We hadn’t had special 1-on-1 time in a while. January 1st and nothing on the calendar. It was time.
“What would you like to do with Daddy on our date?” I asked. “Maybe we could go to Gabby’s house and play!” he said excitedly. Hmmm. Not exactly the father-son bonding I had in mind. “How about riding a roller coaster?” 28 degrees outside, long drive to the closest amusement park, lots of money… not in the cards. “Maybe we could go to the park then,” he reluctantly suggested. He just got a Fisher Price digital camera for Christmas. Perfect! Let’s go.
Patterson Park was quiet and cold. Never saw the Pagoda before. Playground was killer. And got some neat duck shots. Finished with lunch at Panera.
First 3 Lessons of Photography
1. Hold Camera Still
If you move the camera (or the boy), the photo is blurry.
If you hold the camera still, even moving objects look sharp.
2. Get the Light Right
Cheap cameras don't let you adjust the light sensitivity. As a result, we can't see any detail in those beautiful white ducks.
Much better with Daddy's camera. Now we can see the feathers better.
3. Set the Proper Distance
If you are too close or too far, the photo doesn't work. Here we have a photo of nothing in particular—sort of a no man's land.
When the interesting part dominates the frame, the photo has more impact.