This week I’m thrilled to share my conversation with Rick Sammon on learning photography little by little. Rick tells people to slow down when they’re learning photography and learn new skills one by one.

I have loved Rick’s books about photography for years. He’s written quite a few. (36!) We talk about his new book, Creative Visualization for Photographers. Rick encourages photographers to visualize the end result before they take a photograph. He compares it knowing what you are going to cook before you start dinner.

I ask Rick about his family photos. He says, “I have thousands of pictures and my most important are the photos of my family.” Rick tells us about the last photo he took of his father. He says it is his most important picture. He encourages people to photograph your loved ones – because you just never know.

Rick gives us a very quick tutorial about your child blowing out the candles on the birthday cake.

Blowing out the Candles

Boost the ISO

Expose for the highlights

Watch the background

Check your shutter speed so it’s fast enough to prevent blur

Make sure your lens is clean so you don’t have flares

Rick’s Simple Tips For Parents

Work in natural light. Bring your subject to the window and have your subject’s nose follow the light.

Shoot eye to eye with your subject instead of shooting down. Get on your child’s eye level.

Have fun. Enthusiasm is contagious. If you’re having fun. Your subject will too.

Play with shadows. Rick tells us about how he took the photo of his son that is at the top of this post.

Rick’s Camera

Canon 5DS. Canon 5D Mark III and sometimes a Canon Rebel.

But never mind that. Rick says, “Cameras don’t take pictures. People do.”