vision

Sometimes we get in a rut. We photograph the same thing over and over and over. That's not always bad. But it can be. Would you eat the same thing for dinner every night of the week? Would you watch the same movie every Saturday? (I'm afraid of some of the answers I'll get here but you get the point.) It might be worthwhile to change things up. Stop photographing the same thing over and over and over. The word "ban" might be strong, but you can reduce (or temporarily eliminate or discontinue) something you usually shoot in favor of something … [Read more...] about Is There One Photographic Subject You’re Done With?

Go to the ballgame. Go to any kind of ballgame. Take your compact camera (not your big honking pro camera with long lens which will make you stand out.) At the ballgame, you will find all sorts of interesting things to photograph. Look for signage, the game itself and most of all, the interesting people you will see at the game. The great thing about sporting events is that they are a melting pot. People of all races, colors and creeds, from all sorts of different backgrounds and beliefs attend sporting events. Whether it's the well-heeled … [Read more...] about Photography Eye Training – Go To The Ballgame

A while back I wrote a post called: Seeing The Invisible A Photographers Vision. In that post I gave you an exercise - to describe a tree to a blind person. The point of that post - and this one - is to improve your visualization skills. I want you to take that exercise and switch it up a bit. Now I want you to draw, paint or sketch a picture of a tree. I don't care if you suck - just do it. You don't have to show the picture to anyone. You won't be graded on your work. The idea is simply to engage different neurons in your brain and to help … [Read more...] about Even If You Have No Talent For It – Drawing, Sketching & Painting Will Make You A Better Photographer

Jonathan Swift said... Vision is the art of seeing what is invisible to others. This quote inspires me daily as a photographer. As I walk by a grove of trees, I see things differently than my non-photographer friends. They see a clump of trees. I see the grass beneath the trees, the light streaming through the leaves, the birds in their nests on the branches, the intricate pattern in the bark, the strength of the trunk, the outgrowth of the roots, the different colors and tonality in the leaves, the way the shadows fall across the wood, the … [Read more...] about Seeing The Invisible – A Photographer’s Vision

It's time for me to play the part of Tony Robbins. It's motivational speaker time here at Photofocus. Sometimes, we all need a pep talk. Here's one from me to you. Hoping that SOMEONE out there reading this today needs to hear this and can benefit. When I talk about what's lacking in your photos, I bet many of you will start finding ways to talk about gear. That's easy. Everyone wants more gear - new gear - better gear - etc. But really, when it comes right down to it, what's missing is often deeper than just a new lens or a new camera. Is it … [Read more...] about What’s Lacking In Your Photos?

I know we live in a USA TODAY, drive-up window world. Everybody wants what they want now. So here are five things you can do in six hours - in fact on this very day to BECOME (not be) a better photographer. 1. Go to a museum. Yep - any museum. STUDY don't just look at the art there. Ask yourself the same questions about every piece you see and keep notes. What was the artist trying to say? What may have inspired the artist? What tools or techniques did the artist use to make the piece? Is the piece effective on an emotional level? Is the piece … [Read more...] about Five Things You Could Do In Six Hours To Become a Better Photographer

You may have heard the old saying: "I was going to write you a short letter, but I didn't have time, so I wrote you a long one instead." It's hard to write tight. It's hard to photograph tight as well. Most professional photographers separate themselves from the amateur by knowing what NOT to include in a photo. It takes more work to decipher what should and should not go into a photographic composition. The lazy photographer just shoots everything and figures he/she will deal with it in post. Your images should be direct and to the point. … [Read more...] about It’s Hard To Shoot Tight

When you decide to make a photograph, who are you making the photograph for? Are you making it for yourself, a client, posterity, or perhaps, you're making it to impress the folks at the camera club? Whoever you are shooting "for," make sure you understand that THEY are your AUDIENCE. They (in this case, even if it's YOU) are looking for something in your images. Whether or not they find it will often have as much to do with whether or not you understand who THEY are, as anything else. Remember that the audience decides everything. THEY decide … [Read more...] about Attention Photographers – Who’s Your Audience?

I'm a Seth Godin fan. If you get a chance, read any of his books (Tribesis one of my favorites.) They are usually quite inspiring to me. He said something recently that gave me an idea. "The best ideas come out of the corner of our eye, the edge of our consciousness, in a flash. They are the result of misdirection and random collisions, not a grinding corporate onslaught. And yet we waste billions of dollars in time looking for them where they're not." It occurred to me that this could apply to photography as well. Sometimes, when you're … [Read more...] about Finding New Paths in Your Photography

I judge many photo contests. I also critique photos on a regular basis. When a photographer stands in front of me and feels the need to explain their photo, I know I'm in trouble. You see, if you have true photographic vision, you have clarity and if you have clarity, you don't need to explain or defend your images. Clarity is about what emotions or feelings the image is trying to evoke, not the facts behind the image. Photographic clarity is about passion of purpose. It's about a single-minded desire to protect a memory. It's about story … [Read more...] about Do Your Photos Have Clarity? And I’m NOT Talking Sharpness