“Media Day” featured an irresistible seminar on angling photojournalism and I couldn’t resist, as feeble photography and halting punctuation are two of many growth areas for me.

I’m scrubbed and coifed, sitting in the front row listening attentively to some eye-opening subject matter; which pastels clash best with bankside foliage, pink is the new green, and how judicious use of mouth to mouth can sustain a salmonid until the lighting is perfect.

Periodically, I’d raise my hand and ask about composition, post shot doctoring, preferred software to stretch a fish yet preserve aspect ratio, and why we reserve “Grip & Grin” for traditional fish, and the counter cultural “rifle” pose for anything else.

I got answers, and they were meaningful to my “toy” camera – chosen by waterproof versus optics, and I remained riveted by the discussion on f-stop and SLR focal planes. I caught up with the speaker at break to discuss composition, the subtle play of light and dark – and how the subject can be juxtaposed with it’s surroundings to convey meaning.

… all the really cool artsy stuff.

Prior to learning lighting, staging, and message, I would’ve simply snapped the pretty flowers and mentioned how nice it was to spy a hint of color on the landscape.

Now that I’ve learned the nuance of the cover shot, how to mix overtones with the piscatorial pinup, a vast new world has opened up.

Instead of editing the picture as before, I prefer the Grip and Grin pose to all else:

… and while the “Professor” was clueless, I’ve an inkling why Brownliners prefer the “rifle” pose …