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Have you ever seen a macro photograph? Odds on you have, even if you didn’t realise it at the time. Macro photography features heavily in nature documentaries, product advertising and abstract art photography. Very often we see macro pictures of bright flowers, colourful frogs and alien-looking insects, which serve as a reminder that the most mundane parts of daily life can yield beautiful pieces of artwork. So what is Macro photography, really? Macro shooting is the art of capturing extreme close-up images, capturing detail which would usually be missed or overlooked by the naked eye. Macro can give us a view of our world which usually goes unseen, but is both beautiful and fascinating.

So, how do you shoot macro? Firstly, you need to assess your camera. If you own a compact camera, chances are it has some kind of Macro setting. Look for a symbol with a flower – this is the universal ‘macro’ symbol. If you use the camera with this setting you will be able to shoot quite close and get good detail, however Digital SLR cameras tend to produce better macro images.

Digital SLR cameras, as usual, yield the best results in this field for two reasons: Firstly, they have a larger sensor which is better for capturing tiny detail at high resolution than the tiny compact sensors. Secondly, you can buy dedicated Macro Lenses for your DSLR, which are designed specifically for this purpose. If you own a DSLR and would like to try your hand at macro, look into purchasing a macro lens, or borrowing one from an understanding friend!

Once you have the gear, you need to set yourself up. A tripod is usually easiest when shooting macro, because the depth of field is so shallow that the slightest movement can require that you re-focus. If shooting with a DSLR, it’s a good idea to use manual focus. This allows you to take your time and find the ‘sweet spot’ – the precise point where everything you want is in focus. You should also shoot in Manual or Aperture Priority exposure – this lets you control your depth of field. Remember that a small f number means a large aperture, and therefore a shallow depth of field. If you wish to have everything in focus you can close down the aperture (use a larger f number), however this means using a slower shutter speed. If you are not using a tripod (or if you have a live subject) a slow shutter speed can prove to be an issue, so you may need to instead add more light. Try to shoot in a well-lit area, or on a sunny day. Overcast is best as the light is bright but not harsh.

While shooting, try not to cast a shadow over your subject. Be prepared to take a lot of pictures and to delete all but the best- move around your subject, vary the angles that you shoot on and the aspects that you focus on.

Finally, never underestimate your background! If you are using a shallow depth of field the background will be blurred, but it can still ruin a good shot. Bright colours work well, as do white backgrounds. Play around with your background to achieve different effects. If you find the colour distracting, try changing the colours to black and white to draw more attention to detail. Well, there are the basics! Give it a go and feel free to post the results on the Ted’s Facebook page and Twitter feed to let us know how you went!

View our range of macro lenses here

A common question asked by people purchasing cameras and lenses is ‘How do I take a good shot of my kids?’ Believe it or not, good portrait photography is easy when you know a few basic tricks. You don’t need a fancy studio set up to take natural, fun portrait photographs.

The first priority is location and lighting. While the prettier location the better, good results can be achieved with a plain white or coloured wall, colourful toys or in a garden.

Make sure that your subject (ie, your child) is well lit. The main light source should be behind you (the photographer) and illuminating the subjects face. Do not shoot with your subject in shadow or with the light source behind them, as this tends to confuse the camera and you end up with either a very dark or very bright picture.

 Secondly; never underestimate the importance of framing. Do you want a full-body picture, or just the face? Side on, from the front or even from the top? It’s always a good idea to try a variety of different camera angles, as they can achieve entirely different results. Regardless of the angle, you should generally attempt to abide by the Rule of Thirds; a basic rule of art and particularly photography. When looking through your viewfinder or on the LCD display, imagine it is divided into thirds horizontally and vertically (Many cameras have the option to show these lines on their displays. Check your cameras instructions for details on how to operate these features). When photographing, try and make sure that the subject’s eyes are on the top third line. This can be difficult to achieve when photographing children as they tend to move around a lot, but this framing can be achieved later when cropping the image.

