Every year since September 11, 2001, Pepperdine University places
hundreds of flags on their lawn in Malibu, California to honor the lives lost
on that day as well as those who have fallen since. It is an awesome spectacle
to see. Sprinkled throughout the American Flags are other flags from around the
world.
Last year, I took over a hundred photos trying to capture the
flags in the wind. I put the camera setting on “burst” or “continuous,” which
allowed me to press the shutter and take several pictures in succession in
seconds. This is a valuable feature when you don’t want to miss a moment or
make sure you get the shot of flags waving in the wind, or waves crashing on
the beach. As long as you hold down the shutter, the camera will take
continuous pictures.
I chose this picture for several reasons, but mostly because there
are no people in it. Many come to pay their respects or to take their own
pictures. It’s difficult to include all of the rows of flags without also
including other people walking through the picture which is why I took this
picture sitting down looking up at the flags in the sky. Not only is it a
striking angle, but I accomplished my goal of focusing solely on the flags.
It can be intimidating seeing other photographers with all of
their “professional” gear – large camera bags to carry their large cameras,
long lenses, and special covers and filters for their lenses. But, I don’t let
that deter me from taking my own pictures with a small handheld camera, like a
Canon Power Shot, that can be carried in a purse or pocket and neither should
you. Remember, it’s not the camera; it’s the photographer who takes the
pictures! You control the frame, the light, and the angle of your subject for
the image you want to create.
(This is the complete story from, Moments in Time Captured Forever; You Don't Need a Good Camera to Take Good Pictures.)
