JPG: Stories: Photo Essay: How do Photographers get Their Shot?

How do Photographers get Their Shot?

By Jared Rube

6 Nov 2009

This was an exciting assignment for me. I really wanted a chance to do this for a long time and show people that taking pictures isn't just point and shoot. This assignment is about how photographers get their shot. Through my images I talk about the lighting, body placement and how to properly hold a camera. The image 1 of 11 was taken with telephoto sigma lens I borrowed from the kid, Rob S., I was photographing. I set my focal length at 120 mm and stood a little more than 20 feet back. As I was shooting I was having a little trouble trying to get both the subject he was shooting plus the subject I was shooting in the same image. In the next image of the set, 2 of 11, I wanted to get a different point of view besides an over the should image I had gotten previously. Rob crouched in the center of the pool in order to get the shot of the swimmer in the middle lane. It turned out to be a great symmetrical picture. I moved images 8 to 11 to the end of the set because I feel if I showed the same scene for two long it would get too boring. Image 3 is a silhouette of robert and his partner during a project for their ad and design class. On the whole set I had a 50 mm f1.4 on a cropped body which made it around a 75 mm. In the small studio setting I really had to back up and think about what shots I wanted. This setting gave me the opportunity to photograph the technical requirements to take a photograph. I was able to really show what it takes to take a very simple but important shot. Robert showed me about how he used simple reflectors and complex lighting equipment to capture a simple image of a drink.

For more images and a video from this set go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/jaredrube/sets/72157622623701501/