 Thirdly, familiarise yourself with your cameras utilities and features. If you are shooting with a basic compact camera, check some of the settings options you can play around with. Most cameras will come with a pre-set ‘Portrait Mode,’ which will usually give you the best results for this style of photography.  However if the subject is moving the ‘Sports Mode’ might be a better option. Some camera brands also include a ‘Kids and Pets’ setting, which are ideally suited for moving subjects.

Alternatively, if you are using an SLR, Digital Hybrid camera or an advanced compact camera, you might be utilising the Manual settings. In this case you should play with the different settings for different results. Use the Shutter Priority mode for fast moving subjects, or Aperture Priority to achieve a shallow depth of field. If you really want to achieve a shallow depth of field, set your aperture on its smallest f stop. Most lenses that come standard with SLR cameras have a maximum aperture of f3.5 (remembering that the smaller the number the wider the opening). If you want a greater effect, look into purchasing a prime lens. Prime lenses do not zoom, but have an aperture of f1.8 or wider. The easiest Prime Lenses to find and generally the cheapest are 50mm lenses, which have an aperture of f1.8. You can then focus on your subjects eyes and have the background nicely blurred.

Remember above all to have fun with your photography! By keeping a few of the above tips in mind, you can take beautiful portrait photos of your loved ones and special occasions which you will be proud to put on display. 

Jules Tahan photographs Black Caviar and they both live to tell the tale.

“A horse is a horse, of course, of course,
And no one (is scared of photographing a horse) of course
That is, of course, unless the horse is the famous Black Caviar.”

OK I changed the lyrics but you get the picture. And getting the picture is exactly what award winning photographer Jules Tahan was tasked with, when he was given the assignment to photograph the similarly award winning Black Caviar.
Easy yes? I mean it’s a horse, of course. The strapper brings it in. Jules fires off a few shots and off it goes to run, or roll or rear or whatever it is horses do.

But this, of course, as the song has told us ‘aint any ordinary horse. This is the horse many experts have suggested will one day be as entrenched in our folk lore as Phar Lap. He was the ‘Big Red’ - she is the ‘Big Black’ and this job could be a big break or a big nightmare depending on how big, big black’s reaction is to Jules’ presence...and his lights, his stands, his assistant, his camera, his props and his movements. “All I could think” said Jules when I caught up with him to discuss the assignment, “is what would happen if she got a fright from the flash and bolted or worse injured herself in her desire to back away.” Melbourne Photographer kills Black Caviar in attempt to get killer shot. Hmm, not really a headline on any photographer’s bucket list.

So how did Jules approach the shoot? 

"Well I always do a heap of research before hand. I’m not really in to racing but of course I knew who Black Caviar was. I read up on horse photography and checked out some classic images that had been taken in the past. Then I formulated a rough plan in my mind.”

And the plan?

“Didn’t work” he laughs. “When I got in to the stable it looked a little different from what I had expected. Besides which Black Caviar herself had ideas about where she would stand and it wasn’t exactly in keeping with where I thought she would stand.” A multi million dollar diva versus a photographer. Who won? “Who do you think?” he smiled. (It’s true this horse really does never lose.) “She’s obviously used to a fair bit of attention.” He added. “So as I was setting up she really didn’t seem phased at all. I made sure I explained to the trainers and staff exactly what I was about to do before I did it. I would tell them where I was going to put lights and when I was going to flash etc. I was determined there would be no surprises for them or the horse. Communication is vital to the way I work. I’m a photographer who keeps you in the loop.”

How long did you have?

"Not long” he mused. “So I had to think pretty quickly. The best way to approach it was to accept she was going to stand where she was going to stand for as long as she wanted to, and not a moment longer. Where she stood was in front of a really average looking, boring brick wall. At that moment I saw in my head a pretty unexciting shot. I thought ‘I know where this is going to end up. As a snapshot in the article.’ I wanted more than that. I wanted it to be a feature shot.’” “That’s where my research came in handy. I had looked at many classic horse portraits. The kind you see in Masters’ paintings, and I knew I had some wonderful misty landscape shots on my hard drive back in the studio. I made the decision there and then that was what I would go for. So I ceased to see the brick wall and concentrated on getting her right.”

