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October 6, 2008 |
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Created and Maintained by: The Photoimaging Information Council |
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Articles |
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I teach a fair amount of workshops and so many people go, ‘well, god, I’m probably not a very good photographer for your workshop, I know little about photography, I’m just passionate about taking photographs and seeing things.’ I always chuckle because I remember Ansel talking about that whole thing about technical and what comes from the heart. He said that ‘there’s nothing worse than a sharp image of a fuzzy concept.’ Photography is an art and technology that empowers you, the photographer to share great beauty with people all over the world. It has the power to move us and to redirect our attention from the normal doings and undergoing of our everyday life and immediate world. In addition and as a result, photography can also be a powerful tool for educating people and enlisting their concern and support for causes that are close to your own heart. Chris Rainier has these tips for those who are considering using photography as a means and medium for expressing their own commitments and sharing information about social issues with their fellow humans. TIP: CHOOSE A SUBJECT BASED ON YOUR OWN PERSONAL PASSIONS As you evolve as a shooter, whether you’re an amateur or a professional, ask yourself what it is that makes you tick. Whether the answer is family, friends, going to the beach on a Sunday, taking a trip to the Grand Canyon, nature, animals or culture, steep yourself in it, in the joy and excitement that you get from it. Don't worry about whether other people are going to share your interest, just follow your bliss. Your passion for the subject will come through in your photographs and will draw others to your work. TIP: PRESENT YOUR INTERPRETATION OF WHAT YOU SEE AS AN ARTIST Allow the people looking at your photographs to develop an equivalent emotional experience to what you were feeling at that time. Photography is a wonderful tool for documenting events and providing evidence, but its greatest and unique strength is its ability to communicate emotionally about what it was like 'be there' at a particular place and time. TIP: TAKE YOUR TIME When dealing with a subject, it is important to spend time, to slow down, until you speak the truth and speak it from your heart. Immerse yourself and absorb your surroundings. That’s when you’re going to interact with your subject matter and be able to present it better to your audience. TIP: MAKE IT MUTUAL When shooting pictures of people, don’t just show up and stick a camera in someone’s face and then say ‘we’re done here’. A quality of a portrait is in direct correlation to the quality of exchange between the photographer and the subject. Your photographs will be equally a portrait of yourself and a depiction of your subject, so bring this dynamic into the process of shooting. TIP: GO EASY WITH EFFECTS Every photographer has his or her own favorite tricks and effects for making an image more compelling. These can work fine, but when starting out it's better to focus more on presenting your subject simply and honestly. This way, any 'flourishes' that you might use will come from your experience with the subject and will be called for by it, rather than detracting from it. TIP: DON'T TRY TO FORCE YOUR STORY While it is good to go out into the field with some idea of what you are looking to shoot and what ways you might want to present the subject matter, don’t force this mold onto what you actually get. You will have plenty of time to construct your narrative later. In the field, it is best to be open to what comes your way. TIP: SEEK THE ADVICE OF TRUSTED FRIENDS Friends and colleagues make great editors. Seek the advice and responses of others in order to figure out if anything is coming across in your photographs.  TIP: MAKE YOUR PORTRAIT SHOTS ENVIRONMENTAL If you want to say something about a person or an event, include them in a landscape that speaks to who the subject is and what is going on in their lives. TIP: DON'T WORRY ABOUT EQUIPMENT Just go out there and shoot what you want to and what you like. As you develop as a photographer, you will learn what equipment you need and how you should use it, but don't let this distract you when you are starting out. If you focus too much on technical issues, you may lose sight of your passion for and commitment to your subject. As Ansel Adams used to say, "there's nothing worse than a sharp image of a fuzzy concept." © 2004 Chris Rainier TIP: DON'T TRY TO FORCE A STYLE People often talk about great photographers and their 'signature styles.' While this may indeed be part of what makes a photographer great, it's better not to think about it when doing your own work. Immerse yourself in books and images by photographers that you admire. At first, your images will probably look a lot like theirs. As you develop, however, you'll start to develop a style of your own. It's important to let this happen naturally; just focus on your work and your style will take care of itself.
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