Newb Catch-up Day
(Tue Feb 05, 2008) [/Photography] #
I'm a newb. No doubt, I'm still wet behind the ears when it comes to photography. I've heard some of the jargon, but I'd make a fool of myself at a photographer's party. I read blogs and articles, but I'm not even ready to participate in the comments. I own some respectable gear, but I still only use a fraction of the features. I enjoy taking pictures, but I rely on simple principles rather than intuition. I'm always looking for "the shot", but I often miss it.
Yes indeed, I'm a humble newb. It's a perspective that is teaching me more than photography. I'm learning how important it is to always be a passionate newb at something. It's fun to learn new things. At the same time, always being a newb in a community helps you appreciate the challenges faced by newbs trying to participate in communities in which you're no longer the newb. When does the newb get a chance to come up to speed with the jargon and gear? How do they equip themselves to transition from a consumer of the community's efforts to a producer of value in the community?
So I was delighted to see that today is Newb Catch-up Day over at Strobist. Now using off-camera flash for more effective lighting is advanced stuff, and if you start by reading a typical day's post on Strobist, you'll soon feel unworthy. But today is special! Today they've posted a great video that walks aspiring strobists through the basic terminology and gear. And to help you navigate the growing knowledge base on this topic, they also have a collection of posts called Lighting 101.
Kudos to Strobist for understanding the need for a newb catch-up day and executing on it. It's clever—everybody wins!
