I had goals for myself when I joined the Palmerton Camera Club 10 years ago. One was to learn and improve my photography. I was eager to be around photographers and learn from them while learning about my camera and ultimately, learning about myself as a photographer. I can’t begin to list all the things that I have learned, of course, but there are some things have really helped me with becoming a better photographer.

Unfortunately, I have missed some wonderful opportunities to get some great shots because I did not have my camera with me. For instance, the other night I was on the deck reading and looked up when I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye and not 15 feet away from me, a gray fox was wandering past my deck with its nose to the ground. When I moved, it jerked its head up and stared and ran.

Darn … if only I was on the deck with my camera! After mentally kicking myself, I promised myself to have the camera with me next time because I just never know when an opportunity will present itself. I promised myself I would be ready “next time.” I have missed too many chances. A cellphone may be the only camera I have on hand, and I was told many years ago … the best camera to use is the one you have with you!

Years ago, I told a friend I am not a people photographer. Then something happened. I was at an event and started pointing my camera at people and photographing them. Suddenly, I found that I actually enjoyed it. And I found that the candid shots were much more interesting than posed or staged images.

When photographing my grandchildren, the unplanned photographs are more genuine and natural images. The forced smiles and uncomfortable body language don’t give me the photograph I want to capture. When they don’t know I am photographing them, I get the images I am after.

I am not fond of people in my personal space, and the best way to make me uncomfortable is to point a camera at me, so I understand how others feel about being photographed. So I just use the zoom lens, and most of the time, they aren’t aware that I even took a shot!

I am always climbing up something or under something or lying on the ground to gain a new perspective for my photographs. Even mundane things can look drastically different when taken from a unique angle. By using a low or high location, or objects and angles I guide the eye of the viewer and create interest in the images I capture.

Leading lines can be easy to find … roads, bridges, tree lines, buildings and rivers are some of the most commonly used objects for creating leading lines in photography.

“Auto” is not a four-lettered word! There is nothing wrong with shooting in auto. And, for those “once-in-a-lifetime” moments, I will switch to auto if I am unsure about lighting. I remember the day I took the camera off auto and shot some flowers. I was so surprised that I could do this. Stepping outside of my comfort zone and stopping using the auto feature was one of the best things I have ever done as a photographer.

Several times over the years I have told my husband, “Don’t rush me.” Rushing the shots just leads to frustration and my images just end up being snapshots. It’s tough to slow down when I am with family or traveling. In order to get the best results, l need to slow down, have patience and take my time … but that is not always easy to do.

My solution is to take some time and get out on my own just for the purpose of photography. Without having to worry about my husband getting so fed up he drives off without me, I can focus just on getting some great shots.

I have learned to stay out of my beloved hometown of Jim Thorpe during tourist season. The best time of day to get those interesting shots is 6 a.m. when no one is honking at me, or I am in danger of being run over. I get the coolest shots when no one is around, and I can take my time with coffee in hand to really appreciate the town I have grown to love.

The biggest thing I have learned is I cannot fix a terrible picture with post-processing. It is just not going to happen. So now I am more critical and shoot less.

Some might think if I am shooting less, I am not getting the great shots I am after. I do get the great shots. I am more creative and more thoughtful when composing a photo and checking my settings. I used to click several shots at everything that seemed interesting, and I ended up with doubles and triples of the same image, and that just makes more work during post-processing.

My biggest concern is the great image will be lost in between all the other images. I spend more time getting the shot “right” rather than shooting 18 shots and hoping one is “good.”

I hope to see you on a side street in town one day and if you see me first, be sure to say hi. That is, after you have taken my photograph!

The Palmerton Camera Club meets at the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Palmerton and meets September-June the fourth Thursday of those months at 7:30 p.m. The club is open to all ages and skill levels.

For more information about the club or to join, contact me at naturalist_eec@yahoo.com.