OBSERVATION
OBSERVATION - by Elliot Stern
There have been so many articles about taking pictures and mastering your gear, both from me and many others. We all aspire to having the most incredible image ever taken and so many believe that the more technically sophisticated the camera gear can be the better our chances are of achieving that goal. We fuss over how accurate is the auto focus. We fuss over how accurate is our exposure meters and should I use multi, center or spot to get it right. We fuss over the sensor in the camera and of course the accuracy of the finder. Then we spend hours pining over the menus and all the possibilities they offer the photographer of today.
We spend more time on all of the above and much less time actually taking the image.
I remember a discussion I had with a professional sports photographer, maybe 10 years ago. It was at a time when a local newspaper had switched from Nikon to Canon because Canon’s motor and focusing system was supposedly superior. It really wasn’t but that is a whole other story. When I questioned him as to why he needed all that speed the reply was quick and to the point. “I can shoot 30 frames and pick the best one from the bunch. It gives me an edge.” Now I had seen this photographers work in the past and he was one of the finest sports photographers I had ever seen work. He could take a couple of shots and nail the headline photo. In reality technology gave him more choices but it did not make him a better photographer and all the technology in the world won’t make a difference if you don’t understand your subject.
A photographer overtime must develop a great many skills. The most important personal skill in photography and in life is to be OBSERVANT.
The time you take to OBSERVE your subject will determine the excellence of your work. Taking the time to be OBSERVANT will define the story you are trying to tell. LEARNING TO OBSERVE WILL MAKE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A PHOTOGRAPH AS OPPOSED TO A WORK OF ART. By observing first, thinking about what you want to convey will mean the difference between an image that is a basic every day picture, and one that sparks emotion to it’s audience in such a way that they will look and look again and again. Your audience is observing what you took the time to OBSERVE AND CONTEMPLATE.
Developing observation – means not taking things at face value. It means learning to take the time to study every thing about the subject,
Developing observation – means not taking things at face value. It means learning to take the time to study every thing about the subject,
A. STUDY
Take an object. Maybe an apple, lettuce, a bottle and put it on a table. Any table but make sure the table is clear of everything else. Take some time to simply look over the subject. I don’t been 30 seconds. Take at least about 5 minutes or more. Study every angle, all the light, every crevice. Now write down your observations.
Find another object. Place it in a window with some diffused light coming in. With your camera set to ONE FOCAL LENGTH. Take lots of pictures from every angle. All around, side to side, and under and over. Study your subject as you do this and make decisions as you shoot and move what it is you are trying to say. Capture all the angles with as many light changes to those angles as possible Make use of the light to mold your vision. You are now working in the box and out of the box to get to the image destination you want to arrive at. What you envisioned by studying and observing the subject is no longer a vision but a reality.
B. Where are you?
Always take time to study where you are. Find out where the light is coming from, How it will effect the subject. How the shadows will play into what your are working on. Every place you find to shoot will convey a different set of feeling, emotions and ideas. Take the time to bring them all together. Don’t take things at face value. Study, study, study. Always look around. Always look to the sides and behind you. You never know what may change your views.
C. FORMULATE THE POSSIBILITIES
Have you ever walked down a street or a country road or driven from place to place and in your mind envision what a wonderful picture something would make as you walk or drive. Believe it or not YOU ARE OBSERVING THINGS AND FORMULATING IDEAS. Next time that happens and safety permitting, stop and do all of the above. Study the subject and make observations and try and figure out how you would like to shoot this picture and the message you want to convey. It always good to have some kind of camera with you to use as a sketch pad of the things you are observing. It's a good idea to determine the best light and light angles? Later you can study what you shot and figure out things from those images you took.
Where is the light coming from and where will it be?
This program is great for your light OBSERVATION and study.
