Tourist Photography or “How to not take craptacular photos”

Ok, so being a photographer in my off time (it’s a great destresser) in a tourist trap (second only to NYC in the US prolly) I get to see countless people taking HORRIFIC photographs. This will only increase exponentially when I hit up the inauguration next week. There will be over one million people here taking terrible photos of President-elect Obama getting sworn in. God help my sanity… Nonetheless, hopefully this will help a few of you get a couple of good photos while you’re in town.

Usually when I’m out and about and see tourists photographing other it’s so obvious from their technique that I don’t even need to see the photo to know it’s going to turn out bad. It’ll be one of the tons your kids will see once in a blue moon as they go through the heaps of photos that will inevitably be left to them when you die. They won’t be printed, framed, or even cared for because they’ll look like every other touristy photo ever taken. I’ll try to keep this obvious and simple so that though you may not be Ansel Adams, you won’t be stuck with a photo of your family as a tiny spec next to only half of the leaning tower of Pis… oh wait, that’s the Washington Monument.

People don't need to look into the lense or pose.

1.) Your flash does not matter at 30ft.
Hell, it doesn’t matter at 10ft. When you’re taking a flash photo of someone ot something, be within 3-7ft of the object. Built in flashes just aren’t that powerful and are useless further away. If anything they could either make your photo ok strange with the ground in front of you lit up brighter, or fool your camera into compensating for the natural lighting incorrectly. This means DO NOT STAND WITH AN ACRE BETWEEN YOURSELF AND YOUR KIDS AT SUNSET AND TAKE THEIR PHOTO. It also means that using flash to light up a huge scene is ludicrous. Some things you just can’t take a photo of at night w/o a tripod.
A small piece of me dies inside every time I see someone take a photo of the Washington Monument…at night….with a flash….from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial….half a mile away…

2.) Use your feet, not your zoom.
Walking up to what you’re shooting instead of using zoom will provide you with a much nicer looking photo. Zoom will kill the depth of your photo (literally) and you’ll lose some of the drama. (By the way, if Obama looks like a small dot in your viewfinder he’ll also look like a small dot in your print.)

3.) Use a delay with your tripod at night.
Many people are getting better cameras and learning how to use the very customizable options that come along with them. As such, people are experimenting more. When you use a long exposure be sure to se the camera to a delay timer. Just using a 1-2s delay will kill camera shake from your pressing the shutter. This is important for having a sharper image in the end result.

4.) Rule of Thirds.

Social Dissent in DC

This is an easy concept and very important. This can be violated in amazing photography, but for a beginner it can help improve what would normally be a crap image. No need for me to explain it, they do a great job here.

5.) Large objects should usually be far away.
Want your photo next to the Washington Monument…don’t stand next to it… Get far enough away to a where your subject and the monument are similar sizes. Also, unless you’re doing the “I’m leaning on the monument” photo from a distance, it’s probably good if your subject is leaning on a tree or looking somewhat natural with the monument as the scenery. (Sitting or leaning on a tree is also a good idea.) Just one other thing: Don’t let objects stick out of their heads (No trees, light poles, monuments, etc.).

6.) Respect the monuments and memorials.
Seriously people, have a little respect. Not to say you should enjoy your time being a tourist, but there are times for laughter and carrying on loudly, and there are places for solemn observance. Be respectful, make your parents and grandparents proud of you for once in your life (yeah, they never forgave you for dating that person back in high school and doing that thing that brought all of the embarrassment and shame to your family for generations to come…good time to try to make up for that a small bit).

7.) Don’t just rely on me. There are plenty of great tidbits to be picked up all around the web: Just try here, here, here, here, and here.

(You should note that this post isn’t so much an attempt to be the cure-all to your amateur photography woes, but more of an encouragement for you to improve your awareness in your travels via my tips and more-so via my links. Good luck! Happy shooting!)

Hrmm…Where to drink…

I have respect for beer! Yes, very much so. I enjoy a good brew here and there so I’ve found several bars around the area. I’ve been to some more than others, but they have all been quite enjoyable on average. Here’s a bit of a quick and dirty on several (but not near all…) I’ve enjoyed over the past year and a half…

Old Dominion Brewhouse – This an excellent choice for anyone traveling around the Washington Convention Center. Located in the same building it’s an excellent restaurant/bar with very friendly staff and good brew. While you can choose from a number of standard beers, they also have all of the local Old Dominion brews on tap. I enjoy these very much and recommend them to anyone in the area. The food here is also above par for bar food, especially the seasoned waffle fries. I definitely suggest the wings, burger, or just the fries. You will not be disappointed! Of course, an oft overlooked feature of this bar is the adjoining sushi restaurant next door that you can also order from! What better way to satisfy your raw desires while downing a brew while waiting on the game to start? I do suggest you be wary on Saturdays in the fall though as it’ll be swamped with U of Alabama fans. Then again, if you enjoy college football revelry then you might want to drop in anyway!

Four Provinces of Ireland – A great little Irish pub in Falls Church with a friendly staff and crowd. The Irish food is excellent and the beer flows freely here. I definitely enjoy dropping in after a long day’s work and grabbing a cold one at times. One note to prove its worthiness: Most everyone working here and many of the patrons are directly from Ireland. (Yes Annie, we will go when you visit so you can fall in love…lawd…)

Galaxy Hut – An excellent dive in Arlington for anyone looking for something a bit different. The cartoons on the walls are very entertaining and the arcade tables are excellent entertainment when drinking with boring people. My only beef with this place is that you must go to the bar for beer…one place at the bar…and stand in line. It’s not usually a problem, but a small annoyance nonetheless.

Ragtime – Great bar with very good service. Enjoyable atmosphere with plenty of screens in case you want to catch the post game while you drown your sorrows. Just down the street from the Courthouse Metro.

Summers – This is an official U.S. Soccer bar. They also have plenty of screens for watching the game and usually a fair amount of people watching them. If you’re a soccer fan you should check out the soccer parties, though I never have. Also right around the corner of the Courthouse Metro in Arlington.

People are not intelligent, in general.

So, here we sit, basking in the elevator music that is Starbucks. I’m surfing the web while Bejedecy is making flash cards for the GRE. Since we need an enormous amount if space we’re taking up the limpy table right next to the door. Ahhh….the door…

The door of our illustrious Starbucks here in Falls Church is broken. The spring that shuts it automagically has decided to stop working for now. The good folks here at the ‘bucks have put up a sign on the door describing the situation and asking the patrons to please shut the door upon entering or exiting. Yes, PLEASE SHUT THE DAMN DOOR. Do they? Approx 1 in 3 do.

Why am I angry? Well, there are several levels to my anger. First, it’s obvious when you open the door that there is zero resistance and it therefore must have assistance to shut, lest it be left wide open. Getting past this obviousness is my getting up behind 2/3 of the people who enter to shut the door. This is annoying because Bejedecy is actually working and cannot (I don’t fault her) and I have to not trip over multiple power cords in order to reach the door. Although inconvenient, it does break my concentration every 1-2min. Now, the kicker. This woman is what really made me blog. She stops outside the door for approx. 30sec reading the damn sign. Then walks in and leave the door completely open! Not even a courtesy pull to get it even partially shut. Then she does the same on exit.

Thank you woman, you are the epitome of the lack of intelligence that permeates this nation. I blame you for all of the ill that currently wreaks havoc on our society. Invasions of privacy? Your fault. DHS and TSA’s existence? Your fault. Patriot act? Your fault. Random Metro searches? Your fault. All fear mongering by politicians, police, and other officials in power? YOUR FAULT!

That is all.