Zoom Out

Some people have asked me “Erin, do you shoot every day?”

The answer is “I try to”

Yes, there are some days that I don’t pick up the camera, but those are usually few and far between.

But there are definitely days when I just need to do something else. And that is ok.

One of the areas of growth I have seen in myself over the years is making the conscious decision to zoom out. Early on, I found myself zooming in on my subject a lot. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I found myself wanting to know more about the setting in which my subject was in.

So every time I picked up my camera, I still did some close up shots, but I had to mentally tell myself to “zoom out”. It was hard to have to think about something when I was shooting.

But as I did this, I really started to notice a difference in my images. The images weren’t just about the dog anymore but about the dog and the environment. The difference spoke to me.

The below shot is a great example of an environmental shot that I love. There is so much going on that keeps me interested.

- The wind in the dress
- The contrast between the warm clothing of the girl and the summer dress
- The dog in the middle, almost being pulled in both directions
- The movement of her tail. Is it wagging?
- The textures and colors of the environment
- The colors in general

It all leaves me wanting to know more.

040408.jpg

  1. Karen   -  

    Beautiful shot and I’m so about the zoom in (newbie) . I will take your advise from the post and zoom out. Thanks!!! Karen M.

  2. erika   -  

    Amen. It is tough getting out of your comfort zone but what an awesome revelation when you do. I’m happy for your push, thanks for the little nudge you gave me in return. :)

  3. Emilee   -  

    I agree completely. Just yesterday I kept telling myself to zoom out, not get in on Buddy’s face. And ya know what, I got some great shots! I put away the zoomy lens, grabbed the treats, and backed off some. It works. Nice shot!

  4. Josh Solar   -  

    great shot, and great tip. I always enjoy reading your blog:)


Leave a reply

Click here to close