Developing Your Craft: How to Improve Your Photography

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DEVELOPING YOUR CRAFT How to Improve Your Photography

JAMES LAWRENCE

00 INTRODUCTION Photography is wonderful. The opportunity to capture something beautiful, engaging or intriguing, to delight in a moment that has been recorded for ever, to play with the potential of an image, is part of the pleasure of making impactful pictures.

But photography isn’t easy. Of course you can take a quick picture any time, any place and post it online and people will ‘like’ it. Job done. But creating something that is more than a snap takes effort, and consistently doing that time and time again requires developing your craft.

Lots is written on what makes up the craft of photography. Different photographers champion different approaches, methods, or mantras. Reading their material and teaching photography I’ve realised that the essence of capturing a great image requires we work on three things: •  Knowing your camera •  Improving your composition •  Developing your creativity It will take time; time probably measured in years, if not decades. But that is part of the fun of taking better

photos. There will be seasons where you struggle, feel like you are not making progress, wish it was all easier, and then you’ll have a glorious breakthrough, and you’ll smile with pleasure. It was worth keeping going, pressing on through, even if…

Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst. Henri Cartier-Bresson And whilst the first 10,000 photographs may be our worst, it doesn’t mean they are terrible, just that we need to have realistic expectations about the time it takes to make great images.

This brief book is a guide to that journey and offers some simple steps to get started. It doesn’t contain everything you need to know about how to take a great photograph, but it does explain the steps to take to develop your craft.

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HOW TO USE THIS BOOK GETTING STARTED Perhaps the best way to approach this book is to read it through in one sitting to get an overview of what it contains, making a note at the end of which stage you think you are at. Then go to the relevant section and work on that area. The three main sections of the book do follow one another sequentially. It really does make sense to get to know your camera right at the start, then to improve your composition, and then to develop your creativity. However, each section overlaps the others. As you take photos you will be working with all three sections.

It is also worth cycling through each section on a regular basis. For example, as you improve your composition you may find there are camera features you haven’t needed before that now become relevant, and you need to return to the camera manual to source how to do something. You will also find in a number of the sections different levels to work on. As one moves from a beginner through intermediate to advanced, returning to the appropriate level will take your photography on in a new way.

Ultimately the key to this book is practice. It isn’t simply a book to read, it is a guide to follow. So be sure to get your camera out and have a go.

CONTENTS





Know Your Camera Level 1

Read the manual Familiarise yourself with the buttons, switches and dials Level 2 Identify the correct creative exposure Level 3 Learn the unique properties of your camera and lenses Improve Your Composition See

Strengthen Exclude Energise

Develop Your Creativity Stage 1 Identify your interests Stage 2 Practice through projects Summary

Two things this book doesn’t cover are which camera to buy and how to process your images. Take a look online for information on both these topics.

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01 KNOW YOUR CAMERA Part of the craft of photography is being able to get your camera to do what you want it to do without having to think about it. This enables you to concentrate on more important things like composition and creativity.

To do this you will need to move away from the automatic settings on your camera (often symbolised by a green rectangle, where the camera decides most of the settings for you) towards the semi-automatic – aperture priority (Av or A), shutter priority (Tv or S) – or manual settings (M).

This technical side of photography can be broken down into three levels. •  Level 1 Beginner – Knowing exactly what each button and dial does, and where each function can be found and adjusted, as well as where to find things in the camera menu system. •  Level 2 Intermediate – Knowing what settings to use to take a particular image the way you want to take it; for example with a shallow depth of field, or with movement in the water, or with the focus point off centre, or a star burst on a light.

•  Level 3 Advanced – Knowing the way your camera actually does things, what an image is going to look like with that particular lens at that aperture and focal length; knowing the amount and type of noise you will have in an image at that ISO; knowing how much you will be able to reveal in the shadows of an image when processing to get the detail back. The following pages explain how to approach each of these levels.

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LEARNING LEVEL 1 – READ THE MANUAL Yes I know it is tedious, but there are things hidden in there you will only know if you read it, for example a wonderful shortcut that enables you to do something more easily or a function that you had no idea existed.

On a recent photo shoot we were taking pictures of boxers in training and one of photographers was struggling to get sharp shots because his autofocus couldn’t keep up with the speed of movement. I happened to know that his camera was more than up for the job, he simply hadn’t learnt how to find the right setting. So dust off that manual, open it up and read it through carefully. Here are my top tips for doing that: •  Read it with your camera in hand so that you can actually practice the things you are discovering. •  Use a highlighter (physical or electronic) to make key bits of text stand out. Make a list of key things/pages. •  Note anything that you find particularly helpful, and then review that item at least once a day over seven days to get it into your memory. •  Download your manual onto your phone/tablet so you always have it with you in case you need to find out how to do something. Don’t ignore this top tip! I know it doesn’t appeal to many of us, but it really does mean you will know how to get the best out of your camera. And if you have read it before, have a second read through to pick up on things missed.

