Ian Shires on Photography

The Camera

I bought a medium quality digital camera a few years ago: Fuji Finepix S5000. (I wish they would use names instead of numbers for these things. Surely a camera called "Gertrude" would be easier to remember than a Finepix S5000).

The camera has 4 megapixels, but using Fuji's technology the output is supposed to be around 6 megapixels. I have printed out panoramas that were 1 metre wide and 40 cm tall. The quality was superb. So no need to get too excited about megapixels.

I can set the camera to output from 1Mb to 6 Mb or so-called RAW. Usually I set it at 6Mb because I want quality. For example, we went to Meteora (the monasteries in Northern Greece). We may never go back again, so it's good to have a decent shot.

The other good thing about this camera is the number of options. Programs for groups, close-ups, views, etc. Plus manual, aperture priority and shutter priority. But at the end of the day I use AUTOMATIC. If I am making a panorama, I use MANUAL.

The very best part of the camera is the zoom lens. I know that purists do not like zoom lenses. But purists can afford a bag full of expensive glass. The zoom is optical, not digital. A digital zoom is purely a cropping program. Don't do it. The optical zoom has a very long range. From a room-filling wide angle to a very close-up shot of a flower. 

Of course, Fuji now have a range of more sophisticated cameras and probably lower prices.

I am seriously thinking of getting a Nikon D80. The Fuji has had a rough 5 years and certain things are not working. Nikon make bomb-proof cameras.

The only time I use the Mac computer for tarting up photos is:

a) when the photo is very important (eg Granny's wedding) and the exposure is a bit off.

b) when I need to remove something, such as a telephone wire across a nice view.

c) anything out of focus or really too dark or light is immediately binned.

The Photographer

Of course there are rules of composition. But deciding what you are trying to show off to your friends back home is the most important. I may look at a scene and think, "This is nice". But then I decide, "What do I really want to show my friends?" Is it the lake on the left or the horse on the right, or both? What can I leave out without taking away from the feeling of the scene?

Another "rule" is to get close to the action. Either with your feet or with the zoom.

Finally, if you take enough shots, one is bound to be a good one. In Greece, Judit took 2,479 photos! So of course that's why the small selection looks OK.