Carefully Approaching Your Camera
I’m not actually talking about a specific walk or gait needed to ‘approach’ your camera, nor am I indicating stalking your camera as a lion would its prey. What I mean by careful approach is that you should have something in mind when you go out to shoot. Too often, photographers don’t take the time to think things through or have an actual plan in mind before they go out on a shoot.
I’m all for the spontaneity of shooting ‘in the moment’, that isn’t the point. What I’m talking about is the overarching thought process one needs before the shoot begins. The ability to capture stunning images begins well in advance of actually getting in the field and snapping the shutter. You must have an approach, theme, message, or intent behind your shooting. Remember you are capturing a moment in time…a moment worthy of remembrance. Usually, this means you are trying to convey a message, emotion, attitude, personality, or something of the like to future viewers. If you do not have a plan in mind about how you are going to attempt to accomplish this task, you will fail more often than you succeed. Remember, most people do not plan to fail…they simply fail to plan.
I realize that there are some great images that you simply cannot plan. Some of the most wonderful and inspiring photos were ‘spur of the moment’ or ‘ready-fire-aim’ types of shots. However, if you look closely, the majority of ‘great’ shots take time, planning, and tons of set up to pull off. Of course, the more proficient you become with your tools, the overall time for a shoot will decrease. The key to shots that convey emotion lay in the attitude you have behind the camera.
In the 1993 movie, Jurassic Park, the character of Dr. Ian Malcolm, play by Jeff Goldblum, delivers a line that can be applied to photography as much as it was intended to apply to the science of genetic manipulation in the movie…
“…your scientists were so busy trying to see if they could, they didn’t stop think whether they should.”
We need to think this through as well. Photos have changed the world in the past, and they will do so again in the future. We, as photographers, have a certain amount of responsibility when we pick up and use the tools of our trade. While we may not be investigative photojournalists behind the lines in a remote corner of the world, we still capture images that can drastically affect others. We need to be careful and intentional when we shoot, we need to look inside ourselves to find our intentions, and we need to be careful how we approach our art.
The art of photography deserves much more than a simple ‘willy-nilly’, ‘point and shoot’, ‘get-r-done’ type of attitude. If you take the time to respect the art and the subject, it will come through in the images you capture, you will have a more dramatic influence on viewers, and you will come that much closer to capturing the essence and truth in your photos on a regular basis, instead of just getting lucky once in a while.
There are 2 comments on this post.
Trackback URL | Comments RSS FeedHi Sandro, for several months now I have really enjoyed reading your posts. You deal with some areas of photography that are often forgotten in the mainstream. Having said that, I always leave your posts with the feeling that I want to read more of your insights. You seem to “tease” without really delving into the chosen theme for that post. Obviously, as an accomplished photographer you have more to share and there are people like me, not so accomplished, who would like to learn. Please, give us more!
Hello William,
Thanks for the heads up, and you are absolutely right. I will try…
As for this particular topic, I’ve written about it before. Maybe you will find it a better read:
http://www.sandrophoto.com/2010/04/25/stop-taking-pictures-start-creating-images/
And to the readers of this blog:
Please follow William’s example, and give me your best criticism!
If you don’t tell me, I’ve no other way of knowing if you enjoy what I do or not.
Sandro.