Photography has many meanings.
Very few photographers, myself included, work primarily with analog film. The digital revolution has changed the face of photography forever, however, perhaps not always for the better. As with many things digital, one can argue whether all the facilities that come with it really improve one’s talent. The issue with software and digital cameras is the immediacy. Many simply do not pay attention anymore to what they are taking photos of, but rather have faith in their aptitude with Photoshop.
Allow me to share with you what photography means to me.
The responsibilities of a photographer depend on the duties he takes on. A photo can mean so much that it could change the course of history. It is an unedited document of tragedy or glory. In this pure form, photography truly is a remarkable medium. The maxim “A picture speaks a thousand words” is, of course, well-known. Storytelling is an essential part of a photographer’s tools, especially if it is meant for journalistic purposes. As such the photographer is a reporter, not an artistic realizing a unique vision. The great Henri Cartier-Bresson or Robert Capa produced their work with analog Leica M cameras. To me, personally, their works are an infinite source of inspiration. Every one of their photos are sincere and brutally honest.
A photograph that touches my heart is one that has been taken at the right time, from the right angle, only to capture the precise moment a change occurred. This is the greatest achievement any photographer can aspire to but, of course, I know that the path leading to this victory is quite stony.
Let it be clear that this article refers in particular to photography as a document, not simply an artistic interpretation. With the advent of computers and digital imagery, the publishing landscape has also changed. Today, photographers are expected to upload their images as rapidly as possible, while any delay may cost them their salary. Speed is paramount, which puts a lot of pressure on the photographer — especially if they are covering a sports event like the upcoming Olympiad in London, or travel to a country torn by war.
Documenting historic moments, tragedy, injustice, glory, and happiness are just a few of the emotions and happenings that photography can capture.
DLSR and RAW: a secret language.
Whenever you talk to photographers, you will be confronted with a lot of jargon — a very secretive language of codes. There is raw and ISO. There is aperture and shutter speed. There is framing and DOF. What these words do is to translate into language all the elements of which a photo consists. Yet this article is not about explaining every one of these terms. A simple Google search will reveal the answer. What you will not find is a universal formula for creating great imagery.
Taking beautiful photos is not a talent. Instead, the art is within one’s ability to foresee a momentous event that might not come around a second time. This is the essence of photography. A camera should indeed become an extension of your eye. You see it; the camera captures it. This requires an unignorable prerequisite of artistic vision. Now this the characteristic you either have or you do not. In my opinion, such a trait is also beyond subjectivity. One can easily assess whether a person has the ability to recognize in a split-second what might yet occur.
Raw is simply the naked, pure data that the sensor produces after you release the shutter. This data is the digital interpretation of the real moment you wanted to capture. It is uncompressed and comes in 12-bit or 14-bit. Some high-end medium format cameras produce 16-bit image files. Truthfully it makes little difference unless you work in the fashion industry, where such highly detailed high-dynamic images are of good use. The higher the bit information, the more color and light information is processed and saved in the raw file. It means that more shadow textures can be revealed in post-production, yet this is in no way a factor in determining a photo’s artistic value.
Greatness consists of several factors.
Composition:
If you ask any photographer about what makes a photo great, they will most likely mention the “golden rule of thirds.” Its idea is to frame your subject in such a way that, whatever is the point of focus, it falls into either the first of the last thirds of a photo’s composition. if you take a photo of a person standing in a hallway, for instance, place them in the far left or right for a maximized effect. There are certain situations, though, when placing the subject right in the middle is the most effective. This holds especially true for medium-format, which generally shoots in a square format.
In the last few years, I have discovered the widescreen, or 16:9 ratio, as an effective storytelling tool. The inspiration for this comes of course from cinema, where this is one of the two widely used ratios — the other being 2.35:1 cinemascope. You might be surprised by what this ratio could do to improve your photos dramatically. The reason for this is obviously the limited space it allows for the scene to unfold. Limit is sometimes good as a great motivator to focus and not let one be distracted. Of course, 16:9 gives you more space by only cropping the frame to the sides as compared to the original 3:2 ratio of modern-day DSLRs.
Storytelling:
Do you enjoy watching films? Do you enjoy reading novels or watching series on TV? Then you appreciate good storytelling when you come across it. Any of these three ways of entertaining yourself represent the two ways storytelling can exist. A story can either be visual or told with language. Photography is most certainly a visual medium, so why then can it not benefit from storytelling as well? Journalism, especially, demands it to be very much the fabric of a photographer’s work.
A story has a beginning and an end. A photo stands in the middle; it never shows just the beginning or the end. Instead, it captures the fleeting instant in-between these two moments in time. That is what a photographer should capture: the moment that just passed by mere seconds ago. When we view the photo, our imagination can fill in the blanks of what occurred before and after. Any photographer who can achieve this has attained the pinnacle of his art form.
Not megapixels:
The last but not least important factor is the realization that it matters not what camera you use. This is of course something you will hear many say. However, it is not true to some extent. The truth is that many photos cannot be realized if the technical equipment is limited in its capabilities. Beyond that, it is vision that counts most — your idea of storytelling and your ability to find these stories happening around you. In the end, eliciting an emotional response is what will entice the viewer. Familiarity also plays a large role in connecting to your audience, whether it is your family, just friends, or the whole world on the Internet. Certain stories touch some more profoundly than others.
Photos should ideally tell a story and encapsulate a memory that you want to keep safe for a long time. In life, many events happen, and all the time memorable moments pass us by. Smartphones equipped with cameras help us cope with this incessant bombardment of moments that we might want to capture by being convenient and ever-present. There is certainly something gratifying about pressing a button and literally holding time, but megapixels do not count as a tool that makes you a better photographer. All you require to achieve this is already within your mind, heart, and soul. These are three traits that make a photo human, which is precisely what it needs to be beautiful.
You want to be a better photographer? Go out and discover the world.
It is not a luxury to spend time outside, just to take photos. In fact, it is a privilege if you are able to find time for it. So here is a call to arms for the coming summer. Grab your camera, whatever it is, and discover the world from a different perspective. This is what makes you a better photographer, and not any of the technical jargon or constant babbling about bokeh and different types of lenses.
Out there is a beautiful world, filled with people who each have a story to tell. Learn to discover these stories, these hidden beauties of nature, and you shall become a better photographer. Beyond the digital technology, which admittedly simplifies the act of taking photos, the principles have not changed a bit. What holds true today about composition and storytelling have been the accepted rules for many, many decades, yet always keep in mind and cherish your individualism.
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