Why Don’t My Photos Look Cool?
This is a question I have been getting a lot lately. People who are just getting into photography or people who take a lot of pictures with their friends and wonder why they are different.
It occurs to me that people are too focused on the technology. When I am out with friends and they give me their point and shoot for a picture outside of a bar as soon as it is in my hands they make jokes about how terrible it is and basically apologize that they have a consumer camera like I am above this little toy and should be thanked for gracing the shutter button with my pointer finger. You know what? I miss having a point and shoot. I miss that little Canon S2IS. When I get my hands on one I generally go to town getting all these fun little angles that are tough for my 5D. It is also fun to have the freedom to shoot without being noticed so much. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t trade my rig for anything but the point is the magic is in composition.
You need to work to eliminate artifice. What is artifice? I have to admit I got it from Tom Hanks. He was being interviewed on “Inside The Actors Studio” by James Lipton and his cue cards. He talked about his pursuit to keep artifice out of all the work he does. That feeling that something isn’t genuine. There are times when you are lost in a movie and completely into it. It is the difference between watching Tom Hanks in a movie and getting into it as opposed to watching a movie and feeling like you are watching a person who is an actor reading lines. This same thing can be applied to photos. It is about creating scenes that are void of small things that take away from the feeling a photo is trying to convey. Some examples below.
This is a photo from the archives that hasn’t been messed with or processed. Not a terrible shot but the focus of this was supposed to be the building. That car pretty much messes everything up. It takes away so much of the attention. Then there are also some small pieces of litter and the tree doesn’t add anything to the photo. The second photo is another story. It hasn’t been processed either but it has total focus on the building. The car and other things taking away attention are all out. The sky acts as something that makes the building look even better. It almost looks like something that isn’t real. When it comes to composition what you put in the frame is as important as what you don’t put in the frame.
Below is a photo of downtown Kansas City I did a few months back. It captures an urban scene better than most the stuff I have done. Nothing there takes away from the overall feeling a viewer takes away from the photo. If there was a big Payday Loans advertisement on the side of the building it would change everything. Instead of this view of an urban landscape it would be the same old street you pass everyday.
Understand the things in your photo and their relationship with each other. This is something I would like to work on more as time goes on. Really understanding what is in a photo and what feelings these elements conjure in a viewer is important. I have never seen a better example of this than Matt Stuart’s work. Matt’s ability to take different unrelated objects in photos and snap them in a way that adds narrative is a huge inspiration. Focusing on all the things in your image and exploring their relationships is one of the best parts of photography.
There are so many variables with photography. Intent, audience, and context to name a few. There are no absolutes pr rules that make the “perfect” picture. Focusing hard on what is and isn’t in your picture and taking away anything that detracts from that will produce improved photos coming out of your camera.
