Lessons in What Not to Do: Gabe’s Invites

Another opportunity arose and I was able to sucker our friends into giving themselves up for science. Mad-science would be a more accurate statement as long as I’m the one behind the camera and in front of the keyboard. Like the previous ‘Lessons’ there is a mountainous learning curve ahead of me and this is what ground I’ve gained.

Vet your location. Having the “been there, done that” knowledge before you drag your prospective guinea pig to a particular locale can and will make the whole experiment easier, not to mention less traumatic, for the willing subject and you. For example, make sure that there isn’t an itty-bitty black kitty whose last life was spent somewhere around Halloween mere feet from your prime shooting area. Know that all that brown, gritty gunk on the asphalt isn’t a rash of dirt clods some tractor left behind months ago, but the noxious weed-seeds of Goatshead. Be mindful of smells even though the stench doesn’t reek onto the print, the scrunched nose and the tinge of green will. Thank you for not hurling.

I had more fun with Photoshop; less trials and fewer errors. Technically speaking, I still need to watch the minor things – major – things like proper exposure and depth of field, but overall, I didn’t have too much to tweak just to look slightly competent.

This is what I’ve come up with.

Thanks P’s for helping me build my monster, dead cats and all.

* Shot with a Nikon D60, Nikkor DX 55-200mm 1:4-5.6G ED and UV filter. Photoshop Elements 6/ CS3

Labels: Lessons in What Not to Do, Photography