All in 60 seconds? 

"You definitely have to move fast”, he agreed. “Being dark I knew I’d have to pump some serious light in to her so I threw a grid on the lights and positioned one to ‘fill’ her body and highlight her muscle shape and placed another pretty much straight on to her head. To make sure I got strong definition on the muscles I took the scrim off the Octolight I was using. And then I shot as much as I could. She didn’t move a muscle. This horse was well and truly ready for her close up.” “When she decided I had the shot, she moved on. All in all it took a few minutes. I then followed up with shots of the owner’s family and a portrait of her looking through her stable door, all of which were pretty much straight forward.” 

"Then I came back to the studio and the retouching magic began.”

Ahh, retouching.

The photographer’s playground. “I love it,” enthused Jules. “It’s fantastic what can be done now and I fully embrace it. But I didn’t do this by myself. I work with a gun retoucher, Stuart Wilson. He is amazing and I love the fact I can create something with someone instead of working solo all the time.” “Together we created an image that paid homage to the Masters but also maintained a slightly surreal element as well.

For example, we enhanced the glint on the grass instead of subduing it. Dulling it would have been too predictable and there’s nothing predictable about this horse.” And it seems there’s nothing predictable about photography. “I think that’s one of the things I really enjoyed about this assignment” reflected Jules. “There’s a billion reasons it could have been a disaster. But it turned out to be one of the most iconic celebrity shots I’ve taken. I have to confess it’s even exceeded my own expectations and that’s what can happen when things play out differently from how you expected they would.”

Finally, who is easier to photograph? Celebrity people or celebrity horses?

“Well” smiled Jules. “Celebrity horses are a challenge because they can’t speak. But then that might be exactly what makes them easier to deal with.”

So does this shot go straight to your pool room?

“I’m really happy with how it turned out and the feedback has been awesome. If it’s around in 100 years as an iconic picture of an iconic horse, it certainly gives purpose to my career.”

You can bet on that Jules.

To see more of Jules’ work head to www.uacreative.com (Jules is 2011 Gold & Silver winner at the AIPP APPA Awards).

To see him teach go to www.photographycampus.com where he amongst others will teach you how to take better shots and retouch all online.

To see more of Black Caviar follow the news. She’s everywhere.

Original interview sourced from 'The Weekly Review' http://www.theweeklyreview.com.au/article-display/Black-Caviar/4387

The Fuji X100 has arrived and the international media pretend that it isn’t the biggest event of the year. What’s all this fuss about Greece anyway? Haven’t these journalist hacks seen this camera? 

Actually, neither have we – well, almost.  Sightings of the Fuji X100 for a while were pretty rare. It took an earthquake and a tsunami to remind us that there is another country in Asia other than China where they still make things, like the X100, called Japan. The Fuji marketing boys could manufacture the story but the company could barely manufacture the camera.  The was no doubting the hype was genuine. Demand was through the roof but the supply was a trickle.  

The pressure has eased for now, but the effects of the Fuji X100 will linger longer than Eddie McGuire’s heartbreak at another Collingwood Grand Final loss. It is not hard to imagine somewhere in Tokyo various Canon and Nikon executives are having hot miso soup dripped onto their nipples while they dangle from a high rise building for ceding Fuji a circuit breaker in the camera market like this. Sales are hot. The Fuji X100 does make some of their offerings look a bit drab, they way Danny De Vito makes everyone else look tall.  

Why the buzz anyway? 

