Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Seeing

Two people go out photographing - one finds lots of stuff to photograph, the other can't find a thing, yet they both like the same kind of photographs, and in fact the one admires the images of the other and bemoans why he can't see these possibilities.

So what if you are the fellow who didn't see any images?

Is it blind luck, is it a learned skill, does it take talent, are there particular skills you should practice in order to improve your seeing?

It's my observations that:

1) it doesn't seem directly related to the length of time one has been a photographer - there are people who 'see' as soon as they pick up a camera, and others who have been photographing 30 years or more who don't. There are even people who don't photograph who 'see' better than many hobbyist photographers.

2) the more artsy and creative in general the person is, the more likely they are to 'see'.

3) The more rigid and linear the thinking - the harder it is to 'see'

4) as a doctor, I see a lot of people with ADD, and as a group these people who find linear thinking nigh impossible, frequently are especially creative (even if they never finish any of their projects).

6) Becoming a photography expert (with lots of technical knowledge) isn't helpful.

7) Reading texts on photography is generally not helpful.

8) Looking at good photography is very helpful, the more the better. It takes effort and possibly outside help to appreciate styles of photography radically different from your own, but is rewarding if you persist.

9) looking at art makes you a better photographer.

10) looking for great images to take is a mug's game, instead look for great subject matter from which you might be able to find a great image.

11) be curious - explore the scene - open your mind to new possibilities - try taking pictures that are as far removed from what you'd exect would work as you can. Photographing a pretty scene, how about trying to make it look menacing.

12) Instead of railing against the quality of the light, or the telephone poles in the background, see if instead you can take advantage of what is offered. At the very least recognize the limitations that the conditions put on you and think about how best to work round them, even if you don't embrace them.

3 comments:

falmanac said...

Amen brother! And remember: There are no straight telephone poles in nature.

Chuck Kimmerle said...

While two photographers may share a common style or a preferred subject matter, I'm not sure that means both will necessarily be inspired by a particular location.

I've been out with other photographers who have gone spastic shooting up scene while I just stood there dazed and confused and looking like an idiot, and vice-versa. I think that often, our mental, emotional or physical states will play a big part in how we interact with a photo op.

I guess sometimes we just have bad days.

That all said, I think George has some really good advice, especially the part about studying art (and the works of other photogs)

Anonymous said...

Nice essay, I especially like what you had to say about telephone poles. For me it was wires, something that I had avoided like asbestos, feeling it made my image less pure. Until I came upon a scene that demanded to be captured with no way of avoiding the wire.

Once I saw the negative, a fellow photographer said I should lose the wire in photoshop (something I don't do) and to humor him I did. The photo failed to work at that point, the wire was critical to everything that was right about the image.