OTTAWA PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER TEACHER STUDIO / OTTAWA OLD PHOTO RESTORATION/ OTTAWA KIDS CHILDREN FAIRY DRESS PICTURES PHOTOGRAPHS/ OTTAWA DARKROOM BLACK AND WHITE FILM PHOTOGRAPHER

JANARY 2026

“HAPPY NEW YEAR TO  ALL OF YOU”  !!!

HELLO LADIES & GENTLEMEN:

I WAS RECENTLY IN CONVERSATION WITH A NOVICE PHOTOGRAPHER WHO SEEMED SLIGHTLY APPREHENSIVE ABOUT ALLOWING ANOTHER PERSON TO ACCOMPANY HIM WHEN HE WAS CREATING IMAGERY OF OUR NATURAL ENVIRONMENT. I WOULD LIKE TO REFLECT ON BRINGING A FRIEND OR TWO WITH YOU WHEN YOU ARE OUT CREATING IMAGERY PARTICULARY AS A BEGINNER PHOTOGRAPHER.

IT HAS BEEN MY EXPERIENCE WHEN PROVIDING INSTRUCTION TO PEOPLE IN MY NATURE FIELDTRIPS, THAT THE SUGGESTIONS OF OTHERS PERTAINING TO COMPOSITION, STUDYING THE ANGLE OF LIGHT, WHICH LENS TO USE ETC CAN BENEFIT YOU IF YOU ARE OPEN TO RECEIVING VARIOUS OPINIONS.  AT TIMES, IT CAN SEEM LIKE SUCH A PERSONAL THING WHEN COMPOSING AN IMAGE IN YOUR CAMERA, AND THAT YOU MIGHT NOT WANT ANY FEEDBACK AT ALL FROM ASSOCIATES.  MY OPINION ON THIS IS TO ALWAYS BE OPEN TO THE ADVICE OF OTHERS; VERIFY AND CONSIDER THEIR INFORMATION AND PROCEED IF YOU FEEL IT MAY BE HELPFUL TO YOU.  WE ARE ALL SO HEAVILY INFLUENCED BY THE ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF VISUAL STIMULATION WE RECEIVE DAILY BUT ALLOWING ANOTHERS INTERPRETAION OF A SCENE MIGHT SPARK A NEW BEGINNING FOR YOU.

THIS THOUGHT PROCESS IS NOT ONLY PERTAINING TO LANDSCAPE AND NATURE PHOTOGRAPHERS, BUT STUDIO PHOTOGRAPHERS AS WELL.  THIS IS WHY COURSES FROM PHOTOGRAPHERS CAN BE EYE OPENING EXPERIENCES ON YOUR BEHALF. THEIR YEARS OF KNOWLEDGE, PRACTICALITY AND UNDENIABLE RESULTS ARE SOMETHING TO BE ADMIRED AND TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION. ANOTHER THING I WOULD SUGGEST TO YOU IS TO BECOME A MEMBER OF A LOCAL CAMERA CLUB. I DID THIS IN THE 70’S AND IT WAS AMAZING AT THE QUANTITY OF INFORMATION THIS GROUP AMASSED AND WAS MORE THAN HAPPY TO SHARE.  I THINK YOU WILL FIND THAT NUMEROUS PEOPLE AFFILIATED IN GROUPS OF THIS TYPE REALLY WELCOME THE CHANCE TO TALK ONE ON ONE WITH YOU, SAVING YOU MONTHS OF TRIAL AND ERROR. ASIDE FROM THAT, IT IS A GREAT WAY TO MAKE NEW FRIENDS! 

WHY NOT CONTACT A COUPLE OF YOUR FRIENDS AND SCHEDULE A TIME TO MEET AT A PREDETERMINED PHOTO LOCATION. SET UP FRIENDLY GUIDELINES TO ENSURE THIS OUTING IS NOT ENCOURAGING UNIMPORTANT CONVERSATION UNRELATED TO PHOTOGRAPHY.  MY ATTITUDE WHEN OTHERS ARE PRESENT IS TO ALWAYS “TALK LESS AND LISTEN MORE”!  YOU CANNOT LEARN MUCH FROM OTHERS IF YOU ARE ALWAYS GIVING ADVICE.  WHEN YOUR PHOTO SESSION IS CONCLUDED IF SAY, A MORNING VENTURE, PERHAPS GO TO LUNCH AND TAKE THE TIME TO REVIEW THE DAYS IMAGERY ON THE BACK OF YOUR CAMERA COMPARING NOTES.  SEEING YOUR IMAGE FIRST HAND AND EVALUATING IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS WHO RECORDED THE SAME SCENE WILL OPEN DOORS FOR YOU TO BE SURE. THE IDEA BEHIND THIS IS TO GET YOU THINKING ABOUT OTHER WAYS OF SEEING AND PERHAPS “BREAKING” SOME VISUAL RULES THAT YOU HAVE ADHERED TO OVER THE YEARS.  THIS CAN BECOME AN EXCELLENT FORM OF EDUCATION!  

PEOPLE WHO I HAVE BECOME AFFILIATED WITH OVER THE YEARS SET DATES ON THEIR CALENDAR AND LOCATIONS EACH MONTH TO KEEP THEIR VISUAL SENSE HIGHTENED.  YOUR FRIENDS AT THIS POINT WILL ALSO BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO LEND YOU ONE OF THEIR LENSES DURING THIS OUTDOOR SESSION IF YOU DON’T HAVE THE SAME EQUIPMENT THEY HAVE. THIS WILL INTRODUCE A CONSIDERABLE DIVERSIFICATION OF VISUAL APPEAL THAT YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN WITNESS TO PREVIOUSLY. NATURALLY, YOUR CAMERA BRANDS HAVE TO BE SYNONYMOUS MEANING, NIKON TO NIKON OR CANON TO CANON WHEN IT COMES TIME TO EXCHANGING LENSES IF THESE ARE THE BRANDS OF EQUIPMENT YOU OWN.

 AS ALWAY’S …………IT’S MY PLEASURE TO SHARE HELPFUL SUGGESTIONS TO YOU. MY STUDIO IS HOSTING MANY SPECIALS THIS YEAR SO KINDLY VISIT THE SPECIALS KEY ON MY WEBSITE LISTED BELOW AT YOUR CONVENIENCE.  HAVE A TERRIFIC DAY! 

WITH GOOD WISHES EXTENDED,

JEFF RYAN PHOTOGRAPHY OTTAWA/RYAN STUDIO OTTAWA

www.jeffryan-photography.com

E:MAIL:  fourbyfive4x5@gmail.com