If modern cameras have a problem, surely it is one of differentiation.  The Fuji X100 sticks out like Lady Gaga amongst a bunch of nuns.  Curiously, if you think about it, a (digital) SLR camera of today doesn’t look all that much different from a (film) SLR camera in 1980. Considering in that time computers went from the size of a fridge to the size of a lunchbox and, well, we won’t talk about what happened to Michael Jackson, we are tempted to wonder what Nikon, Canon and the rest of the club have been doing for thirty years. That is not to deny the vast improvements in performance but the basic design has been constantly reiterated.  

The buzz from the average consumer is for the models that offer something new – sales of the Fuji X100 prove this. Consider the recent arrival of Sony NEX, Micro Four Third, Fuji X100, Pentax Q and trailing along at last, the Nikon 1. The theme is small cameras with interchangeable lenses and adjustable settings. The variance is in the size of the sensor. They are all different. The Pentax Q has basically the same sized sensor as a compact. The Sony NEX has the same as a DX SLR. Tiger Woods doesn’t swing that big. It’s also getting more complicated than his love life.

Suffice to say, the designs are still fairly conservative. Respected photographer Thom Hogan says that the camera should be becoming more of a portal, communicative and interconnected with the web and social media. We agree.

It seems that the camera company that is brave enough to cross traditional boundaries that, if it doesn’t change the game, at least rearranges the rules, like the impact of the iPhone, will strike gold. The alternative is to end up lost amongst everybody else – maybe with plenty of promise but with nobody  listening, it’s hard to sell anything, even a message.  

Imagine him now with the most popular product of the moment: the pocket video. 

Size is everything here.  For video cameras, they are tiny. Flip Mino III HD Video represents the biggest brand, with strong competition from Kodak with their Playtouch and Playsport ZX5 models, with the JVC Picsio and Sony Bloggie rounding out the main players. 

And they are very popular.  Schools seem to love them as well as individual users. The upside is so clearly obvious for some – travellers, parents and school kids – who want low cost, low weight and the chance to snatch fleeting moments in a heartbeat.  Footage shot on your pocket video is perfect for a funny clip on YouTube or a perhaps a nice moment to share with your family and friends on Facebook. 

Of course, they are simplifications in that they have little if any zoom, basic user commands and basic sound but they shoot High Definition and, depending on the model, you can tailor various features to your needs. The Kodak Playsport ZX5, for example, is waterproof while the Sony Bloggie has a rotatable lens. 

So often, it seems, small means fun.  There will always be a market for high end video because there are those who take a great interest in film and its potential to create and entertain. There are those that will definitely need longer zooms.  

For many of us, the potential to simply grab small sequences here and there, often at random, without the extra weight or expense, is enough to justify the basic elements of the pocket video. Perhaps like DSLR users who end up buying a compact as well, we’ll end up owning a regular video and a pocket video for different scenarios.  Unlike my grandfather and Melbourne commuters, these days, we’re spoilt for choice.

The modern camera is undergoing a transformation like the fashion lines of the world: retro is in.  As one who is usually oblivious to the changing nature of attire (what, men don’t wear hats anymore?) even I can’t help but be impressed. Not only do the cameras look like something Megan Gale would be proud to swing from her shoulder or Paris Hilton strap to her poodle, but some old ideas are resurfacing to give substance to all the style. 

Olympus  gave rise to this when they released the first digital PEN camera (of which the two current versions are the E-PL3 and E-P3) designed looked like the old film PEN camera that was originally released in 1959.  Even Ted’s itself only goes back to 1970 – probably explaining the hirsute moustache of the man himself.  The idea of the digital PEN’s was to recycle the same idea as the half-frame SLR that inspired them – to reduce the weight and size of the regular SLR’s and inject some of the fun back into the idea of photography. 

