Stacy using a stable shooting position to balance the weight of her Nikon D4 during our photography lesson in St. Petersburg FloridaOver the first seven months of 2013, Stacy has become my most prolific student of all-time, starting with the group lessons she took at my Morean class, and now this was her twelfth 1-on-1 photography lesson (thanks Stacy!). She has been learning from start to very finish how to be a modern DSLR photographer. By that I mean she is learning what gear to get to fit her photography needs, how to use that gear in the field, then as important what to do with the RAW images once she returns home. I have spent many hours in her home office getting her iMac setup with software and features to create the same seamless digital photography workflow I have on my own Mac based work station. This also includes how to make regular backups of all her photos (and other computer files too) and ultimately how to share them in a secure online location with friends and family. It is a reality that to be a complete DSLR photographer, not insignificant computer skills are also needed, that is if you wish to edit your photos (of course!) and to share your work and have it be seen (yes of course too!).
This latest lesson though was a more traditional out in the field one, which means my usual downtown St. Petersburg location. Stacy shoots with a Nikon D4 (yes, a D4, not a typo) and f/2.8 lenses, so gear weight and shooting ergonomics are especially concerning issues for her. I stressed the importance of always shooting with a stable stance (legs wide apart) and shooting perpendicular to the subject so that the left arm acts as a monopod. Then of course there is the simple matter of having the right bags for safely and conveniently carrying photo gear. I gave Stacy advice on that based on seeing her non-camera specific bag she was using, that had to be placed on the ground each time she wanted to take a shot.
Stacy has already signed up for lessons 13-16 which will feature more practical shooting lessons as well as further refining her digital workflow.
