Eventually every photographer gets the hang of their camera when they are able to control the basics: stop a subject in motion, control the zone of sharpness in their pictures.
Then they might get fancier experimenting with lighting the scene instead of just relying on what’s there.
Some arrive at this mastery sooner than others but eventually everyone gets it.
From that point on, what separates the artist from the casual snapshot taker is how good their muse is and how well they execute.
To simply grab an idea out of thin air is tough to do, especially day-in and day-out.
Cooling off–Here’s a typical feature picture you might see in a newspaper especially when it’s the first day of summer when it’s over 100°F. I found this woman lying down in the shade waiting for her bus. Ask for permission first, or take the picture first? There are no hard and fast rules. If possible, I always take the picture first simply because the moment will be gone if you don’t. Spontaneous moments are ruined if you ask first. When discovered, come clean. It always works out better instead of trying to sneak away without any explanation. You’ll risk having the cops called on you especially if there are kids involved.
It’s those hot summer days like today that I don’t miss being at the newspaper.
I used to drive aimlessly looking for  feature pictures.
Add today’s price of gasoline, multiply by the number of photographers on staff and you’ll get the idea of the cost of a picture that may never get published.