Recently, at the Photokina trade show in Germany, Fuji unveiled the X100, which looks like something a Soviet spy might have left behind jumping back over the Berlin Wall.  It even has traditional dials for adjusting shutter speed and the aperture value.  It is, however, the fixed f/2 lens that generates the excitement alongside the nostalgia. The fixed lens, especially a 50mm,  was at one point  the standard "prime"  that went with your camera body. Today it is usually the 18-55 zoom. The fixed lens fell out of favour like floral shirts and bell bottoms. The zoom came in on the promise that you didn’t have to move to get closer anymore.

The difference, or the main one at least, like we touched on last time, is the amount of light a fixed lens can let through compared to a standard zoom plus the increased ability to manipulate depth of field.  Everyone with a DSLR should have a lens with a fast aperture, so much so that the majority of people who buy the ubiquitous “twin kit” packages would be better off if the second lens was something like the Nikon 35mm or Canon 50mm 1.8 instead of the telephoto lens.

Panasonic and Sony have recognised this with, for example and respectively, the Panasonic Lumix GF2 and the Sony NEX 5 that are driving their sale results.  It’s worth keeping in mind when you’re tossing up your next purchase because for anyone with creative results in mind will usually be better served by a fast lens rather a standard zoom.  Ask us at Ted’s if the idea is worthwhile for your situation, or ask me – I’ll be the one in the hat.  

I can think of few superior methods to developing skill as a photographer than with the bar bill on expenses, not to mention the lenses, and a beautiful model in the frame. As this approach has yet to be authorised, the least I can do is open the idea out to discussion: hence this blog.

There has never been for me - up until now at least - a gorgeous muse under studio lights but there have been plenty of gorgeous locations, or there would have been, if I hadn’t missed photographing them all. My travel photos of the world are proof of that. The end result is to begin a necessary education in discovering how to frame a picture - for a man who can barely make a bed.

And so it goes for all of us. We want better images so we need to know what works and why. This blog is an attempt to do just that. That last points sticks, I hope. This isn’t designed to be a lecture on what camera you should buy, or a thesis on the history of photography. It is to tap into forty years of expertise available at Ted’s and look at how to get better pictures. Regardless, it will only ever be a point of view. Sometimes, with luck, it may not even be mine - if the guests turn up - but always yours too. A forum in the best sense of the word.

Ultimately, of course, it’s the pictures that do the talking, or, we hope, the shouting - so let’s work on that. Now, isn’t that a nice idea.

Those of us who like to spend time in bars need to think about our lenses.  If we are honest with ourselves - and over a beer or two, honesty can come fast, just ask Mel Gibson - many of us own one of these: either the Nikon 18-55mm VR or Canon 18-55mm IS.  Some of us with a little more in the budget may have opted for the Nikon 16-85mm VR or 18-105mm or indeed the Canon 17-85mm IS if not the 15-85mm IS.  Two of the hottest sellers are longer again: both the Nikon and Canon versions of the 18-200mm. 

These are perfectly decent general purpose options except, like most zooms, when the available light begins to lessen. With minimal light the camera is forced to open the shutter for longer - imagine the mouth of Jason Akermanis - in order to correctly expose the picture. Here we encounter our problem: our hands shake, even minimally, and the picture blurs.  This is because of the aperture range of these lenses, which, in photographic jargon, is “slow”.  A “fast” lens can let in more light through the lens itself. This is a good thing. 

Inside every lens is essentially a valve that can create a smaller or larger hole: the bigger that hole the more light let through the lens and the less depth of field (think portrait) or the smaller the hole the less light let through the lens and a greater depth of field (think landscape).  Manipulating depth of field, also a function of the aperture - so often crucially blurring out a distracting background - gives us incredible creative potential as well.   Aperture is measured in f-stops, which are fractions, and therefore the smaller the number, the larger the hole.  So it follows that a lens with a fixed aperture of 1.8 will let in more light than our standard zooms mentioned above which generally begin at 3.5 at their widest point.  

With the ability to command both the amount of light let into the camera and the degree of focus in our pictures, the aperture is one of our most essential tools in the quest for dynamic images and key consideration when considering buying lenses. Suffice to say, any discussion of aperture induces  - I don’t know about you - a need for a drink.  Hence the first sentence.

