Breaking Photography Rules to Level Up Your Skills with Louis Stevenson

Mar 6, 2025

Louis Stevenson, a Washington State photographer who turned a hobby into a motorsports and youth sports career. He talks about shifting from manual to autofocus, mastering action and context in race and sports shots, experimenting with angles and rule-breaking, and handling huge volumes of images with fast culling and editing workflows.

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ANECDOTE

From Childhood Point And Shoot To Pro After An Eclipse

Louis credits his dad for early camera exposure, starting with a point-and-shoot at six and an SLR at ten, which seeded his habit of documenting life.
After capturing a solar eclipse with his phone, Louis bought a DSLR, immediately got a business license, and dove into photography professionally.

INSIGHT

Capture The Moment Over ISO Purity

Louis found the exposure triangle (ISO/aperture/shutter) was the hardest concept and learned to prioritize capturing the moment over ideal settings.
He shifted to accepting higher ISO when necessary, because a slightly noisy usable image beats missing the decisive action.

ADVICE

Switch To Autofocus For Fast Action

Use autofocus for fast-changing events so you can focus on composition and shutter speed instead of manual exposure and focus.
For youth sports Louis set shutter speed first, then let AF handle focusing while he composes and captures moments.

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#543 Louis Stevenson is a photographer based in Washington State. Louis shares his journey in photography, which began in his childhood when his father introduced him to shooting with point-and-shoot cameras and later SLR film cameras. His renewed enthusiasm for photography was sparked by capturing the solar eclipse with his phone, which led him to pursue it more seriously. The conversation dives into the transition from shooting as a hobby to taking it professionally, with a unique focus on race photography and youth sports.

KEY TOPICS COVERED

Discovering Photography - Louis recounts his early experiences with photography, highlighting the influence of his father's documentation habits and his own desire to capture moments for personal memory and storytelling.
Pursuing Photography as a Passion and Profession - The conversation outlines Louis's transition from hobbyist to enthusiast, notably after the solar eclipse event, pushing him to acquire a better understanding of photographic techniques and equipment.
Action Sports Photography Techniques - Louis and Raymond discuss the intricacies involved in photographing dynamic subjects such as motorcycles and youth sports, emphasizing the importance of context, capturing action, and the technical aspects of utilizing shutter speed and autofocus efficiently.

IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS & CONCEPTS

Exposure Triangle: The relationship between ISO, aperture, and shutter speed in achieving the correct exposure.
Documenting Action: The importance of providing context and capturing dynamic moments to convey the intensity and story of sports events.

DISCUSSION & REFLECTION QUESTIONS

How does your personal interest or hobbies influence your approach to photography?
What steps can you take to understand and master the exposure triangle effectively?
How can experimenting with camera angles and dutch tilts enhance the storytelling in your photography?

RESOURCES:
Visit Louis Stevenson's Website - https://stevensonfoto.com/
Follow Louis Stevenson on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/stevensonfoto/

Connect with Raymond!

Go from Confused to Confident behind the camera with The Ultimate Photography Education Bundle - https://beginnerphotopod.com/bundle
Join the free Beginner Photography Podcast Community at https://beginnerphotopod.com/group
Grab your free camera setting cheatsheet - https://perfectcamerasettings.com/

Thanks for listening & keep shooting!