressing the shutter release causes little tremors in your camera, which result in that slight blur that is so frustrating.
Today I must select the one place in Varenna that I like the most and focus my shots there for the final presentation. This will be difficult, for Varenna is a truly beautiful place, steeped in history and filled with faces with character.
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