Please Note: All of the six links from the new Tutorial Index Page currently come to this one page. This is the original tutorial, but does contain some useful initial tips for you.

Six new pages are being prepared for this section. If you would like to be notified when the new pages are complete, please e-mail me (see link at foot of this page). Thanks for your patience.

Have you ever been in an interesting or magnificent place, or experienced a special quality of beauty or interest on your regular path, and tried to capture that feeling or the essence of the visual experience? Have you later looked at the photograph you took and felt disappointed that it did not show what you were really trying to capture?

This part of the James Gordon site and aims to help you "bring home" the essence of an experience via your camera. The fact that you see an opportunity to capture a feeling when you are there at the time, and your ability to recognize that the picture does not do it justice, means that you do have a sense of what you are trying to convey.

Combine that "sense of picture" with the tips, techniques and ways of viewing situations and subjects you will find here, and your pictures will start saying something.

Thes tutorials will not cover all the technicalities of cameras, film and picture taking, except where it is essential to understand how this affects the process of getting the picture that says what you want it to say.

Do I need and expensive camera? - No, just a good eye.
A camera that lets you adjust focus, exposure, and zoom will help you if you know what you are doing, but not if you don't. I have taken some great pictures on a cheap disposable camera.

Is it best to take pictures in the middle of the day?
Usually not. That is the most predictable, and the lighting is too harsh. The contrasts will cause you to lose details in the shadows and highlights.

Why do my pictures always look busy? Probably because they are. Most people try to pack everything from a scene into one picture. The result is a busy picture.

Why is there so much sky and why did I cut their feet off?
The eyes should be about one third of the picture from the top. Most inexperienced photographers "look" at the person through the viewfinder, thereby placing the subject's eyes smack dab in the middle of the picture. Result - lots of sky and missing feet. This is always my greatest fear on vacation when I ask a stranger to take a photograph of my wife and myself.

Why does the airplane/boat/racecar/waterskier look so small in the picture?
Because it is! When we look at a scene, our eyes tend to narrow in on a subject we find interesting. When we combine that with a moving subject, we see it clearly, even though it is quite small. Our eyes and brain filter out all the surrounding area. However, when we take a photograph, the camera does not do this. Then when we look at the photograph, we see only a speck against the sky, or a small subject in a busy scene. Unless you have a powerful zoom lens, put the camera down and simply enjoy the scene.

So, where do I start?

Here is a growing list of tips. For this first version, we will start with two fundamental considerations.

1. Before you take each picture, ask yourself, "What am I trying to say with this picture?" When you answer that question, you are ready to take the picture.
2. As you look through the viewfinder, relax your eye and look at everything in the viewfinder, not just the subject. If there is anything there that does not contribute to what you are trying to say with the picture, eliminate it by moving closer or changing your viewpoint. If it still does not work, maybe take a snap for the record, but don't expect a picture worthy of showing people when you return from your trip.
3. Take several pictures of the exact same subject, from different angles. Then be ruthless. When you see your prints, unless they convey the picture you were trying to capture, toss them. Keep only the ones that really capture the essence. And please do this before you show your friends your vacation snaps. I now show people only about 5% of the pictures I take, and they are grateful for this!

Look at the above picture. There are only two real elements - the tree (and its leaves) and the shed. The picture says, "Look at how the autumn leaves from this tree have fallen and added color to this rustic old shed. It is about the contrast between the color of the leaves, and the lack of color in the shed. The strip of green grass simply serves to emphasize the color of the leaves.

Watch this space! Over the months ahead, we will include more tips and analyze some of the pictures from the James Gordon Gallery.