Photographs To Make Us Better

Posted byGary FultzPosted inabundant life, accomplishment, adventure, birds, creative, creative process, discipline, dreamer, expectations, Faith, Gary Fultz, Gary Fultz Blog, goals, God in Nature, intentional, Know God, likes, Nature, nature pictures, outdoor adventure, outdoor scenery, outdoor spiritual truths, perspective, Photography, picture truths, quality of life, social networking, spiritual concepts, Spiritual Perspective, Spiritual picture Truths, Sunset picturesTags:, , , , , , ,

Armed with a point and shoot pocket camera, I was able to get quite a few good pictures to keep in our vacation album. I also wanted some images to use for discussion starters for both of my blogs. I also have a spiritual blog called Gods Ways are Different). Below is a gallery of nature pictures followed by 10 tips for creating useable images. I like to think a good picture can start a good conversation. Click on any picture to enlarge or begin a slide show in your browser.

  1. Find a way to stabilize the camera…no shake for a clear picture
  2. Camera angle…change angles for the same picture. many of these pictures were taken with the camera 4 inches from the ground. This also allowed my pinkie finger to hold the camera still in the sand (shell and wave pictures).
  3. Make sure you get the desired lighting by putting the camera sensor on the brightest part of the picture and then moving it until the picture has the most color and desired lighting.
  4. Use your telephoto to frame what you want in the picture.
  5. Know why you are taking the picture. Adding too many ingredients makes every picture a “landscape” picture unless these ingredients add to the main character(s) of the picture.
  6. Take several pictures of the same thing…one will stand out later.
  7. Edit ruthlessly later or you might be using good but not great pictures in your blog later. Most people only think they don’t care. Your readers love to be pleasantly surprised with gems that add to your words.
  8. Good pictures will add painless details to your words. This allows a post to say more with less words. Have a reason to press the shutter button.
  9. Stay away from too much editing, especially over-enhancing color. I personally dislike ai pictures that could have been physically taken with a little extra work.
  10. Use the “gallery” feature when creating your blog if you want people to click on a picture (in their browser) to see the picture title as well as have each picture be a stand-alone picture with its own “like” feature

When I shot this picture of a broken washed-up seashell, I was immediately reminded of so many times when I have felt broken, alone and without a chance of any significance (in my mind). This is a picture of hope, a broken shell holding, reflecting and emanating the light of the world. What a world we could be, even in our brokenness.

Gary

Published by Gary Fultz

Outdoors Man, Hunter, Fisherman, Guide, Writer / Author, Photographer, Public Speaker, Musician, Song Writer, Story Teller, Follower Of Jesus. Love God and family and total strangers

59 thoughts on “Photographs To Make Us Better”

      1. Thank you for another batch of beautiful photographs and such detailed advice, Gary. Though I love to click lots of photos myself, I never thought so deeply on the how’s, why’s and uses for them.

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  3. Great advice and spectacular pictures, Gary. My favorite is the sunset with the silhouetted seagulls in the foreground. Digital cameras are the best! You can snap one pic after another and not worry about changing film-or paying for it! 🙂

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    1. Ah, you relate Erroll. Yes, one must be careful when taking a walk with the Lord on the beach with the prayer to be shown something…All those shells washing up and eventually turning to sand…To grasp God’s brilliant rescue (pun intended) is to know the hope God orchestrated. The sun…The Son.

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  11. Wow! I think this may be my all-time favorite collection of your photos! I do like the subject matter! The broken shell photo is amazing, and yes, it is symbolic. What a grand composite of photos. Really good!!! Thank you for sharing your camera tips!

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    1. Thanks Linda. I know the subject matter is close to your heart. I had to experiment a lot with lighting as it’s so different than the snow scenes where we live this time of year. Cameras should come with “beach settings” and “Snow settings” as they are different.

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    1. Ah that key word “stop”. That is the hardest part. Just to pause and notice…really notice. That works well in photography, marriage and even reading others blogs…such a key word. Thanks Jennifer.

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  14. Gary, these are phenomenal! Your wisdom and words always help me, dear friend! How do I choose a favorite? You’re gifted my friend! I’m so happy for the time you’ve all had together. God is so good, Gary. Your last paragraph and picture speak to my heart too. Much love and prayers to my Fultz family!

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  16. Gary, I so enjoy your posts. I especially like “Know why you are taking the picture.” I think I often know, but next time I click, I’ll reflect a bit more on the why. #6 and #7 are good ones, too. (They all are actually!). I take lots of shots of the same thing – and delete many of them later. I spend a lot of time trying to put the best ones in my blog posts – with minimal editing, mostly cropping. I also include more pictures than readers need, but part of my reason for blogging is to capture the memories for me. I haven’t used the “gallery” feature yet, but I will keep it in mind. I like how it, as you point out, allows each picture to be a stand alone. Your pictures are absolutely beautiful. I’m actually more interested in writing – but I want to enhance my writing with pictures. Thanks for your post and these tips! I feel inspired to step it up a notch with my photos!

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    1. Thank you, Betty. You are so encouraging. You do quite well with your pictures. I really do like the interplay of writing and pictures woven together. Sometimes I just like the pictures to do most of the talking while the words add the frame. I think my little point and shoot camera is similar to yours. I have the canon SX 740 hs

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    1. Thanks Alicia. there are so many natural illustrations of life in nature to be noticed. we went to Gulf Shores Alabama. the beach sand there is great. winter beach activity is at a minimum as temps dip now and then. great for us coming out of real cold weather.

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    1. Thanks Dwight. The little camera does well on the beach. I didn’t want to expose my big camera to the saltwater…We are taking our time going back to Minnesota…I think I will let the next -30 cold spell pass first.

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    2. wow, cold for NC. We are in ky just above Nashville. About same temps as yours. Predicting a foot of snow here. That will be fun if it happens. Not for the locals though. We have friends keeping our mn driveway accessible with snow blowers and a plow. We are going back when it warms up to 20 in mn. Only 40 degrees to go.

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  21. I’m impressed with the quality of your point and shoot photos. They’re just so beautiful. And I agree wholeheartedly about not liking over-edited pictures. I try to use straight out of the camera shots, but sometimes resort to some edits because I’m just an amateur photographer. Anyway, you gave some great advice on taking pictures here too. Thanks! And don’t hurry back to those cold temps at your home.

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    1. I do like your traveling pictures! You document your travels well.

      Where my little point and shoot falls short is in the woods where the automatic focus gets distracted by tree branches. It doesn’t have the depth of field I would like. I also need a hardshell case or my wilderness ventures are really hard on the camera. Other then that I’m very happy with it. It’s great for people photos. I just like to be able to put it in my pocket…My nice SLR camera is just bulky but so nice for getting the shots I want. Saying all that, I also am an amateur but at least armed with a couple cameras that make me look good after learning how to use many of the features. Meanwhile just hanging out in Kentucky till the weather moderates. It looks like the snow will find us here end of week.

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      1. I so have a little point and shoot camera and I’m thinking I need to get it out and use it once again. I abandoned it when I got my DSLR but like you, I do find that one bulky and not conducive for certain circumstances.

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  22. You are clearly an accomplished photographer, as well as a man of God, Gary. Unfortunately, too often these days the very people who long for stunning photos to post on social media lack the patience to take them.

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    1. Thank You for the encouragement, Anna. I guess I do know about patience and impatience. When I get in a hurry the first thing I do is find a way to cut a corner. I enjoy photography and my relationship with the Lord too much (fishing also) to cut those kinds of corners…Now that I think of it, I would rather take pictures than put out a blog

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