The faster you can get to mastering the simple tools, the faster you will master your craft. Start with knowing your camera so well you can operate it in the dark without looking at buttons. If you nail these, you’re on your way. Forget the complicated stuff; put the time in on the basics. David du Chemin

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BUTTONS AND DIALS We want to be able to make changes without having to think about how to do them, so that it has become instinct.

There will be occasions where something appears momentarily, and if we are fumbling around trying to find the right settings we will miss the image; for example the brief appearance of a beautiful rainbow or a herd of wild horses running across a field.

When we don’t have to think about the technical side we can concentrate on the artistic side of photography, improving our composition and developing our style.

Here is a basic list of things to learn, with space to add a couple more, and on page 8 some suggestions on how to learn them. The key is to learn the functions that you are likely to use, which doesn’t necessarily mean learning every button or dial.

✔ ITEMS TO MASTER Turn on your camera; yes really, know how to do this without looking at the camera Change your battery i.e. knowing which way in it goes without thinking Change your memory card i.e. knowing which way in it goes without thinking Change from automatic mode to aperture priority Change from aperture priority to shutter priority or manual Adjust the aperture i.e. from f4 to f16 Adjust the shutter speed i.e. from 1/250 to 1/60, from 1/125 to 6 seconds Know how to adjust both the shutter speed and aperture in manual mode Adjust the ISO i.e. from 100 to 400 Apply exposure compensation in aperture priority mode i.e. + 1 or -2/3 Change the way it meters light i.e. from evaluative/matrix to single spot Change the focus points i.e. from multiple focus points to single focus point Move a single focus point i.e. from the centre of the screen to the right hand third Change the drive mode i.e. from single shot to high speed burst mode Change the autofocus mode i.e. from single focus to continuous focus Change the white balance i.e. from sunny day to cloudy day Change the picture style i.e. from standard/natural to mono Turn off image stabilisation (in camera or on lens) Turn on a two/ten second timer Access your camera menu

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TOP TIPS Building muscle memory takes time, but can be done relatively painlessly. •  Find something to watch on TV that doesn’t take too much concentration. •  Choose one of the above changes in function and practice it so you can do it without thinking. This will on average take 10 minutes of practice repeated over 7 to 10 days. •  Then place your camera under a blanket (or turn off the lights) and see if you can do it without looking at the buttons. •  Choose another function and repeat the above procedure until you have worked your way through all of the different items. •  When you have ticked off the entire list above, see if there are other buttons/dials on your camera that you haven't used yet and find out what they do. •  Finally, give the list to someone else, and ask them to randomly call out any item off the list and without removing the camera from your eye see if you can instantly make the adjustment. It is also worth knowing the basics for any other equipment you use, for example lenses, flash guns, and tripods. The same approach applies: read the manuals, then practice until you are totally familiar with the core functions that mean you can do what you want without having to think about it. 8

LEARNING LEVEL 2 Level 2 builds on level 1. Once we know where the buttons and dials are and where to find things in the menu it is time to learn how and when to use them.

This is about being able to select the correct creative exposure for any situation. It involves a knowledge of the exposure triangle, of how changes to the aperture, shutter speed and ISO affect an image.

There are three options for learning how these all work: •  Attend a workshop where you learn the theory and then put it into practice. •  Read a book. I’d recommend Bryan Peterson’s excellent Understanding Exposure. •  Go online and watch YouTube videos or read an article. Just Google ‘exposure triangle’ and you will find there are plenty. Read on for a starters guide.

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THE EXPOSURE TRIANGLE The exposure triangle is made up of three things. Aperture The size of the hole in the lens letting light through to the sensor, measured in f-stops i.e. f2.8-f.22. The smaller the f-stop number (i.e. f2.8, 3.5) the bigger the hole. It affects the Depth of Field (DOF), how much of the image is in focus. The simple way to remember this is big number (f16 or higher) big DOF, small number (f4 or lower) small DOF (see page 12 for more on this). Shutter speed The time the light is allowed to hit the sensor, measured in fractions of a second or seconds, e.g. 1/1000 to 1/4 to 15 seconds. It affects motion blur. The faster the shutter speed the more you freeze what you are taking, the slower the shutter speed the more you will see movement in the image. Modern cameras and lenses often feature image stabilisation, reducing the impact of camera shake, but worth noting that for speeds slower than 1/30 second a tripod is generally needed. ISO This can be understood as the sensitivity of the sensor to light. Low ISO (i.e. 100) is low sensitivity, less light getting through. High ISO (i.e. 1600 or more) is high sensitivity, more light getting through. So when it is darker you increase the sensitivity to enable you to capture the image. However, high ISO also equals more ‘noise’ (increase in grain on the image).

Images taken from www.exposureguide.com/exposure/ – an excellent website on the basics of exposure.

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A QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE TO PRINT In essence there are five common correct creative exposures you are mainly going to use (there are some others, but we’re going to keep this simple for now). When you look at the image you are taking, ask yourself what sort of look do I want to capture?

1. Large depth of field – aperture priority Normally used in a landscape when you want both things close to you and far away to be in focus. •  Aperture priority: as a starting point, between f11 to f16 if the item closest to you is more than four metres away, f16-22 if it is less than four metres away. •  To get maximum DOF focus, identify the closest object you want in focus and double the distance and focus at that point. Recompose and take the picture.

