help me please

Hey, you're being unnecessarily modest! Just write it autobiographically -- how you do things. I'm pretty sure that some tales of how you got particular shots in a particular way will be worth any amount of 'in theory' writing.

I would suggest that you think of a good photo you have taken and then break down the process you went through to get it. This would give you a number of steps which you can describe in your own friendly style we all know and love

Dave

I think thats the way forward mate.
Just try and breakdown the thought process you went/go through to get THE shot, then have a go at putting into words. You could recount a story of how you got a good shot, from the 1st time the idea came to you through to any prep work and finally getting it in the bag.
Good luck though, writing this has made me realize the job you have on

Hi Shaun

The trend in magazines either seems to focus on what someone did at a sepcific time which applied to that 'specific' situation or gives the the best photo is the one you like approach such as 'if you like rainbows go out after rain' or 'for seals go to....' etc and is fairly non committal.

At a guess I reckon you will do a better job of it once you get through the writers block alcohol is known to help free up the blockages between brain and writing hand

That's why I probably why I got a 2.1 in my degree and not a first

Whilst my photo's are not the greatest my writing is probably worse but here would be my tips

First write done your brief - ie what kind of shots you are referring to, I guess landscapes or studio workand make this an intro to which your main body will explain more in detail.

Secondly write down your preferred approach, times of day lighting, what weather to look at or in studio lighting, backgrounds to use, and refer back to the points in the intro but in more detail effectively reiterating the points made

Thirdly, express a few possible variations then advise them to tailor what they do to the specific situation with a few tips then

Forth, summarise what you have already written keeping your 'headline tip or tips' for this part and conclude then open a beer and let someone else (wife/daughter etc)proof read it for you, reword it and close the paragraphs etc and then you should be pretty much done

All the above is, is my vague recollection of how to write a short essay there may be better people too take advice from other than myself though

If it's for beginners, I would keep it simple Shaun. I would also break it down into bite-sized chunks like for example:

- Basics of correct camera usage to get a correctly exposed and focussed image (simple exposure, metering and focussing tips)
- Camera craft, e.g. holding it steady, composition tips etc
- Recommended locations (or types of locations)
- Using light to best effect
- General advice, e.g. getting out and about, best times of day, techniques for different seasons

You could include all of the above in an autobiographical style as suggested above, i.e. choose a few of your favourite images and write about how you shot them, including some factual tips on subjects such as those I've suggested above. For example, if you were shooting inside, did you use flash, if so what settings? If you didn't use flash how did you get enough light and the right quality of light and how did you keep the camera steady if there was poor light?

You haven't mentioned how long the article should be, so this may be a factor in how little or how much you include, also do you need to include processing tips or is this just about getting the shots?

Regards
David

If the magazine has a good sub editor they should make it more professional and fit in with their style.

When I first started writing I was given a list of the magazines writing style, a dos and donts.

Maybe they can help you with this.

Hi Shaun
How to get that shot! Which shot would be my starting point. I personally would start with looking through the viewfinder or screen and provide some framing guidelines, rule of thirds, this will at least help people start to understand how to get that shot! As for the more technical aspects such as shutter speed, aperture and focal length I think you would need to write a book.

Not an easy task, but good to be stretched sometimes.

What you write will be dictated by how many words they want.

If there's a particular image in mind then how you got it should be relatively straightforward. Just tell the reader in good, clear English.