Anyone who has had the dubious pleasure of listening to a Justin Bieber fan trying to articulate the appeal of a star who seemingly can’t even exude testosterone let alone charisma will know photographic terminology can be just as baffling. Often those considering upgrading from a compact camera to a DSLR can’t escape the idea that suddenly the whole thing seems very complicated, just like Justin can’t help running into packs of screaming girls between blow drying his hair. The good news is a DSLR needn’t be complicated unless you want it to be. 

There was a time when enthusiast  photographers had to do all sorts of adjustments and measuring and alterations just to take a picture of their cat.   Those days are well behind us.  Today, the entry level DSLR’s such as the Nikon D3100 or Canon 1100D/550D to  even the semi-professional Canon 7D have a an AUTO mode: point and shoot.  Your cat could do that - I know mine can.  But the benefits are still there anyway.  DSLR cameras have much larger imaging sensors - the part that captures the light to take the picture - which results in a photograph with much more detail. 

What was a going to be a photograph of a puckered collection of wrinkles taken with a compact actually becomes a portrait of my mother in law taken with a Pentax K7. The killer detail for most however is the speed with which DSLR cameras operate.  The minimum rate on the current cameras is at least two frames per second.  C

ompare that to past experiences when the subject of your photograph is walking out of the room when you pressed the button when they were sitting on the couch. Moments worth photographing are often fleeting - an instant response time is an essential tool in the photographer’s kit.  Hence the popularity of DSLR’s with parents: kids do everything but sit still. Suffice to say when you read in your research  - about ISO capabilities, maximum shutter speed, dynamic range, noise reduction, barrel distortion plus vignetting and bracketing and image stabilization -  its easy to get the idea that you are in over your head. However, for most of us a lot of it can remain a mystery.  SLR functions explained I don’t pretend to understand it all myself, just as my niece doesn’t understand why she is taller than Justin Bieber when she is five years younger. The camera can do most of the work. If you want to learn how to tweak the settings for stronger images the potential is there but it needn’t be thought necessary. The dictionary can stay on the shelf - the camera shouldn’t though.  The words may need explanation but pictures never do. 

When people want to evoke the Grand Prix they talk about the noise.  As one who lives in the premier city of the Australian nanny state - where thugs with knives are unheard of and the impeccable public transport system doesn’t hold even an air of public menace - I can vouch for the racket.  I can also vouch for a pain in the neck carrying my camera bag  around the track, testing out the Nikon 70 - 300mm VR, all day.

A couple of lenses, a body, maybe a flash on any given trip and suddenly the whine isn’t Mark Webber’s social commentary but your own spine creaking as you head out the door.

Hence the appeal of the following models: the Olympus E-PL1Panasonic G2 and GF1.  The idea is right: small and light like a compact but with interchangeable lenses and the image quality and manual control of a DSLR.

The Canon G series, currently represented by the G12, has held a long appeal to enthusiast photographers because it offered most of the regular adjustable commands (ISO, White Balance, Exposure Compensation) and a viewfinder in a small(ish) design.  As excellent as the G series has been, the tiny imaging sensors inside have always been a considerable restriction and left images prey to the faults that plague lesser compacts such as poor low light and night shots or slow shutter response to moving subjects.   The Micro Four Third cameras mentioned above seek to solve this dilemma through having an imaging sensor ten times as large as a compact, although smaller than a standard DSLR, to produce higher quality images. Imaging sensor size is a very important factor to do this.

To a large degree, the cameras succeed.  These stable of cameras provide excellent image quality.  They excel as travel and landscape cameras in a small body.  Anyone trudging through the streets of a foreign city will appreciate the lighter load to carry and becoming less conspicuous  in a crowd.  Their ideal market is the traveler.  It is not, however, the sports shooter or the parent.  As yet, the Micro Four Thirds cameras do not have the operational speed of a DSLR and hence are not ideal for subjects that move fast, like my nephews, or a bit slower, like Mark Webber. 

