Computer aided design today gives us sharp, light, and compact zooms that can cover 18-70 or even 18-200. An unfortunate byproduct is that we photographers got a bit lazy. We flick the zoom a bit, get what we (supposedly) want, click and move on.

I’ve been shooting indoor basketball with a 50mm and 85mm lens. The fixed length has forced me really think about what I can and can’t shoot. I must plan where to stand and shoot only when the players are in my "shot zone". It’s been eye opening.

In order to reconnect with the creative process, I suggest the following.

On your next photo outing, use just one focal length. If you have a 50mm lens use it. If not, rubber band your zoom ring at 18 or 35 or 70. Force yourself to best represent your subject with that one focal length. And yes, you’ll have to zoom with your feet !

Ultimately, you’ll learn to "see" better. Do this a few times with different focal lengths. In the end you’ll be able to quickly evaluate your subject and choose the right lens for the shot.

You can also check out this collection on Pbase by Tang. Similar style to Bruce, but it appears there’s more manipulated images from Tang. His stuff looks way cool too.

So, how is this done? First, you have to head over to Pier 1 or your local head shop for some incense. Try a few different ones, but get scents that you like.

Next, you need a room with still air. Shut off the AC or heat; you want to control the puffs of air that create the waves in the smoke. A wave of your hand is enough. A black background and a flash complete the package. (the white background images are negatives. Invert in PS with CTRL-I)

Different colors can be achieved using gels over your flash or by working the image in Photoshop. Levels, Hue / Saturation, Colorize, play with Layer Blending modes; try them all. You’ll be surprised at all that you can do.

Next time you’re cooped up in the house for a day or two, try some smoke photos.

Inspiration from Photo Mags

Articles in photo magazines are a great catalyst for you to try new camera techniques. A subscription to Pop Photo, PC Photo, Outdoor Photographer, Natures Best or any other photo magazine is well worth the small cost. When you’ve read the issue, rip out the articles that interest you and file them in manila folders. Your local library is another source for photo mags you may not see on the bookstore shelves. They frown upon people ripping up their magazines. Just make copies of what you need.

A number of magazine publishers post popular articles on their websites in PDF format. Downloading these files may save you from cutting up your own magazines. Look in the Table of Contents or Advertiser Info pages of your magazine to find their website.

Online Swiping

The Internet can be a great resource also. Digital photography websites like this one are quite prevalent. You can bookmark websites and individual articles to return to later. Printing out articles will let you access the information without having to be online. Visit the TeachMeToShoot Links Page for a list of many of these resources.

Using one of the online bookmarking services will let you access sites you’re interested in from any computer. You can get a free account at Yahoo, Google, del.icio.us, StumbleUpon, and many other sites. All your links are stored at the online service and are accessible through any computer and web browser. Also check out Google Notebook as it lets you store and categorize pages of info.

Using one or all of the methods here, your swipe file will soon be full of ideas and inspiration. You’ll find it to be a great resource for the future.

Both places give you information about your digital camera so that you feel more comfortable using it. Different camera techniques are discussed so that you can expand your knowledge and shoot pictures differently than you usually do. Lastly, ideas for shooting a series of pictures are given. Today it’s Letters of The Alphabet.

Self assignments are a great way for you to jump out of the rut. Read the Letters of The Alphabet article over on the website and give it a try. It will only take 26 days and you’ll wind up with a collection of cool photos. You could even put together a book at the end of your project.

Speaking of books, MyPublisher is running a promo right now where you can get 2 books printed for the price of one. Has to be the same book; you pay for one copy and they print another for free. Check out the MyPublisher website for details and click the big red dot.