My experience has shown me that learning the skill of seeing instead of just taking pictures can be a slow process for us ordinary humans in the field of photography. I strive to inculcate this notion in each and every one of my pupils as I assist them in honing their shooting eye. With the camera, I have been able to record situations and—more importantly—identify the initial photographic opportunity over the years. Applying formulaic composition guidelines alone won't cut it here; the picture must convey more information than just the subjects' placement within the frame. It always begins, at least for me, with something that strikes my eye or seems like it would work nicely in a pictorial format.
During the Great Depression, American documentary photographer Dorothea Lange captured images of migrant laborers and the homeless. Her strikingly emotional black and white photographs of men, women, and children had a significant impact on subsequent documentary and journalistic photography. I thought Lange was a superb people watcher. "The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera," is a quotation from her that is frequently used. These phrases, in my opinion, are pushing us to become more perceptive in our quest of photography by constantly keeping an eye out for intriguing subjects—even when we don't have a camera on hand to take full advantage of the moment. Having rekindled my interest in photography.
One of the most common grievances I hear from individuals who are either new to photography or returning to it after a hiatus is that they have shot all the typical subjects and are at a loss on what to shoot next. They've used up all of their options and have no idea where to go next to get the "ideal" shot. I can say that since I've been there! I used to think that most of my photos were uninteresting and unworthy of being shown to others, but I've since realized that this is frequently because I take most of my shots from the perspective of a standing adult. Instead of giving up on my photos, I started to slightly modify my perspective and I am now.
My personal vision is growing, and I'm getting used to the knowledge that comes with taking pictures—analyzing the shots, making minor adjustments, shooting again, analyzing again, and so on. As I get more at ease with this artistic endeavor, the process has grown joyful. I've learned that capturing pictures of things I connect with and enjoying the process of taking them is more significant to me as a photographer than sharing photos on social media in an attempt to get "likes.
" I understand that, even though our photos might not be well-liked by others, we should always be true to our identities since they influence the art we create. Our pictures could be odd.