2. Shallow depth of field – aperture priority This enables you to isolate your subject when you want one thing to be in focus and everything else out of focus. It is often used for portraits or arty shots. •  Aperture priority: f4-5.6 if you want shallow DOF, f2.8 or f1.8 if you want very shallow DOF. •  Focus precisely on the point you want in focus, e.g. on a portrait shot focus on the eye closest to you. •  The shallowness of the DOF is affected by how close you are to the subject, and the distance between the subject and the items in the background.

3. DOF doesn’t matter – aperture priority When there isn’t a great distance difference in between elements in the image and you want everything in focus. •  Aperture priority, f5.6-8 (often the ‘sharpest’ apertures for lenses, though it does differ from lens to lens).

4. Freeze action – shutter priority When you want to ‘freeze’ something that is moving and capture everything really sharp, for example water flowing over a waterfall, a sports person moving fast. •  Shutter priority: choose 1/250-1/500 if coming towards you, 1/500-1/1000 if moving across your image (or faster if necessary). •  Place the focus on the main subject of the image that you want nice and sharp.

5. Imply motion – shutter priority When you want to give a sense of movement, e.g. water flowing over a waterfall with a silky effect. •  Shutter priority: place camera on a tripod, choose 1/2 shutter speed for a waterfall or the sea, even slower for more dramatic movement. •  Put camera into timer mode (ideally two seconds) so when you press the button there is a delay before the photo takes to prevent camera shake that occurs if you press the button. Switch off image stabilisation. •  Focus on the subject checking your DOF.

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WHERE DO I FOCUS? This is one of the more complicated aspects of photography. For those who are technically minded take a look at some of the articles I recommend below. For those after a simpler approach, read on.

Depth of field is how much of the image is acceptably sharp (in focus). If you are shooting a portrait you may want a very shallow DOF, focusing on the eyes of your model, so they are nice and sharp, using f2.8/4 to ensure that the focus falls off very quickly, giving a nice blur to the background.

In landscape photography you are likely to want a deep DOF so that an object close to you is in focus as well as the mountain many kilometers away. This involves deciding on your hyperfocal distance. There are many methods of doing this, but here is probably the simplest and best.

Image taken from www.photographylife.com/what-is-depth-of-field – an excellent article introducing depth of field.

Hyperfocal distance To achieve maximum DOF identify the object closest to you that you want in focus. Estimate the distance to it and then double that distance. Focus on something at that point. So if the closest object you want in focus in 3 metres away, focus at 6.

You will need to select an appropriate aperture. This is dependent on a number of factors: whether your camera is a full frame or crop frame sensor; whether you are using a wide angle or telephoto lens; how far away the closest object you want in focus is.

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It is best to use the aperture closest to the sweet spot of your lens (often around f8 to f11), because these apertures also minimise something called diffraction. However, you do want everything to be in focus, so you may have to use f16 or even f22, especially if your nearest object is less than four metres away.

All of this does depend on your camera and lens (for example, with a wide angle lens you can generally get away with f8 or f11), so once you’re set up, take a test shot and view it carefully on the screen to see if everything is acceptably sharp by zooming in on the image and scrolling around to look at the closest and furthest objects you want in focus.

One of the challenges of this method is estimating the distances, and you can buy measuring devices to do this, but moving to the side and looking at the distance is probably a good enough place to start.

Hyperfocal distance articles This is a great article explaining some of the technical aspects, as well as outlining the strengths and weaknesses of multiple ways of identifying the correct hyperfocal distance – www.photographylife. com/landscapes/hyperfocaldistance-explained.

This one looks at the ‘circle of confusion’ and is for those really into the details http:// www.fujifilm.com.au/blogs/digitalphotography/circle-of-confusionand-what-it-means-to-be-infocus.

And for a shorter article explaining why focusing one third into the image isn’t such a good way of identifying the hyperfocal distance, http:// www.barbeephoto.com/blog/theone-third-myth/

There are plenty of other articles online, so Google ‘hyperfocal distance’ if you want to read more about this.

One final comment on DOF and hyperfocal distance. Don’t get overly concerned about this! It is good to get a technically correct image, but it is even better to get an image that captures the mood, the moment, the composition, the light, even if it isn’t technically perfect. Some of the great images of the ages aren’t technically spot on, but they are still great images.

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LEARNING LEVEL 3 Level 3 is the advanced level. We really need to have mastered levels 1 and 2 before we can fully engage with level 3.

It involves learning the way your camera and lenses actually do things – what an image is going to look like with that particular lens at that aperture and focal length; or knowing the amount and type of noise you will have in an image at that ISO.

The best way to learn this is to experiment. For example, if using a prime lens (one with a fixed focal length i.e. 50mm) take a shot of a close up subject using a variety of apertures and then put them on your screen and look at how the depth of field alters.

Or if using a zoom lens, take a shot of the same subject the same size at the same aperture, but at different focal lengths. For

example 24mm, 35mm 50mm, 70mm, 105mm. You will have to move your feet to capture exactly the same image in the viewfinder. Then look at the way the images differ on your screen as you have adjusted your viewpoint.

