About This Site and Its Creator

Who built this?

My name is Ken Watson and I’m the creator of this site. I made this because I wanted to show people that you can get amazing results with the simplest of cameras.

It’s not the camera that takes great pictures, it’s the person behind the camera that knows how to make it take great pictures. (That’s a mouthful.)

If you were in my class of new photography students who didn’t know anything about photography and all you had is a common point and shoot camera, what’s in this site is what I would teach you to impress your friends and family with your new found photography skills.

Let me tell you a little about me. I’ve been photographing since 1996, and received my Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Photography from Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles. I started shooting professionally in 1999 and it’s been my passion ever since. However, I’ve shifted my focus from shooting professionally to building my teaching business and shooting just for fun. How I ended up becoming a photographer is a long story, but I’m glad I’m here.

While I was in art school, I only shot with film. I remember learning how to use 35mm SLR, medium format, and 4×5 large format film cameras, with the whole background and strobe lighting thing to go with it. I have to say that it was pretty fun to shoot with professional setups but it was sometimes a hassle to put it up and then take it all down. When I got out into the real world without all the equipment that I got to use for free in school, I had to improvise. My first photography job was with a company that wanted to have me shoot digital but I didn’t have a digital camera. At that time, which was 1999, digital cameras were still expensive. The company ended up buying a Casio 3 megapixel point and shoot camera for $1,000 for me to use. Not one of those nice cameras with the interchangeable lenses, no, a little compact camera that I could fit in my pocket. Actually, that camera was one of the few point and shoots that went to 3 megapixels but many were still in the 1 and 2 megapixel range.

So now I had to learn digital, and fast. I wish I had a guide like this when I first started shooting digital. Actually, that job was a great training ground for me since I didn’t have any experience with a digital camera. Since there was no budget for an expensive lighting system or studio space, I had to be creative and figure out how to get that little camera to take professional images that would later go into a magazine and other marketing materials. Luckily, with the help of the internet, I was able to find resources that showed me how to get the best out of that camera and apply my photography skills to get some great shots that amazed people.

What is this site about?

Point and Shoot Shutterbug was built for anyone who wants to learn how to use their compact point and shoot camera to create shots they didn’t think they could do with a camera like that. In fact, every photo on this site was taken with a compact digital point and shoot camera, and we only accept photos taken with one.

I’m sure you’ve been frustrated with trying to figure out how to make your point and shoot camera take better photos, right? We’ve all been there. I know I have. You should have seen the first photos I took when I was learning photography in art school. Boy, did my photos suck!

Well, today you’re going to begin the process of becoming a photographer. When I say photographer, that doesn’t mean you have to do it for a living. You could if you wanted to though. I’m just giving you the option if you ever decided to go down that road. And that’s a whole different world to explore, which I’ll save for another day.

With the help of this site, you’ll be able to learn how to use your point and shoot camera and develop an eye for photography to create stunning photos and have a great time doing it. By using the resources here, I know that you have a desire to develop your creative mind and give the gift of art for the world to take pleasure in. I hope to see some of your wonderful photos soon.

Enjoy.

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