Like most of you, I got interested in photography after viewing so many other photos that I thought were beautiful, and I thought “I want to be able to do that!” So I started reading, and practicing, and getting a better camera, and upgrading my lenses… and I still haven’t been able to take any of those photos that I drooled over all those years ago.

But I do have a list – what I call my Photo Bucket List – of all the photos I hope to one day capture – no matter how cliche and overdone some of them are, I don’t care, I want them.

Sunrise over water – I tried this once (to say I’m not a morning person would be a vast understatement). You can see my results up there, which

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Whether you classify yourself as a landscape, architectural, wildlife, portrait, wedding, commercial or other category of photographer, drawing out a few sketches can go a long way towards capturing photographs with a purpose. It’s all about honing a creative vision that can take your images from average to inspiring.

If you’ve ever found yourself stuck in a rut, wandering around a local park or street asking yourself, “What am I going to shoot now?” then you need to start planning and sketching out some ideas. It’s part of my philosophy to stop taking pictures and start creating images.

I know what you may be thinking, “I’m a photographer, not a sketch artist. I can’t draw.” Guess what, neither can I. As you can clearly see below, my sketches look more like the casual drawings of your 4-year-old son or daughter. They’re horrendous pieces of work shaming to the whole art community. But they work, and here’s why.

Sketches establish a vision

The first thing sketches will add to your photography is to help answer the questions, “What am I trying to convey?” and “Why take this photo?” When you sit down to plan out what it is you are looking for, you’re creating a vision. You’re forcing yourself to think about what might interest viewers, instead of just mindlessly snapping away and hoping to get a good photo in the process. I like to put together an editorial progression in my images, to tell a story. I always work to create a beginning, middle and end to the shoot. I find it helpful because it keeps me on a time table and let’s me convey something more than a casual snapshot could.

We are visual thinkers

There’s a good chance that most of you are visual thinkers. Most photographers are. We put together images in our brain when people describe something to us; we remember exactly what roads to take to get home, but couldn’t tell anyone their names; we never forget a face. Recognize and cultivate if you are this type of thinker. Sketching helps activate your spatial thinking. Instead of just saying, “I’d like to show my model running around a snowman,” actually draw it out. It might just help you recall the mental image you had when first considering the shot.

The following guest post on capturing personality in portraiture was submitted by Christina Dickson, a portrait photographer and photography instructor from Portland, Oregon. Her work can be seen at: www.christinanicholephotography.com.

Question: What’s the difference between the generic “take your pictures in 20 minutes” portrait studio’s in every mall, and the portrait artists who make hundreds of dollars on a single portrait session?

Personality

The end goal of many generic portrait studios is to make a sale.

For successful portrait artists, capturing personality is the end goal.

Great portraitists know how to capture personality, and that is how they make their money.

Capturing personality is an exciting challenge, but it is not impossible. All it takes is attention to detail, and genuine care about your subject as an individual.

First, Investigate

Spend some time getting to know your subject

Before every shoot, ask questions with sincere interest. Is your client dramatic, or laid back? Do they like quiet moments, or bold statements? Are they more likely to be found surfing a wave, or sitting in a library? Imagine how unprofitable it would be for you to take portraits of a book-worm in the middle of a skate park! You won’t find out about these details unless you inquire.

When I met up with Nicole (pictured left), we spent some time scoping out the location of our shoot at the Dallas Arboretum. As we walked, we talked about her interests, and her pursuits. I found out that while she was a very chic and adventuresome girl, she also had a really soft feminine side that could be captured perfectly in a garden setting. I also noticed that she had a tendency to brush back her side-swept bangs when she was feeling shy. Though this motion seems to be spontaneous in the portrait, it is actually very signature to her personality.

Second, Observe

Watch your subject as you interact with them

Find out their little tendencies. Do they favor one side of their face more than another? Do they blink a lot? Do they like a serious expression more than a smile? If you can find these hidden “signatures”, you will be empowered to capture your client’s personality like no one else.

I’m new to actions for Photoshop and I’m aware that there are a couple ways to install and execute them. When I got my first actions set from Florabella,

I was insane with excitement which was quickly deflated when I simply couldn’t get them to show up in PSE8′s action player on a Mac. There are easy instructions for installing on a PC, but even the Adobe people themselves don’t have instructions on their help site for installing them on a Mac. Come to find, there are lots of people experiencing this same problem. There are lots of questions out there on the forums, but no answers so in true DPS style, look no further because I think I’ve got the answer you’re looking for.

If you searched for ‘how to install actions in PSE8′ …

If you’re a devoted fan of one camera make this type of book will not only keep you on the straight and narrow — brand-wise — but expand your knowledge of that marque’s power and operating potential.

Such a book is Rob Sheppard’s on the Canon D-SR system. And, while there is very little info on Canon’s extensive range of accessories, lenses etc there is a whole raft of detail and explanation on how to use the Canon system, much of which you will not find in the original manual that came with your camera.

An early chapter explains the basics: the role of the JPEG and RAW formats, setting the ISO, which metering mode does what and how to …