Beyond Phototips

Hi there,

Beyond Phototips has been around in it’s current avatar for almost a year now, and things have been wonderful. Thank you for making it such a happy place

However, I have a problem right now. There are so many things to write about, and I’m not quite sure what would be appropriate for you, the regular Beyond Phototips reader. Right now its a bit like having a one sided conversation.

To help the ‘conversations’ on the site itself happen with a bit more ease, I’ve installed a “Top Commentors” plugin. Hopefully that will help identify the regulars and encourage conversations amongst you.

To help me write more appropriate content for you, I’m asking 7 quick questions. The poll is completely anonymous, but will help improve the quality of content you see here.

BTW, I know these “call to action” posts don’t usually do very well, but think of it as a small investment in your reading habits. It should take you no more than 30 seconds to finish off. I tried it. I know.

I’ll summarise the results in a post once we have enough data. Please do answer all the questions.

Thank you for your time. If you’d like to, do leave a comment to elaborate on any thoughts that you have on how we can improve the site. You could also use the Contact Us page for a longer, more private discussion. They’re all appreciated a great deal.

BTW, do check out the last post and the comments if you missed them: Why You Should ‘Always’ use an Ultra Violet filter on your lens? Especially if you’re a photography newbie.

If this is your first time here, why don’t you subscribe to the feed? It’ll always keep you updated with Beyond Photography content for free!

Yes, its been a month since the last poll, where you answered the question “How often do you take photographs?” The response was better than I’d hoped! Unfortunately, a tonne of work and a short holiday in the hills have kept me from following it up…

This time we ask you, What do you photograph most often?

Is it your family? Or is it something else? Do you use photography as part of a different passion such as documenting your unique collection of moths?

Do you have a unique area of interest in photography itself? If so, do add it to the poll, we’d love to know what you do with your camera. Drop in a link to some of the photographs that are dearest to you in the comments (No spam, please – I’ll make sure the links are relevant and appropriate). You could also give us some reasons why your attention is drawn to a particular kind of photography!

EDIT: Shikha Pointed out that I’d left out some important categories. I’ve added them in. Do take another peek.

Last week, I started something new on Beyond Phototips, and 78 people (actually 79, but somebody accidentally entered an empty custom field) took part! Here’s the actual poll.

I got to put together a nice pie chart before doing a rough analysis of the results!

Now for the Deconstruction:

Every Day	15
Every Week	33
Every Week-End	4
From Time-To-Time	15
When there’s a family event	1
When I Find My Camera	1
10,000 images per year	3
Whenever I Travel	1
When I See Something Interesting	4
100/day	1

This is how the numbers looked at the end of the week, with most photographers taking pictures every week [33 of them! / 42%]. The second group was a tie… 15 [19%] each shot every day, and “from time-to-time”.

What is interesting is that there are some people out there who shoot up to 100 pictures a day. Eric, commented that though he’d put down that he shot over 10,000 images a year, it does not say much for the quality of pictures.

I’d like to briefly mention that with each photograph that you take, if you analyse your composition, the light available, and your exposure (think of those three to start with) and think of ways to improve your reaction to that situation, you’ll always end up with better photographs at the end of those 10,000 and a year…

Cheers to all of you who took part! Do look for the next poll, coming this Friday!

Photo: David Fisher

Hi There…

Welcome to something new that we’re trying, here on Beyond Phototips! A reader opinion poll. This is all about what you, the reader, think about photography.

Some times, people forget that photography is about actually “taking” photographs. It does not happen very often, now that you don’t have to go out to the store to “buy” film, but it still does happen. At some time or the other we tend to get obsessed with technique, gear, what others are doing in the world of photography; and we miss out on actually taking some of these ourselves.

We’re all guilty of this crime at some time or the other; just to different extents.

At which end of the scale are you?

n

The poll will be open for a week, so do stop by and let us know what your shooting schedule is.