Or take the same image using a variety of ISO settings to see how noise (grain) affects the images so you can identify the highest ISO setting of your camera you are happy to use under normal circumstances.

Or look at how using a long lens (200mm or more) compresses the perspective, drawing the different elements closer together.

The essence of learning level 3 is intentional practice. One way to do this is through assignments (see part 3). Select something and get out and practice it again and again and again. Little is learned without practice.

Perhaps one final thing to mention at this point is to recognise that practice involves experimentation and failure. There will be many images we take that simply don’t work, but even the ones that don’t work can be helpful to our learning. Why don’t they work? What could we do differently next time? How can we improve. Use even the ‘failures’ as a part of your growth.

I never have taken a picture I’ve intended. They’re always better or worse. Diane Arbus

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02 IMPROVE YOUR COMPOSITION You know your equipment, know how to make adjustments without thinking about it, where to find things in the menu when you need them. You have still got to take an image, and the more creative you can be in this the better.  

You’ve found something to take, the light is good, the subject is strong, the moment is happening right in front of you, you take the shot, and when you get back to your computer and put it up on the screen, you’re… frankly… disappointed. How could what you saw have come out in such a bland, uninspiring way?

Sadly the answer to that question is – very easily! Because we are taking a three dimensional image in a two dimensional medium we have to work hard at capturing things in a way that does justice to what was before us. This is the art of composition.   Those who are more advanced as photographers will regularly bemoan ‘rules’, saying that photography is an art and there are no rules. And of course for those who are advanced in the craft that might well be the case.

However, for those of us who are just getting going, or are trying to improve our pictures, it is helpful to have a few guidelines on what can help improve our composition. Here is a simple acronym to capture some of these guidelines.  

S TRENGTHEN

E XCLUDE#

E NERGISE

Of course slavishly following these guidelines in every shot will produce predictable images, and there are occasions when you will want to ignore them (for example, when taking a reflection of mountains in a lake it is better to put the shoreline through the middle of the picture), but as a way of improving your composition they are a great place to start. Choose one and go out and take as many photos as you can.

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STRENGTHEN EXCLUDE ENERGISE Certain things help strengthen an image. Here are four. 1. Focal point Your eye is drawn to certain points in an image – this is where your eye ‘lands’. Having a clear focal point, a clear point of interest, helps those looking at an image know what they are looking at. Our eyes are drawn to: •  Size Something larger in the image, or indeed something noticeably smaller. •  Contrast Between light and dark, between colours. •  Light A bright area will draw the eye towards it. •  Colour Warm, stronger colours in particular.  

You don’t take a photograph, you make it. Ansel Adams 2. Thirds The rule of thirds is probably the best known ’guideline’. It suggests you divide the image into thirds and that you put the main subject on one of the thirds, or ideally an intersection of thirds. This often works well, for example when taking a portrait ensure the eyes are on the upper third. Some cameras allow you to superimpose a grid of third lines in your viewfinder or on your screen. Check those menus to found out how.

This image uses both focal point and rule of thirds. The waterline is approximately on the upper third and the number 10 on an intersection of the upper third and the right third. The red colour contrasts with the blues and also draws your eye to the focal point of the image. 17

3. Balance/weight When an image is balanced it tends to work better. One object is balanced by another in the image to give a sense of harmony. The balance could be symmetrical between two halves, or asymmetrical with a large object balanced by a small object Like all the guidelines there are occasions when you don’t want balance, for example to add tension into an image. Here is a helpful article on balance – https://photographylife.com/ balance-in-photography.

You are two feet short of a compelling   composition. Bryan Peterson

4. Fill the frame If an image is over cluttered it loses its strength. So a way to strengthen the image is to get closer, and then get closer again. My first shot of the image (right) included the sky and another building. Not a bad image, but by moving my feet to get a different angle and zooming in I think it has made for a stronger image overall (left). 18

STRENGTHEN EXCLUDE ENERGISE Photography is as much about what we leave out as what we include. Take time when looking through the viewfinder to improve the composition. 1. Eliminate distractions Look at centre of the image to see if anything catches your eye around the periphery; a lighter element, half a person, a piece of rubbish, power lines. One author calls these things ‘screaming babies’. You don’t hear a screaming baby if you are used to a screaming baby, but someone else entering the room is upset or annoyed by the level of noise. Train your eye to spot these things.

Which of my photographs is my favourite? The one I’m going to take tomorrow. Imogen Cunningham 2. Isolate the subject Once you know what the subject of your image is, move around to see if you can better isolate it in the frame to make it stand out further. The image on the right required a lot of moving around to isolate the hand and phone from the crowds of people gathered in the Lincoln Memorial. It could be improved by taking out the writing at the top, which is a distraction. But be careful not to inadvertently chop off something vital for your image i.e. the top of someone’s head.

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3. Change the background Does the background complement the subject or work against it? Can you alter your angle or move the subject to get a background that complements the subject better?

