I am recovering from having worked in a newsroom for many years as both a reporter and photojournalist. Hired as a writer, I began doing photography to use to accompany my articles after impatiently waiting for others to do it for me. Visualizing the type of photograph I wanted to accompany the articles was a wide open door & an exciting one to pass through. After being given an old shop camera, the first digital camera Olympus made, I progressed and have never been without a camera since. My beat was agriculture (i.e food science) and art. Although I often contributed shots for human interest stories in special tabs/publications where I was given more artistic freedom and room to create with the camera with only an extremely limited use of software allowed. I was bound by law to stick to rules that prohibited me from modifying any photograph except by slight sharpening, slight contrast adjustments or cropping. Even so, the sharpest shots lost resolution once transferred to cheap quality = newsprint and we had limited control over background noise but we lived with it. Catching emotion/action and communicating that was always the aim although my focus sometimes shifted to educate others about what was important to me. Since I have been liberated from certain limitations, I am stretching my wings by self-teaching on PhotoShop with a book and DVD of lessons. Each time I learn to use a new tool, solve a visual problem, I want to celebrate. Then I can test the result of my work reflected in reviews I can more fairly give. I will always fall back on traditional work; it is my foundation and basis of my passion. My exposure to photojournalism and interaction with astute editors is what first inspired my interest and propelled my growth - if only in one direction. I have much to offer anyone who has questions about photojournalism but there are many here that can offer me much in the area of graphics and technical proficiency - even landscapes. For my birthday this year, my son gave me my first high end tri-pod and I am trying to convert an antique macro to use on my Nikon D90. Since 2003, I have held a lot of cameras.
RAMONAFRANCES IS FOLLOWING
ramonafrances :
"Go into the arts. I'm not kidding. The arts are not a way to make a living," said Kurt Vonnecut. "They are a very human way of makng life more bearable. Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven's sake. Sing in the shower. Dance to the radio. Tell stories. Write a poem to a friend, even a lousy poem. Do it as well as you possibly can. You will get an enormous reward. You will have created something."
donkeyoatey : A great comment..thanks for sharing it with us!
September 20 at 6:11PM
Skyangel02 : Singing may be fun and rewarding for the singer but it can be a pain to the listener when a song is sung out of tune. However, I guess the motive for doing it what is most important.
September 20 at 9:31PM
phil1950 : Well said. If someone gets upset at someone being happy that's their problem for being bitter and twisted. Some people are a legend in their own mind and think they are too cool for the room.
September 20 at 10:02PM
Sinbackkk : Love Vonnecut!
September 20 at 10:50PM
cynnocence : This is a wonderful comment and amazingly relevant. I think that art is an expression of the inner self and a reflection of the soul. A necessity for those who paint, and singing for those who sing.
September 21 at 12:24AM
Life is but a dream. : Ramona....a great quote, just reading it makes one feel more alive. Thank you......
September 21 at 12:27AM
DPirrmann : gotta love vonnegut! he's right you know. art is truly what it is to be human and alive.
September 22 at 4:14PM
ramonafrances :
DESIGN PRINCIPLES: Dominance, balance, gradation, variation, repetition, conflict, unity, harmony.
FanArtReview wrote to ramonafrances :
Congratulations! Loving Life won the contest "Photogenic Photo Contest"
wendyroby : Congratulations on winning "The Colour Blue" Contest. A beautiful photo and well deserved.
June 2 at 12:14AM
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