Hungry for better photos?

Last week was Pancake Tuesday and there’s nothing I love better than a day which dictates what we will eat for one of our meals!  As I stood in my kitchen mixing together the pancakes I was amazed at the similarities between pancakes and photography.  

Yes ma’am (or sir), there are many similarities between fluffy flapjacks and fabulous photography skills!!

Let’s start at the beginning.  Auto Mode – isn’t that just your basic ‘Just Add Water’ box of pancake mix??  Basically all you can control is how much of the mix you’re going to make, the size you make them and how long you cook them for (trying not to burn any, of course!).  With Auto Mode you can only control what it is you’re going to shoot, the orientation (a portrait or landscape presentation) and when you’re going to hit the shutter button.  Sure, you can form some in the shape of hearts or stars, but most turn out boring, roundish-shaped and hopefully, golden brown.  Very few stand out as a work of art.

Just add a squirt of Aunt You-Know-Who and breakfast is served!

Beginner Level

The reality is that we know many of you have a hankering for something more – the out-of-the-box variety satisfies you in the moment, but an hour later you’re back in the kitchen looking for something else to eat.  That’s why we have revamped our program to introduce the new Focus on the Features and Focus on the Frame.  They both give you more control over the ingredients that you’re fueling your body with, and usually yield more appetizing results that you will be talking about for the rest of the day!  “Oh my, Gemma’s pancakes were the best I’ve ever tasted!!!”  (Or something to that effect.)  ;)

These introductory courses give you each and every ingredient so you don't have to settle for the box: basic operational information, illustrations of the presets, composition tips, good lighting techniques and thorough explanations of each adjustable setting.  These tools allow you to confidently make the switch from Auto Mode and play in the presets or understand why and when to tweak some of the semi-manual settings on your digital camera.  We’re giving you all of the essential tools – the whisk, spatula and frying pan – the necessities for a decent pancake breakfast (or lunch, dinner, whatever meal time you choose!).  And we’re right there to tell you on what shelf you’ll find baking powder (more on baking powder later…)! 

Intermediate Level

Our newest addition to the course schedule is Step it Up, Shutterbug!  This is what all of you pancake lovers will want to take if you’ve perfected your concoction of flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, butter, eggs and milk.  You’ll venture out and add a new flavours, perhaps some applesauce and cinnamon, blueberries, or ripened, mashed bananas, if you will.  J  We may even whip up a crepe or waffle along the way!!  You’re also upgrading to an electric griddle so you can cook three or four at a time, not just the one-at-a-time variety in the frying pan on your stove.  (Mmmmm… my tummy is rumbling!) 

Imagine how happy your family will feel when they can sit down at the table and enjoy breakfast with you – the amazing cook??  You won’t be frustrated any longer since you can now provide nutritious flapjacks made from scratch in no time at all.

Advanced Level

Now if you really want to up the ante as you pursue your passion for photography, we have developed The Magic of Manual Mode - for those who won't settle for anything less than the best.  You want to make your pancakes from scratch and cover them in pure maple syrup made from the trees in your own backyard. Living in the Ottawa Valley, we all know it’s a time-honoured tradition that requires patience, perfect timing and work, a lot of hard work.  Yet you can ask anyone - the delectable results can’t be beat.  We even add a heap of fresh raspberries and sprinkle of icing sugar to the top of the stack.  Yum, yum!

Alrighty, here’s my little confession… sometimes (not often) the pancakes on my family's plates came from a box.  It’s usually when we’re camping and I don’t want to lug all of the ingredients and equipment to make perfect pancakes.  And that’s okay.  It's just like when I don’t want to think about the light, composition or my settings on my camera.  At the end of the day, I’m still a photographer and I’m still a decent pancake maker.  J

As a special treat, here’s my family’s favourite breakfast:

Want to know another secret?  I’ve perfected my recipe over many years of practice.  Plus, all of the ingredients on their own aren’t nearly as delicious as when they’re all together, stirred with love, and the more you do it the better cook you become!

Truthfully, I don't even look at the recipe any more - I intuitively know how much flour/wheat bran/milk is needed to make the batter just right.  That's because I make them at least once a week (I have some serious pancake connoisseurs in my house!).  Similarly, when the camera is in my hands, I don't have to think about the settings like I did when I was starting out; it all comes naturally to me.  There's one big factor in my recipe to photographic success: I don't leave my camera packed up in the bag and stored in the closet; it's always in a convenient location, loaded with room on the memory card and lots of battery power.  This simple tip makes it a pleasure to pick up the camera, since no time is wasted and I'm more apt to practice when my gear is ready and waiting for me to play.

I recently learned the key ingredient to good pancakes is the baking powder – without that they’re just panpucks, flopjacks.  You'd better load the family and head to the nearest Pancake House, that's for sure.  (I learned that lesson the hard way.)  The baking powder is essentially the educational component in your desire to take better photographs.  You can have all of the other ingredients in the bowl, but if you omit the baking powder you will never get your usual, much sought-after pancakes of yumminess.  

Whether it be through courses or your own self-directed learning, you need to know all of the options and limitations of your camera.  And you can’t be disappointed if you’re leaving the baking powder out and expecting a brunch fit for a king.  Sure, you may get lucky every once in a while and have a few tasty keepers in the batch, but the only way to ensure beautiful results every time is to keep the baking powder handy.  ;)

Isn't it time to feed your desire for capturing moments that you can be proud to share with your family and friends?

We know you can start by bypassing the Just Add Water boxes filled with ingredients you can't pronounce and empty calories, and begin stocking your cart with wholesome ingredients for a change.  (Warning: Once you start, you may come back for seconds!!)  And when you're good and ready, we've got a few Maple trees out back - grab your sap buckets and we'll help you boil it all down to sweet perfection.