Shooting with Soul: 44 Photography Exercises Exploring Life, Beauty and Self-Expression - From film to Smartphones, capture images using cameras from yesterday and today.

130 Pages·2013·67.09 MB·English

by  Alessandra Cave

Soul
S hooting with
44 Exercises Exploring Life, Beauty, and Self-Expression
Alessandra Cave
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To my daughter, Gabriella—Always believe in your dreams.
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Contents
Introduction 6
How to Use this Book 8
Chapter 1: Getting Started 10
Choosing Your Camera 12
Understanding Light and Exposure 18
Learning to See Life through the Viewfi nder 22
Shooting with Soul 24
Chapter 2: You: Discovering Who You Are 26

Chapter 3: Life: Celebrating the Everyday 52
Chapter 4: Wanderings: Taking the Scenic Route 78
Chapter 5: Senses and Feelings: Experiencing Life to the Fullest 102
Chapter 6: Resources and Ideas 122
Glossary 124
Special Thanks 126
About the Author 127
Acknowledgments 128
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6 Shooting with Soul
Introduction
Photography found me early in life, in my teen years, but I only
took it on as a life practice in my late thirties. As you can
imagine, for a self-taught, late bloomer like myself, the challenge
of writing a book on photography triggers all sorts of vulnerabili-
ties. There are many talented, well-known, and skilled photogra-
phers in the world who could have been tasked with writing this
book. So, why me, I asked myself over and over. What do I
have to offer? Ironically, in the answer lies the whole premise of
this book. All I have is my soul. I have my own way of distilling
information, processing ideas, and sharing what I know. And I
have the desire to be here and to do this for you with an open
heart. As someone who has undergone many life transitions,
such as moving abroad very young and changing careers in
mid-life, I am a fi rm believer that everything that we have ever
done and experienced contributes to what we have to offer. The
truth is that regardless of how much we know about anything, all
we really have to offer, in full integrity, is ourselves. From my
childhood drawings to studying illustration, traveling the world,
obtaining a Master’s degree in Arts, and working in the advertis-
ing and fi lm industries for over fi fteen years years, I have lived
and breathed images all my life. This book is the culmination of
what I have learned and seen so far. My hope is that my voice
will resonate with you and inspire you to fi nd your own voice.
“ The truth is that regardless
of how much we know
about anything, all we
really have to offer—in full
integrity—is ourselves."
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8 Shooting with Soul
How to Use This Book
My original goal was to share insightful tips and tools that would Throughout the book, you will find some technical terms in bold.
empower you on your photographic journey. But once I started Feel free to look up their definitions in the "Type of Lenses"
working on this book, I realized that I wanted to offer a lot more sidebar that appears in Chapter 1, or in the Glossary at the end
than that. I also wanted to offer you the opportunity to cement of the book. In each exercise, you will find a short introduction,
the practice of photography with an ongoing, long-term project. a personal story, and instructions to get you started. Then it is
The commitment required to stick with a project for a whole year your turn to dig deeper and draw from your own stories and
mirrors the effort necessary to create art that comes from deep emotions as you shoot. It takes great courage to trust what we
within our souls. Sure, we can buy fancy cameras and snap know, to be who we are, and to let go of comparison. I invite
photos here and there. But to dive into our process with absolute you to be gentle with yourself as you begin to peel back the
devotion and commitment is another story. I offer you that layers of inhibition and self-doubt to unveil your unique style.
opportunity here. Commit to following through on a yearlong Stay focused. Keep going despite any distractions, detours, and
adventure. interruptions that may come your way. Keep shooting through all
the messy in-between moments. Let this book be a map to your
Give yourself about four weeks to work through the “Getting heart. Let it be a guide to sink a little deeper into your life, to
Started” section, taking about a week to study each topic. Then look a little closer through your lens, and to get more in tune with
you will have 44 photography exercises to explore at your own the whispers of your soul. I assure you that the practice of
pace. Dedicate about a week for each project. I promise that if shooting continuously, from a soulful place, will make all the
you keep shooting week after week, you and your photography difference in how your images turn out.
will be forever changed. Finally, give yourself another two to four
weeks to spread your wings and learn about sharing, printing, My greatest hope is that by working with the tips and with the
and connecting with other photographers. At that point, you process suggested in this book, you will find a window into your
might just be so excited about your photos that you will want to soul—and also find joy—as you unleash your vision of the world!
keep this project going year after year. If I can do it, then you can do it too. Be brave and have fun!
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1

Chapter
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