| Artist and author Jack Davis likes to call the digital preview process "chimpin'" because you always see digital photographers gathered around their cameras, pointing at the preview screen and going "Ooooh! Ooooh!" (like a bunch of monkeys). Although we like to share the digital preview screen with those around us, it's even more important that we've checked it with our own discerning eye and are satisfied with the results. As you look at the image in the preview, ask yourself the following questions. Is the Image Framed Properly? How's the composition? Did you fit everything in the frame or did you cut off someone's head or feet? If you didn't frame the shot properly, erase the image and shoot it again. Even if you did get everything in the shot, ask yourself the tougher question of whether you created an interesting composition. What about a lower or higher angle of view? Could you use more space around the subject, or could it be cropped tighter? Challenge yourself in this area; you'll be surprised at what a little critical thinking can do. (For more on image composition, see Chapter 4, "Composition.") JOURNALentry: Monochrome Stairway Siena is a classic Tuscan hill town, with winding streets that twist, turn, and defy any semblance of a grid or logical organization. The streets are made of tiled stone, which runs right up to the edge of the stone buildings, which are topped with tiled (stone) rooftops. There are no patches of grass here, no breaks or interludes to this monochrome, petrified uniformity. It's as if the city planners took all the green grass and vegetation and shipped it outside the cities to create the glorious countryside. The palpable light, fresh air, and panoramic vistas that surround the cities present a dramatic counterpoint to the gritty stonework and historic nuance of the hill towns themselves. The buildings and walls all look alike, and the doors and windows blur into an endless, nondescript parade of rectangles and squares, set into the corridor-like streets. The doors are generic portals that give little away as to what is behind themopen a door, and you might find a workshop, health club, hotel, or apartment. The streets are broken up every few blocks by city squares that feature fountains, churches, or other communal items (all made of stone, of course). After spending time in Siena, I was left with two prevailing thoughts: I was dying to see anything that was not made of stone, and I was curious to see what was behind a few of these mysterious doorways. On my second day, as I was lugging my gear down to the main square (Il Campo) to shoot the practice runs for the Palio horse race, I pulled up short and backtracked a few steps to one of those innocuous doors that had been left slightly ajar. Slipping inside, I was presented with a fairly simple lobby with two archways providing access to stairs and a closet of some kind, lit by a stark, bare light bulb. I loved the symmetry of the two arches, as well as the textured walls and red and white tiled floor. I quickly set up my tripod and Nikon D2H and composed the shot. Upon review, I decided that the image worked better as black and white because the monochrome aesthetic emphasized the texture and high-contrast lighting. Chapter 5, "Tone and Color," features details on how to convert color images to black and white. This image is a good example of when and why you should use it.
Siena Lobby in Color
Siena Lobby in Monochrome
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Is It Sharp? Sharpness is the hardest aspect to evaluate, especially on that little LCD screen. An image can look just fine on the back of the camera, but might reveal soft, blurred edges when you open it on the computer. It helps a little if your camera allows you to zoom on the image preview, but it's still hard to see exactly what you have because you never see the image at a true 1:1 pixel ratio. This is a great reason to tether your camera to a laptop while you're shooting because sharpness is the hardest thing to evaluate in an on-camera preview. Pienza Column Nikon D2H, 1/160 sec, f/6 EV +1 Focal length 400mm
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