“The best camera is the one you have with you.” – Lichtenstein
Entering the room, we see Paul J. Trummer, photographer at Volksblatt, ready to introduce us to photography. In his hands he held a large camera with which he taught us important aspects of photography. With a well-crafted presentation, he underlined all his statements. His many years of experience as a photographer helped him to explain everything to us in great detail and with ease. His knowledge also helped us to better understand the world of photography and to be able to apply all of this in a practical way.
At first we went through the practical theory of photography. When terms such as image sequence modes, fill-in flash or exposure time were mentioned, we initially felt a little overwhelmed by these many technical terms, but then he said: “The best camera is the one you have at the moment.” It doesn’t always matter whether you have one professional camera or a mobile phone.
When we started to do practical work a little later, many things became clearer to us. He explained to us how important the background really is and how it can make a photo look completely different. For example, if there is a window or light source in the background, the photo will be underexposed and the quality will drop sharply. Also, one should not stand too close to a wall to prevent the image from appearing too posed. The photo can also appear more natural if you not only line up groups of people but also place them slightly one behind the other. If possible, the photo should be aimed at the subject to fill it out so that it does not get lost in the background.
What makes a good picture?
The whole picture doesn’t always have to be in focus, because with a blurred background you can increase the focus on a person. As a result, the background no longer distracts the eye and the person is the sole focus. This is also achievable by shooting a photo as minimally as possible. In addition to painting, the golden section is also a larger term in photography. The horizontal line also plays an important role. In most cases, it should be below the center of the image. But you can play with it, for example to capture reflections of a lake. A change of perspective, for example to a bird’s or frog’s eye view, can be helpful to put the essentials in the foreground.
It is personally important for us that the exposure is right. Mr. Trummer showed us how exposure can change and improve a photo using some photos taken on location. The background and photo composition also play an important role in making the photo appear better. The workshop taught us a lot about photography and its interesting rough edges.