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STRENGTHEN EXCLUDE ENERGISE Some subjects convey energy, for example a picture of something moving fast, but most don’t. However, we can add energy to an image by using the following techniques. 1.  Lines Leading lines lead your eye through an image, for example an S-shaped road or river, or a wall running from the bottom left corner in to the middle of the image. Converging lines help focus us on a particular point. Diagonals generally add energy, so adjust your camera to take something at a diagonal rather than parallel to the edge of the image. 2.  Space If things are too tight against the frame they don’t ‘breathe’, they feel cramped and lack energy. Give your subject enough room within the frame not to feel hemmed in. Also, if your subject is moving, make sure they have space to move into i.e. a bird flying from left to right is put on the left third so there is space for them to fly into. 3.  Odd numbers Generally when shooting things try to get odd numbers rather than even. For example, three arches of a bridge not four; five windows in a building not six; seven people not eight. With even numbers your eye doesn’t quite know where to land, with odd numbers you eye rests more easily on the image and it has more energy. 4.  Change your viewpoint By getting lower or higher you can dramatically alter the feel of an image. Bridges, car parks and even chairs are great ways to get higher. Crouching, kneeling or even lying on the ground all help to get lower. This has a significant impact on portraits. If you take someone from a lower angle it heightens the sense of strength, from a higher angle it increases the sense of vulnerability.

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5.  Frame within a frame Framing your subject in a frame within the frame of the image can help bring energy and focus to a picture. The frame may be natural (the branches of a tree) or person-made (a door frame). 6.  Create depth In landscape photography it generally helps to have a sense of depth to the image. This is helped by having foreground, mid-ground and background in the image, and all of it in focus. This fools the eye into thinking it is looking at a three dimensional image. 7.  Orientation I learnt a mantra from Bryan Peterson ‘When is the best time time to turn your camera to portrait? When you have just taken a landscape’ (and vice versa). It can significantly change the image. 8.  Triangles Triangles in an image, actual or implied, help energise a picture. Rather than having three people all standing next to each other, have one behind and two in front to create a triangle of their faces. Or there may be a way of composing a street scene that has three parts of the image in a triangle with one another. 9.  Left to right In the Western world we read left to right so the eye naturally wants to move in that direction across an image. So place the subject on the right and it will stop the eye from wandering out of the image. 10. Patterns and symmetry Both add dynamism to a picture, especially repeating patterns. 11. Change the aspect ratio Most cameras take pictures in 3:2, but sometimes 1:1 or 16:9 work better. Your camera may allow you to do this in camera, or you can do it afterwards in processing Ideally work with a combination of these techniques to dramatically energise your images.

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A CHECKLIST TO PRINT AND KEEP WITH YOU SEE

EXCLUDE

ENERGISE

Focal point Heighten using colour, light, size and contrast.

Eliminate distractions Look out for ‘crying babies’.

Lines Use leading, converging and diagonal lines.

Rule of thirds Place subject on intersection of thirds.

Isolate the subject Make sure it is the focal point of the image.

Space Make sure your subject has breathing space.

Balance Look for harmony between objects to bring balance to an image.

Change the background Alter your position or move the subject to get a background that works with the subject.

Odd numbers Where possible, choose odd numbers over even.

Fill the frame Get closer and closer again.

Change your viewpoint Get higher, get lower. Frame within a frame Frame your subject in a frame. Create depth Use foreground, mid-ground and background to give a sense of depth.

It matters little how much equipment we use; it matters much that we be masters of all we do use. Sam Abell

Orientation When is the best time to take a portrait orientation? Triangles Look for or create triangles. Left to right Place your subject on the right to stop the eye moving out of the image. Patterns and symmetry Find repeating patterns. Change the aspect ratio Try 1:1 or 16:9 23

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03 DEVELOP YOUR CREATIVITY We now know our camera, where to find things in the menu and how to adjust the settings and use the dials and buttons without even looking (the technical aspect of the craft). We are improving our composition, using a variety of techniques to help strengthen and energise our images (the artistic aspect).

The third aspect is about what we decide to take, bringing together our technical knowledge and artistic ability with a growing creativity. Some photographers describe this as your ‘vision’, others as your ‘intent’. I think it is a combination of our interests (what we care about, are passionate about, what is important to us) and what attracts us visually (what we find beautiful or engaging). As Newman describes it in the quote opposite, it is about having something in our head and heart.

We can enhance our creativity over time (measured in years, if not decades) through identifying our interests and then focusing on them through projects. We begin by experimenting with lots of different types of photography, and slowly, gradually discern what we most love taking.

A lot of photographers think that if they buy a better camera they’ll be able to take better photographs. A better camera won’t do a thing for you if you don’t have anything # in your head or in # your heart. Arnold Newman

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STAGE 1 – IDENTIFY YOUR INTERESTS Interest is what gets people started. It provides focus, elicits energy, requires curiosity and discipline. •  The landscape photographer who gets up at 2am to climb a mountain for a sunrise. •  The street photographer who waits patiently in front of a stunning scene with great light for someone wearing the right colour clothes to come strolling through the image. •  The wedding photographer who stays until late in the evening knowing that some of the most relaxed and intimate images will be after the more formal part of the reception has taken place. 

