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The Camera Shop offers up Facebook Photography Challenge

How to take the perfect pic during a pandemic

MUSKEGON, Mich. — The Camera Shop in Muskegon is offering up a weekly Photography Challenge on Facebook to keep your skills sharp during these crazy times. 

Justin Stubleski shared this information with us:  

So as of late, we are all required to practice "Social Distancing" amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. For those of us who are non-essential workers, we find ourselves at home, operating outside of our normal routine for two weeks and counting. You're desperately trying to forge a new routine. You've cleaned the house 20 times over, you've marathoned all the latest shows on Netflix, Hulu, etc. Now what? For some of us, this time has allowed us time to focus on "self'. For the creative types, it means time spent diving into or trying our hand at our favorite craft. In this time of fear, anxiety and uncertainty we all need a release. Photography is my release. It draws my attention to the beauty of the world around me, drowning out the surrounding noise. It's grounding, meditative, therapeutic, and relaxing.

At the moment The Camera Shop is closed to the public. Our customers don't have direct access to us and that can be frustrating for those who are looking for the tools and knowledge to be creative. So how can we reach, support, and engage with our customers during COVID-19? We've turned to social media and streaming. One of those practices has been a "FB Photo Challenge." Throughout the week I make it a point to create a video that challenges our Facebook fans to get creative with photography. I pose a challenge, encourage people to pick up their cameras, capture it, then share it with the rest of their shutterbug peers here in West Michigan.

The Black & White Monochrome Challenge

When most of us create photographs today we are capturing & creating our images in color. Prior to the 1970s, the only photographs collected or exhibited were in Black & White. That largely changed in part to Eastman Kodak producing Kodachrome color film in 1935. To pay homage to photography's B&W past your challenge is to create compelling B&W/Monochromatic photographs. Shooting in B&W will force you to focus on your subject because you're removing the context, impact and distraction of color. It'll help you see: light, emotion, composition, shape, form, pattern, texture, in ways you hadn't seen them before.

Instructions:

1. Grab your camera and change your settings to capture images in B&W/Monochromatic. Every camera is different, so make sure to refer to your manual or camera's user guide.

2. Go for a walk. It can be your favorite place to take a stroll, hike, or your drive to work everyday.

3. Shoot what catches your eye. Be patient. Let the world speak to you.

4. Share your images with us on our Facebook/Instagram page @camerashopmuskegon #camerashopmuskegon.

Tips for shooting B&W photographs:

1) Inspiration - Research "Black & White Photography" If you like to shoot landscapes, search for Black & White Landscape Photography, Portraits, Black and White Portraiture, or search "Famous B&W Photographers". Some of my personal favorites are: Ansel Adams, Henri Cartier Bresson, Richard Avedon, & Robert Frank.

2) Contrast & Tones - Contrast in the difference between light & dark in an image. High contrast images will have really bright whites and dark blacks. A bright sunny day is a perfect day to create high contrast images and are perfect for capturing texture. Low contrast images will have a narrow range of tones. They will feel flat, dull, and may look muddy. An overcast or cloudy day will produce low contrast images. Tone - describes the brightness, darkness, and measure of gray that appear in your image. A darker toned image can appear more mysterious or ominous where a lighter toned image can have the opposite effect, happy and enlightening.

3) Shape/Pattern/Texture - Our minds are naturally drawn to shapes and patterns. With a lack of color, we are left to break down an image to its simplest form using shape to determine what exactly we're looking at. Look at what you're shooting visualizing basic shapes. The best way to capture shape is through silhouettes. Patterns - our minds love to visualize, complete or break them. Look for patterns and repetition in what you're shooting. Stairs on a boardwalk, a row of cattails, pylons in the water. There are no shortage of patterns both man made and naturally occurring in nature. And finally, texture. Where shape allows us to distinguish what we are looking at in the image, texture allows us to feel what we are looking at. Not just physically but also emotionally.

4) Composition - As always, composition is key. Composition is the arrangement of visual elements within your image that aid your viewer in interrupting and perceiving your photograph. ie: patterns, texture, symmetry, asymmetry, depth of field, lines, curves, frames, contrast, color, viewpoint, depth, negative space, filled space, foreground, background, visual tension, shapes.

5) Emotion - Finally emotion. Take into account all the aforementioned elements and make the viewer feel your photograph steer their emotions. make them feel happy, lonely, anxious, etc.

The store is  still able to handle camera sales over the phone Monday - Friday 10AM to 2PM 231.733.1286. Justin is also able to do virtual camera coachings with customers well into the evening. Just need to reach out to sales@camerashopmuskegon.com or call the store between the aforementioned hours. 

The Camera Shop of Muskegon
2634 Henry St
Muskegon, MI 49441
Phone: 231.733.1286

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