#OTTAWA OLD PHOTO RESTORATION, DANCE STUDIO, ENCHANTED FAIRY PORTRAITS, GRADUATION PHOTOGRAPHY PORTRAITS, MATERNITY, FAMILY KANATA, STITTSVILLE, BARRHAVEN, NEPEAN, MANOTICK

JULY 2025

Welcome back to this informative photography column which will provide the reader with answers pertaining to several topics in photography. Working as a professional photographer and instructor over many years has inevitably led to me being questioned as to how I achieved a particular effect in my photographs, which lens or camera did I use etc. For this and other reasons, is how these articles/blogs, have come to fruition. My goal regarding this column will prove beneficial not only for the novice and advanced amateur photographer, but for numerous individuals in a general sense, who feel they have an appreciation of our visual surroundings but do not fully recognize it. Making reference to the previous statement, it has been my experience that many people’s sense of vision is subdued and has not been allowed to develop to it’s full potential for a variety reasons. I am confident that the reader will be able to expand their sense of vision with a heightened awareness, as they proceed throughout these first hand tutorials.

Several students over the years have expressed an interest in having me release material which was presented during my courses and seminars, whether the instructional program was held in a community centre, my photography studio or in the field. These continuing blogs/articles will feature a wide range of topics ranging from basic camera operation, to proper composition of your subject matter including the interpretation and manipulation of light. The technical aspects of photography will be discussed throughout the column with emphasis placed on “seeing” the natural world and it’s inhabitants around you. Through careful examination of your subject matter, you will enter a world currently unknown to you in this visual photographic journey.

To reflect on our current digital products -(2025) particularly when making reference to image manipulation, I find the majority of my students utilizing the digital medium depend heavily upon photographic software programs to either correct or enhance their imagery. My belief as a photographer, is that you should as a priority, strive to put a well exposed/composed image together initially be it on film or digital file, similarly to the way you wish it to appear in the final print/medium. By learning photographic lighting, exposure methods, and studying composition, you will have immeasurably greater success in predicting your final results. It is my belief that anyone who extensively alters the characteristics of images they record with a digital camera, not to be a photographer. Politely spoken, they are image manipulators/computer people, more so than photographers, and any individual can learn the various tools and other requirements to doctor imagery to an alternate level. While I can unquestionably at times appreciate the need for corrections in imagery, people are depending too heavily upon software devices to produce excellent looking photographs. Retouching has been with us for an extensive period of time and prior to the advent of the computer, airbrushing using dyes and pencils to subtly change the characteristics of the print/negative were employed. More often than not, these applications did not drastically alter the physical characteristics of the finished print if done correctly. With the digital age, the majority of imagery we view is artificially enhanced in most publications, and I often struggle to find talent pertaining to copying a certain area of a print and pasting it elsewhere.

It is my hope that a photographer being either amateur or advanced, leans more towards being a true crafts person, depending less upon these services. It should be obvious that individuals committed to achieving excellence through the artistic medium of hand retouching, are unquestionably not predominant in today’s society. With the advent of the computer, the talents of these people were regrettably dismissed do to cost factors and new developments. I have come to the conclusion after having viewed professional portraits for over forty years, that there is undeniably a difference in both of the before mentioned products. On a positive note, digital retouching cannot be dismissed if accessed to professionally correct flaws that the photographer had little control over at the time of exposure. It is extremely beneficial particularly when heirloom photographs which are cracked or torn require restoration, or when commercial photography applications arise. Here, the computer is very helpful to a large extent, and the client is usually more than satisfied with the finished product. My regret is that people are not giving themselves permission to invest the necessary time required to produce “correct imagery” up front. In my opinion, correct imagery refers to making well thought out compositions, determining the appropriate angle of light, utilizing the correct lens for a particular application etc. This dependency of altering imagery can for the most part, often be avoided at time of exposure. Another advantage of a digital product is the convenience of e-mailing imagery immediately to others which is undeniably convenient in today’s hurried society. On a closing thought, it should not be overlooked that clients who are film purists, have the option of having negatives scanned at high resolution and converted to digital files. These high resolution scans are capable of rendering excellent results in finished photographs. It seems for arguments sake, that both systems be it film or digital, have their plus and minus sides. The final decision is naturally left up to the user. I am still utilizing both products but as mentioned previously, film should not be overlooked for it’s phenomenal quality in this digital age.

Additional topics covered in these blogs will be extensive and include black and white photography including darkroom technique, electronic flash, lens filtration methods, exposure in automatic and manual modes, proper lens selection, depth of field characteristics, tripods and much more as we proceed from month to month. Consider this continuing series of articles to be a course which will provide you with supplemental education in photography at your desk, home, or lap top. As a suggestion, it might be a good idea for you to have these printed pages of text accompany your camera bag when you are in the field producing photographs of nature or people at your discretion. I am a firm believer that education is something that should be exchanged and shared freely between people, and not be held as “guarded secrets”.

I hope that this informative column be an asset in helping you produce stronger well thought out compositions, which reflect your unique vision as a photographer. At the same time, the technical explanations should prove to be informative in helping you resolve difficulties you are currently experiencing with your camera. I will endeavour when preparing this material to keep it clear, concise, and simple so all people especially the novice, will be able to fully comprehend and apply my techniques to their best advantage.

With Good Wishes Extended………Jeff Ryan Photography/Ryan Studio Ottawa.  🙂

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