Identifying your interests is an ongoing journey, as our interests change over the years. But you can explore them using any of the following approaches. Choose one and stick with it a while.

APPROACH 1 – BEGINNER In the early days of photography it is good to experiment with taking as many different things as possible, simply to try out possibilities and see what takes our interest.

Typical genres of photography include: •  Portrait •  Landscape •  Sport •  Animal •  Macro •  Street •  Architecture •  Travel •  Still life •  Fine art •  Wedding •  Urban Within each of these there are numerous variations: for example portraits could be posed in a studio or in a work context or be candid on the street.



Well, curiosity is everything. If you don’t have curiosity, you don’t have anything. That’s the thing that keeps you going – you’re curious about what’s around the corner. David Bailey

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Perhaps begin by choosing one or two genres that grab your interest and have a go; keep open to opportunities to experiment with other genres as the opportunity arises. Note where your interest is piqued.

APPROACH 2 – INTERMEDIATE This approach works best when you have a sufficient number of images to reflect on (perhaps a thousand or more you are happy with).

If you want to be a better photographer, stand in front of more interesting stuff. Jim Richardson

Look back through your photos and reflect: •  Are there particular subjects you have taken more often than others? •  Are you drawn to look at certain types of images more than others? •  Which images attract you visually? Which do you think of as beautiful? What engages you, arrests you? •  Where is your interest sparked? What do you care about? What is important to you? What do you feel passionate about?

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Noting your response to these questions may give you a clue about where to focus your energies for the next season of your photography.

Perhaps you notice that you’ve taken a number of landscapes and that you are more drawn to these images than others. You love being outside in the countryside, you care about nature and how it can be protected, and you are engaged by the challenge of capturing the beauty of a scene.

Or maybe you are intrigued by the infinite variety of the human race, love travel and the opportunity to explore new cultures, and are engaged by the beauty of faces.

Or maybe you have always been passionate about sport, enjoy the unfolding drama of the spectacle in front of you, and love trying to capture a moment of intense action.

When you have identified an interest you wish to explore further you are ready to move on to stage 2 of developing your creativity. Of course, you may identify several interests. Some will have the time to explore several at once; others, because of time constraints, will need to take one at a time. At this stage though it is probably best to not take on too many projects. Constraints enhance creativity.

Our interests also develop and change, so even when you have got a clear idea of what you want to pursue, remain open to opportunities to try something new as you may discover a new passion. And if you want to refine the process of identifying your interests even further try approach 3.

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APPROACH 3 – ADVANCED This approach involves two ideas that take more time than the previous approaches. They probably work best for those who have developed a real passion for their photography and want to take a focused approach to identifying their interests.

A. Explore This idea comes from David Hurn’s book, On Being a Photographer.

‘Carry a notebook and during quiet times or as the thought occurs to you, compile a list of anything that really interests you. In other words, write a list of subjects which fascinate you without regard to photography. What could inflame your passion and curiosity over a long period of time? At this stage, make the list without any regard for photography and be as specific as possible.

After you have exhausted the list, begin to cut it down by asking yourself these questions: •  Is it visual? You can safely eliminate such fascinating (to you) topics as existential philosophy or the existence of intelligent life on other planets. •  Is it a subject about which I know enough? Eliminate those subjects about which you are ignorant, at least until you have conducted a good deal of research into the topic.

•  Is it practical? You can cut out topics which are difficult or impossible to photograph at your convenience on a regular basis. For example, if I were a photographer of limited means living in, say, Birmingham, I would have to eliminate the topic of Japanese pagodas, at least as far as photography is concerned. Or I would cut out an interest in famous film stars – the subject must be not only practical but continually accessible. •  Is it interesting to others? This is a tricky one, but it is worth asking yourself: if you have several remaining topics all of which are equally fascinating, which one is interesting to others? This is tricky only in that it ignores the issue of your intended audience, which might be a small, specialised one, and the issue of pandering to public appeal. If all of the final selections interest you equally, it does not seem like a compromise to select the topic which others are more interested in viewing. The subject matter you select must: 1) fire your enthusiasm and curiosity for at least the length of time it will take to produce a meaningful body of work; 2) lend itself to images, as opposed to words and; 3) remain continuously accessible so that you can return time and again to the same topic whenever you wish or have time.   When I say be as specific as possible I mean: take on a project which is containable and can be completed within a reasonable period of time. Also, the more precise the topic, the easier it is to conduct research.‘

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B. Consider other photographers’ work We can identify our interest through looking at other photographers’ images and hearing them talk about their work.

Look at their images

Listen to podcasts There are lots out there, here are a few to get you started (Google to find them): •  The Candid Frame by Ibarionex Perello. •  Togcast by Paul Sanders and Sam Gregory. •  Vision is Better by David du Chemin.

