The view from below

Photo Randy Vanderveen, Grande Prairie, Alberta A swimmer, photographed from under the water, works on his front crawl technique.No matter how good you are in a sport or craft, practise while not necessarily making you perfect, will improve your skill level.

This is no different for the swimmer above who by training several times a week gets his muscles and stamina built up to compete or for the photographer at the other end of the camera.

I know from personal experience that if you don't keep working your skills they become less reliable.

When I first started shooting professionally, manual focus was the standard for taking photos. I was never really great but I did get by.

With the advent and continuing advancement in autofocus technology, it has become a skill that I am no longer very good at.

While the new technology would appear to make the skill obsolete, it hasn't. While the autofocus in cameras is incredible, there are still times (low contrast or perhaps too many objects between you and your subject or the size of your subject in the frame) when having the ability to follow focus is missed.

Another reason photographers need to practise their craft is also evident in the swimmer — muscle memory.

As the swimmer works on the proper technique for his stroke at a moderate pace, he trains his body to move a certain way in the water. When he picks up speed the muscles he has used at a slower pace know how to propel him forward faster while still using the proper technique.

Photographers need to get comfortable enough with their cameras that they can change controls without removing the camera from their eye.

Being able to change your aperture or iso quickly and efficiently can mean the difference between having the photo and not.

Make it a goal this summer to get out there and practise your skills so that the mechanical, as well as the artistic, continue to improve.

Comments

[Q Smith]

Excellent shot!!