DSLR’s are by no means dead: they have better battery life, more lens options, optical viewfinders, faster responses and higher frame rates but the appeal of the Micro Four Third cameras is high, and growing. What is curious is as yet  the two big players in the DSLR market, Canon and Nikon, do not have a model in this category.  But it won’t be long because there is plenty of us who want better performance than a compact can deliver  but don’t want to work up a sweat every time we take a picture.  It won’t help me, unfortunately, because for the foreseeable future I will need my trusty DSLR at the next Grand Prix - that is, if the Government lets me go.

In the recent storm about Lara Bingle having her photograph taken in the shower, as opposed to everywhere else with studio lights, one wonders what pictures might have appeared if the camera had not been attached to a mobile phone held in a hand commanded by a brain of questionable capacity but rather had been one of these.

Waterproof cameras are currently a big hit. This has become a very important category in terms of market share and as a result the cameras offer an excellent suite of features, most crucially that they are also shockproof as well as submergible. Suddenly adventure photography - think mountain slopes, surf, waterfalls, riverbeds and sea coral - is accessible with little risk in wrecking your gear. At last there are cameras available can take the rigors of travel, skiing and swimming. Just how much rigor can be applied will depend on the model. The potential to result in stunningly powerful images depends on nothing except our ability to get and and shoot.

Olympus has dominated this market category and their new flagship model, the Tough 8010was released into stores this week. Currently competing with it is the Canon D10, Panasonic FT2 and Pentax W80. There is no clear cut answer to say which is recommended as it always depends on the user, not the camera. For example, the Canon D10 and Olympus 8010 have can go to greater depths, however the Panasonic FT2 and Pentax W80 have larger zoom capacities.

It is important to remember that these cameras are excellent compact cameras which simply have a tougher body but are not therefore necessarily limited to those going somewhere exotic. Parents who mostly plan a trip down the street often consider them as the family camera so suddenly it doesn’t matter if the kids grip it, with fingers covered in cordial, in order to launch it out of the pram.

Their best feature, therefore, is that they can always be with you, even in the shower as it were. We can capture more of particular moments than ever before. The key is to keep our eyes open so we don’t miss them. Should Lara Bingle be in view, that shouldn’t be too hard at all.

Late last year a forgotten product left for dead in the digital era made a late, sizzling dash as a hot item in the photographic industry even as it died: polaroid instant film. 

Teenagers were suddenly walking around with cameras bigger than their netbook computers thinking they had stumbled across the latest retro item to take to school, even if it took up the entire school bag.  They wanted to know where the film was, but unfortunately the story was where it wasn’t, which was in the factories, being produced, because it had been discontinued. 

Stock was hard to source and subject to limited availability, but it was also subject to the laws of supply and demand. The price of the film that was left more than doubled because suddenly everybody want to shoot polaroid.  It was four dollars a shot.  There are bars in Melbourne cheaper than that.   On completing their purchase, customers got some sage advice along with the receipt and change: at that price, make the shot count. 

That, however, is the advice that should always be coming across the counter.  Shooting film placed a cost and a finite number of pictures on the photographer and hence a strong discipline to ensure the pictures that were taken were as strong an image as they could be before the film ran out, or the bank account, or both.  It made us think it through more.

Digital removed the restrictions but we should retain the discipline.  It can be easy to be seduced by how many pictures we can take instead of how many we ultimately find worth keeping.  Identify the point of interest.  Remove elements that don’t add to the image. Get closer. Try different perspectives. Consider the Rule of Thirds, but don’t be afraid to break it.  They key is to see the image before you press the shutter release. Make the shot count. 

Powerful photos are created, not taken, through a sense for thoughtful composition.  Just ask any teenager - when your whole bank balance goes on ten photos, you become very introspective indeed.