•  Many photographers produce books of their work (normally around a theme or project they have been working on). You can access these through bookshops or libraries or sometimes through ebooks online. The advantage of books is that you can take your time with the images and revisit them over a number of occasions. •  You may find a photographer whose work you like by browsing through online galleries like Flick’r, 500px or Instagram. Be a little careful of endlessly flicking through random images. You can waste a lot of time this way! I tend to ‘follow’ a few photographers who I like so that I am inspired by their images as they are posted. •  You can also visit galleries or displays, for example the Wildlife Photographer of the Year awards regularly travels around the country. There are also local displays often put on by local camera clubs.

As you listen you‘ll pick up things that spark your interest, that you want to find out more about. You‘ll also notice what bores you, an equally helpful sign of where your interest doesn‘t lie.

You are looking to identify what interests you, what makes a genre intriguing for you, a particular image engaging. What you are drawn to can be a clue to what it would be good to pursue as a future project (see stage 2).

The Next Step Hopefuly using one of these approches, or a combination of all three, you have been able to identify your interests, the things that you would like to pursue to help develop your cretativy. Time for stage 2.

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  The narrower and more clearly defined the subject matter at the start, the more quickly identified is the ‘direction in which to aim the camera‘, as Steiner said, and the more pictures are taken. The more the shooting, the greater the enthusiasm and knowledge for the subject. The greater your knowledge, the more you want to do it justice and this increases the scope and depth of the pictures. So the process feeds # on itself. All I can tell young people is that for forty years I have talked to many of the best photographers in the world, in various areas of the medium, and there is a common denominator among all their approaches to the taking of pictures: they are enthusiastic and knowledgeable about their subject matter and they plan ahead of the actual shooting. David Hurn

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STAGE 2 – PRACTICE THROUGH PROJECTS The quote on the previous page captures the bridge between stages 1 and 2 really well. Once you’ve discovered an interest it is time to work with it to hone your creativity. Such work needs both an interest that is inspiring enough to keep you going, and also continual practice through the disciplined planning of projects.

Projects can be a wide variety of things, but the following guidelines may help you as you think about what to do.

1. DECIDE HOW LONG YOU ARE GOING TO TAKE A project could be as short as a couple of hours taking photos one morning, through to something that lasts a lifetime. Here are a few examples related to timescale: •  You have a day to take photographs with a friend in a particular town. Your interest is in street photography. You decide to focus on taking pictures of people in black and white that day. •  You have a weekend break in Paris and your interest is in architecture. You decide to build one hour into each day to take pictures of three buildings you’ve identified through research online. •  You are wanting to push yourself over the course of year, so you decide to take one photo a week using an App that gives you a subject for each week. Ideally we will have a two or three projects on the go covering a variety of timescales.

2. HAVE AN END IN MIND When starting out on a project it can help to know what you are going to produce at the end of it. You’ve already identified your interest, the subject matter you’re going to be focusing on, but there are other factors you can determine at this stage. For example: •  The number of images you want to produce. •  Whether they are going to be in black and white or colour. •  The aspect ratio: 3:2, 4:3, 1:1, 16:9? •  The format: JPEG without any post capture processing, or RAW with a particular style of processing. •  A photobook, print, public display, online gallery. 3. ENGAGE BOTH HEAD AND HEART A range of photographers talk about seeing an image as more than simply looking with our eyes, but also looking with our hearts. ‘Ask yourself: “Does this subject move me to feel, think and dream?”’ Ansel Adams

‘To me, photography is an art of observation. It’s about finding something interesting in an ordinary place… I’ve found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.’ Elliott Erwitt

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‘Great photography is about depth of feeling, not depth of field.’ Peter Adams

‘Photography for me is not looking, it’s feeling. If you can’t feel what you’re looking at, then you’re never going to get others to feel anything when they look at your pictures.’ Don McCullin

But photography is also about the use of our head, our intellect, as Cartier-Bresson suggests. ‘It is an illusion that photos are made with the camera… they are made with the eye, heart and head.’ Henri Cartier-Bresson

Great photographers think hard about what they are going to take, and plan thoroughly the projects they are working on, using all the tools available to increase their chance of getting superb images. They also think hard about the subject in front of them and the best possible way to capture it. In this sense they ‘work’ hard at the image, developing their craft, enhancing their creativity through emotion and intellect.

On my workshops I talk about the difference between a snap and a picture: •  A snap evokes an emotional response in you. You look at something and remember where you were, who you were with, what you were doing. But when I look at your snap I smile politely and share your memory with you, but it does little or nothing to me. •  A picture however evokes an emotional response in me. I go wow, or amazing, or feel sad or angry or confused or intrigued. There are three things that help evoke such a response: •  Story I look and wonder what the story is that has led to this image. •  Beauty/aesthetic I am caught by the beauty of something, or by a particular aesthetic that intrigues or attracts me. •  Emotion The image draws out of me an emotional response. Of course the ideal is to have all three in one image, and for the image to be taken well. 33

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Snaps are great, we all love them. Pictures are harder work and involve engaging the heart and the head. Here are a few ideas on how to do that. •  ‘Concentrate on adjectives’ as one photographer suggests. If you make an image to be moody, you can bet the viewer will think it is moody too. Try and instill a very distinct mood, or feeling, into your work. Start to think in terms of key words that describe your work. One of mine is grungy! •  Introduce constraints Marteen Rots speaks for many when he says ‘I am strongly convinced that creating restrictions leads to more freedom and development when it comes to creativity.’ Constraints actually help you to focus on one thing, and that tends to heighten creativity. Take a look at the list opposite and try one. •  Ask yourself what is the most compelling way to take this image? It pushes you to think about what you are taking. For example, to think about if a different angle, or a different point of view would increase the strength of the image.

