OTTAWA GRADS/GRADUATION PHOTOGRAPHY/ OTTAWA FAIRY PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER/OTTAWA NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY FIELDTRIP/OTTAWA MODEL PORTFOLIOS/ OTTAWA OLD PHOTO RESTORATIONS/ FIVE STAR PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIO JEFF RYAN PHOTOGRAPHER

APRIL 2025

HELLO LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:

“A CASE OF BEING WELL PREPARED” ?

AS A PHOTOGRAPHER….. WE ARE ALL PRETTY SIMILAR MEANING, WE  VERY MUCH LOOK FORWARD TO THE ARRIVAL OF SPRING!   DURING THE CLOSING WINTER MONTHS, I BEGAN MAKING A LIST OF AREAS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO CREATE IMAGERY AT. THIS LIST INCLUDED A CHECK LIST OF THE GEAR I WOULD BE BRINGING WITH ME TO THE VARIOUS LOCATIONS AS WELL.  FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO MIGHT NOT BE AWARE OF MY BACKGROUND; I AM A FILM AND DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHER.  BEING A FILM PHOTOGRAPHER OF 40 YEARS MEANS MY CAMERAS OFTEN DO NOT HAVE BATTERIES IN THEM TO CONTROL THE SHUTTER AND TAKE LIGHT METER READINGS. I HAVE FREQUENTLY DEPENDED UPON HAND HELD LIGHT METERS TO CALIBRATE EXPOSURE AND  ASIDE FROM THAT, I HAVE OCCASIONALLY FORGOT A LIGHT METER AT HOME AND HAD TO  MAKE EXPOSURES BASED UPON MY BACKGROUND EXPERIENCE OF SEVERAL YEARS. SURPRISINGLY, THE MAJORITY OF EXPOSURES THAT WERE NOT METERED TURNED OUT TO BE SUCCESSES IN THEIR OWN WAY ONCE YOU GET THE KNACK OF IT.  

*ON AN OUTING OF LAST YEAR, I TRAVELLED TO A LOCATION IN THE CITY THAT WAS PRODUCING A GORGEOUS DISPLAY OF FLOWERS WORTH RECORDING. ONCE ARRIVING, I UNPACKED MY CAMERA EQUIPMENT, FASTENED MY CAMERA ON THE TRIPOD AND BEGAN COMPOSING IMAGERY. THIS PARTICULAR FILM CAMERA “DID” REQUIRE A SPECIALIZED BATTERY TO TAKE LIGHT METER READINGS AND TRIP THE SHUTTER.   **AS RECOMMENDED BY CAMERA MANUFACTURES, A GOOD HABIT TO GET INTO IS TO REMOVE THE BATTERY FROM YOUR CAMERA SHOULD YOU NOT BE USING IT FOR AWHILE. THE REASON BEING BEHIND THIS THINKING IS THAT BATTERIES HAVE OFTEN LEAKED, CONTAMINATING THE BATTERY CHAMBER AND IN ADDITION, MANY CAMERAS DRAIN THE BATTERY EVEN WHEN THE CAMERA IS NOT BEING USED.  THIS DRAINING OF THE BATTERY IS COMPARABLE TO A SLIGHT TRICKLE CHARGE CAUSING THE BATTERY TO DIMINISH VERY SLOWLY.   AS  AN  UNWELCOME SURPRISE TO ME, I HAD REMOVED THE BATTERY FROM THE CAMERA I WAS ABOUT TO USE WISHING TO PLACE IT IN PROPER STORAGE AND UNFORTUNATELY LEFT IT AT HOME.   A CASE OF BEING WELL

PREPARED !  I HAVE NOW ADDED SEVERAL THINGS TO MY CHECK LIST WHICH IS VERY THOROUGH.  UPON PREPARATION FOR AN OUTING, LAYING ALL OF MY PIECES OF EQUIPMENT ON THE FLOOR AND ITEMIZING EACH ONE AS I LOAD MY CAMERA BAG HAS ASSURED ME OF A 100% SUCCESS RATE!   WITH SO MANY DISTRACTIONS AVAILABLE TO US TODAY, HAVING A PEN AND PAPER IN HAND IS FULL PROOF WHILE CHECKING OFF YOUR GEAR.

I HOPE THIS “FIRST HAND” ADVICE WILL HELP YOU ALONG ON YOUR PHOTOGRAPHIC JOURNEY MAKING IT  A VERY PLEASANT EXPERIENCE!

WITH GOOD WISHES EXTENDED,

JEFF RYAN PHOTOGRAPHY/RYAN STUDIO

www.jeffryan-photography.com