Make it! Don’t Take it!

When people find out what I do, they say: “You take pictures, don’t you?” And I always reply: “No. I don’t take anything! I MAKE photographs.” My photography improved instantly once I adopted the attitude that I was “making” a photograph. Suddenly, I was more aware of what I was creating. I instantly began to have more control over the nature and quality of my photographs. “NEVER let the camera have the last word.” What I mean by that is this: the images you get straight from the camera are just ingredients, they are just fast food, they are unfinished as far as I am concerned. The camera gives you the cake, but the cake needs icing before serving.

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Clandestine Hip Shot ? What’s that ?

Clandestine Hip Shot: Adventure photography means more to me than just tracking the beautiful big cats in the African bush, or sloshing through the rainforest of the Amazon in Brazil, or wading waist-deep in the crystal clear salmon rivers of SuperNatural British Columbia to make that perfect image of the bears in the salmon run. In all of my photo safaris, human culture is incredibly important to me and I try to discover the essential elements that make each culture unique and special. This means photographing people in their natural environment, doing the things they normally do.

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Testimonial

Kenya, South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Zambia – 2008
My first purchase (besides candy bars) as a child was a Cub Scout camera that cost $6.25 back about 1952 or 53, and I have been buying and using cameras ever since. However, my first photography class wasn’t until March, 2008, when I attended a digital photography [...]

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Simba Sex

Mating habits of Simba (lion)
From time to time, in my photo safaris in Africa, we are lucky enough to discover lions mating, and this is always a superb photo opportunity as well as a terrific education.   The following photos were made in the Samburu region of Kenya.
The Lioness is the Boss
The lioness seems to control [...]

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To Mzungu’s Website

To Mzungu’s Website

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Cycle of life in the Mara River, Kenya

The Cycle of Life: Crocodile attack Zebra in the Mara River, Kenya

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Creative Photographer

Never Let Your Camera Have the Last Word!

Original Image from camera.

Image rotated 180 degrees and cropped.
Final image with distractions removed.
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How to “Make a Photograph”
by Jim Akers (created in Kenya safari Oct, 2008)
Refer to the photos above

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