Photography is not just owning and using a Camera; Photography is capturing moments, creating moods, telling stories, and asking questions.
When I first approached my friend John for some tips and pointers, he asked, "What do you plan to do with your Photography... Portraits? Weddings...?" I hastily replied, "HELL NO!! They involve people!!" So, when a friend of mine asked me for some advice in choosing a Camera for her ten-year-old daughter, I asked, "What's she most interested in Photographing?" to which my friends daughter replied, "Nature - no humans." A kid after my own heart.
Granted, one can Photograph just about anything with whatever camera one has, but there are differences in the way a Camera (And it's components) is used in different genres.
Let's begin with Portraits. This is the category with which I would struggle most, not just because it involves people, but because it requires more equipment and the knowledge of how to use said equipment. Portrait Photographers generally have to have an indoor Studio, which means either renting a space or dedicating a portion of their home to this purpose. Light and shadow is important in all Photography, but in Portrait photography the light and shadows are generally created by the Photographer. This requires time and patience, not just from the Photographer, but also the Model. Lights, reflectors, Flash units, must all be set up, adjusted, and adjusted again to create the proper mood to portray the desired result. Portrait Photography can also be done in Natural settings, and I think the greatest challenge of that is posing the subject to maximize the Natural lighting and bring out the subject's greatest features.
Wedding Photography is to me the most frightening, most intimidating form of Photography there is. This is someone's Special Day; the day they'll never get to repeat, so the Photographer has only one chance to get it right. Asking the Wedding party to pose for Portraits is common, but a good wedding Photographer is always ready to capture the spontaneous moments when the Wedding guests are interacting with the Party and each other. Most wedding Photographers I know have a number of Cameras and lenses to make certain they're prepared for any inevitability.
Photographers also do what is known as “Product Photography.” The images you see in Magazines and Catalogues were all photographed in much the same way as Portraits, but the subject is a product, not a Human. (there are those who would argue that today there isn’t much difference) I really can’t imagine anything more fun than being a Product Photographer for a Music Store!
Another area of Photography that intrigues me but I would imagine would be terribly demanding and frustrating is Wildlife Photography. I truly respect those who choose to pursue this style. This field requires great patience, and expensive lenses to allow the Photographer to get very close to the subject without being very close to the subject. One must blend into the background so as to not arouse suspicion in the chosen subject. Sometimes it takes several weeks before an animal feels comfortable with your presence. ANYTHING unusual in the landscape and most animals are spooked and run off. Once, however, an animal becomes accustomed to your presence, the payoff can be spectacular. I’ve seen images of Scottish Sea Otters shot with a 600mm Zoom Lens that could melt the coldest of hearts!
A category of Photography I have little to no experience with is Street Photography. For this, a Photographer needs a minimum of equipment but a HUGE amount of Creativity. Because the Photographer is always on the move, watching everything that occurs, the only thing needed is a Camera with a single lens; usually a kit lens or a “Nifty Fifty.” Occasionally a Telephoto or Zoom lens may be brought along as long as it fits easily in a pocket. Capturing the light and shadows that fully express a City’s streets can be highly rewarding. Photographing the interaction of the people who are present; the vendors, daily commuters, panhandlers and others can say a lot without words. There have been (and still are) some incredibly gifted Street Photographers whose works have appeared in Magazines and Newspapers around the world.
Abstract Photography takes easily accessible, recognizable objects and presents them in such a way that the Viewer often asks, “What am I looking at?” A crack in a sidewalk, a shadow on a blank wall, a reflection in a dirty window…. Stand back and it’s exactly that, but get in close, exclude the elements that make the subject matter obvious. What is it now? As the old saying goes, “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”
ICM – Intentional Camera Movement. This is a technique I really must explore more. In this style of Photography, the Photographer intentionally moves the camera while the shutter is open, creating a blurry, often dreamlike image. It’s really not as easy as it sounds. One must control the amount of movement in order to give the image some blur, while keeping it recognizable. Unless, of course, the Photographer wants to make the image unrecognizable… another form of Abstract.
This brings us to my to my final category, and the favourite of both myself and my friend’s daughter… Landscapes. Nature. I think this genre offers the most variety and more sub-categories than any of the others. Landscapes can be as widely varied as the Photographers who choose to shoot them. From City Parks, Quiet Countrysides, rural Farmland, Forests (Woodland) Streams and Waterways, Seashores, and everything in between, this style of Photography can keep a Photographer busy for years, travelling, exploring, waiting for the right season, the right light, the right time of day…. Landscape Photographers are always learning (I suppose all photographers are) new techniques, new methods of getting better results. Weather plays a huge role in Landscape Photography. For the more fortunate and financially secure, weatherproof cameras exist that allow the Photographer to capture images in rain, or snow. For myself and my friend’s daughter, this is not so. Our cameras, while good, are not as well protected, (but still expensive) so therefore we must be careful not to get them wet.
Bright sunny days are not always ideal either. In fact, they often are the most difficult to get great images. That said, Images shot for Tourism-based clients would probably want blue skies and fluffy white clouds.
Astrophotography; shooting the night skies, is a category unto itself but uses elements of Landscape Photography for context. Shoot a mountain with the Galactic Core of the Milky Way behind it. I have personally used Spruce Trees as the foreground in Astrophotography and many of my friends have been pleased with the results.(as am I)
So, what is YOUR style? If you are not a Photographer but an enthusiastic viewer, what do you enjoy looking at? Click here to send me an e-mail telling me what your thoughts are.
Until next week, keep your shutter finger warm and always remember to pack extra batteries. Thanks for dropping by!!