Photography is an art.Those who do it well are artists.

But not everyone who cradles a camera becomes a good photographer and no one person knows everything there is to know about photography. The majority of the population on our planet owns at least one camera and I dare say that 90% of them are clueless on how to compose a picture pleasing to the eye.

My knowledge about photography stems from trial and error, chat sessions with the pros, and many hours of reading about photography.

Our modern camera systems have all the automatic gadgetry to make life easy for the photographer. But for all the bells and whistles and sophisticated technology, a camera cannot compose the image in front of the lens into a work of art. Art must originate from the human brain. That’s why no two photographers will create a photo of the same likeness.

The basic rules of composition that follow are guidelines and are meant to be stepping stones. With a little bit of practice and honing of the skills, you will become a better photographer, possibly a great one.

We will discuss two of the basic rules in photographic composition.

1. Fill the frame with a clear description of the central point of interest. Get in as close as possible and frame only the central point of interest. Eliminate any distracting images in the scene that are not pleasing to the eye.
2. Practice The Rule of Thirds. Mentally divide the frame in thirds both horizontally and vertically. The central point of interest being photographed should be placed either one third across or one third up or down the picture, or where the lines intersect.

Q: What’s with the black dots that appear in the same spot on all my digital images?

A: Chances are, they are dust particles on the camera’s CCD sensor. The electrically charged CCD radiates static energy and the dust adheres to the sensor.

Prevention

• Always turn the power off on the camera before changing lenses.
• Always change lenses in a clean windless environment. Use extreme caution when changing lenses on a boat or beach. Sea spray and sand are extremely hazardous to the electronics of your camera when the lens is removed.
• When using your camera in dusty, windy conditions, always cover the camera between shots. Keep it covered as much as possible.

• Most camera manuals have instructions on how to clean the CCD. Follow the instructions to the letter!
• Visit the web. There are many sites with good ideas on materials and instructions on cleaning sensors.
• Cleaning a sensor is a delicate operation. If you are not skilled with working with your hands, send the camera into the factory or repair center for professional help.
• If you don’t want the hassle of cleaning the sensor, use Photoshop to eliminate the spots from your pictures. However, this is a hassle and is not a really good solution. GET THE SENSOR CLEANED AND KEEP IT CLEANED.

Underwater Photo Weekend -- October 12 - 16
$900 (Airfare not included)

Want to learn but. . .Don’t have a week to spare for the Underwater Imaging Academy? Don’t want to sit in a room listening to some guy talk about imaging while the whale sharks are cruising in the Bay? Then the Underwater Photo Weekend is for you!

We put together a long 5-day weekend with the focus on underwater imaging. While it’s always special in La Paz, this weekend will be even more so! Dive with the pros: Donald Tipton, Joe Liburdi and Evan Sherman, our staff experts at film, digital still and video. Ask questions, get personal help and attention. All relaxed and informal. No classroom sessions. Just a lot of time together to ask questions and learn. You will dive three dives a day and take pictures and more pictures. And in between dives you and our pros will discuss technique, they’ll give pointers, help with your equipment, and be there for you. What a great way to learn! We’re so glad you asked for it!

Please see our website: www.JoeLiburdi.com for details on La Paz, Baja California, Mexico, diving with the Cortez Club, accommodations at the Fiesta Inn, the dive sites, included extras, etc. Call for information: 949-448-0499 Or e-mail: orca2@cox.net

We are leaving for La Paz September 21 and can accept reservations and payment only until September 18th. If you are interested, don’t delay!

When traveling with your cell phone, try to never let your battery get down to less than half charged. If you are trying to troubleshoot a problem using the phone in a local country, you don’t want the battery to die while you are problem solving. Today’s batteries won’t last forever. Lithium-ion batteries, found in most of the new cell phones, might last 2-3 years depending on use and charge cycles. If your phone's battery life is short, you might want to consider replacing the battery or even the cell phone as newer cell phones tend to be more battery efficient.

One sure way to run down your battery fast is to forget to turn it off once you are temporarily away from a service area – like on a boat ride out to a dive site. Battery consumption increases dramatically as the cell phone attempts repeatedly to try to find a cell station it can communicate with.

Make sure your charger will operate on foreign voltage – the charger should be a multi-voltage charger and say something like 100-240V, 50-60Hz. If the charger only says 100-125V 60Hz or something similar, you should consider a charger that supports multi-voltages.

You might also like to consider an emergency battery charger. This small device will transfer enough charge from replaceable AAA batteries into your cell phone's battery to get you through until you can return the cell phone to its normal charger.

One accessory that you might find necessary is a headset. Some foreign countries make it illegal to use a cell phone while driving unless you are using a hands-free headset. So if you are planning to do some sightseeing during your dive trip, make sure you bring a small headset along.

If you have questions about communicating while traveling, feel free to email craig at craig@oberlin.us

New this month! Joe's own Fuji S2Pro

Plus! Rare regulators.