JRMCCURDIEPHOTOGRAPHY. COM | FACEBOOK JR MCCURDIE’ S PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE WEST
What’ s my favorite image? Well, I always hope my favorite image will be the one that I will see with the next import; I am always looking to do better today than yesterday. Right now, my favorite is the above image of the False Kiva from Canyonlands National Park taken on June 2, 2016. I had seen photos from this place, but I had always wanted to take my own. As with most good photos there is always a story. This particular location is not on any maps and is accessed by a rather perilous trail( especially if you fear heights like me). Two of us found the trail and did it in the afternoon. Prime Milky Way time was not until about 2:00 am. We returned after sunset and had to hike in and out in the dark. Perhaps not the smartest thing to do, but you do what is necessary to get the shot.
What do I look for in an image? In my images I don’ t want people to see one thing. I want them to see several things. I want them to wonder about the things they are not seeing. Why is that person looking out of frame? What is in their hand? How did he get that angle? When and where was that?
What inspires me? Many things inspire me, but my biggest inspiration is the zest for life. We are surrounded by beauty and many of us never take the time to really appreciate it. Life can be cut short any time, as a motorcycle enthusiast I think about this, and we need to not just look, but to see.
My advice for future photographers is to find a subject that interests you and learn all you can about it. Understand composition, because it is an important building block of any good photo. Join a camera club where you can learn from others. Ask other photographers how they do what they do. Some may not answer. I believe that if I teach what I do to someone else it will only push me to be better. Follow some photographers that you like, but don’ t try to be them. Develop your own style. Realize that you will take many bad pictures to get one good one. Learn from the bad ones. Know that your best picture today will most likely not even be close in a few years. Don’ t try to be everything. Find your niche and the rest will come.
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