✔ WAYS TO INTRODUCE CONSTRAINT Only take images at a particular focal length (i.e. 35mm) Only take images in black and white Only take images in a particular place Choose an aspect ratio i.e.1:1 Decide to take a particular colour i.e. red Use one lens for a significant period of time (a month?), ideally a prime lens Choose a particular time of day to take images over a month i.e. 8-9am Take images only within walking distance of your home or place of work Set a specific period of time to work on a project Take one subject matter i.e. people’s legs Shoot in a particular type of weather i.e. rainy days Use your phone camera for a project Go out and allow yourself to take only one image, or perhaps three or five (but one is probably best!) Or when you are taking photos in a variety of settings over the course of a day, choose a setting where you decide to only take one image Shoot only portrait or landscape orientation Follow a 365 day or 52 week project Leave a gap of, say, two months before editing your photos

•  Pursue your passion You are more likely to get an engaging image if you are engaged with the subject. 35

4. PRINT (OR AT LEAST POST) THE OUTCOME When you have completed your project print it. There are many advantages to a printed image over against a digital image on a screen. Some of these are pragmatic, but the one I want to focus on here is that it will help you be more effective in assessing your images. The discipline of preparing an image for print is the first part of this. We are investing more in it so are likely to take more time in processing it than a digital file.

We also live with the image in a different way when it is physically printed. If it is hung on your wall you see it more frequently, get to enjoy it and critique it over time. If it is in a photobook you can ponder it without other distractions.

There are a variety of ways to print our images: •  Create a photobook These can be done relatively inexpensively. There is even a basic way of doing this in Lightroom and creating a pdf file of your book. •  Create actual prints (at home or through a printer) and display in your home or in a public space. Cafes and restaurants are often happy to have a display of good images, including your contact details. •  Post online If printing isn’t possible, display your images online, preferably to a known group of people who can offer discerning feedback. For example, if you belong to a camera club share your images and critique them.

Remember when posting images to only show your best. Facebook and Instagram can seduce us into posting everything we take, and that is fine with snaps. But when it comes to your pictures, wise photographers only post their very best images.

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As a result of these four guidelines you may discover a ‘style’ or ‘look’ emerges as you express your creativity. You may even discover there is a particular genre you enjoy most, which you specialise in, knowing which equipment best suits your purpose, developing a sense, almost an intuition, for how best to take images within your genre. 

Just like an author, a photographer’s style, their way of taking and processing photographs, gives them a unique look.

This has a number of advantages: •  You become more attuned to taking images and are more likely to see them because of the impact of constraint.  •  You get quicker at processing them, because you know the look you are after and have set up a variety of short cuts that minimise the time in front of the computer and maximise the time behind the camera.

•  If you are looking to gain commercial work, people know what they are going to get when they employ you. •  When displaying your work the images are likely to work well with one another. I remember the first time I displayed some of my images in public. I was part of a camera club and we got some space to present our work in a public building. We all turned up with some of our ‘best’ images. Individually some of mine weren’t too bad, but in comparison to another member of the club, who had decided his genre and worked out his style, mine looked like a random collection of images by a range of people. His all worked together beautifully, looked consistent, and had clearly been taken by the same person.

Another example is a friend who is a professional wedding photographer. His style is different to other wedding photographers. Not everyone will like it. That

doesn’t matter, because plenty do love it, and when people approach him it is normally because they like his style.

A unique style, which is what we are talking about, is the by-product of visual exploration, not its goal. David Hurn Developing your creativity is a long term process. Remember, it will almost certainly involve seasons where you are frustrated, even have the photographer’s equivalent of writer’s block. But keep going. It is worth it. Because hard work almost inevitably pays off in better images.

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04 TO SUMMARISE Three things helps develop the craft of photography: •  Knowing your camera Levels 1 and 2 can be done relatively quickly (weeks), level 3 takes a greater degree of intentionality and time (months). •  Improving your composition SEE can be practiced every time you are out taking photos, and is mastered over years. •  Developing your creativity This is the big one. Identifying our interests and practicing through projects takes many years, often decades.

As mentioned in the introduction, these are best done in the sequence outlined here, although inevitably there is overlap between them. It is an iterative process where we return to earlier stages again and again to further grow in the skills required.

As with any craft, it is a combination of advice, intentionality, passion and practice that leads to creative competence. Don’t be put off when things don’t happen as quickly as you would like, that is normal. But persist and you will develop. Persist over time and you will eventually develop your craft. Be sure to enjoy the process, as well as the results.

An artist must first of all respond to their subject, they must be filled with emotion toward that subject and then they must make their technique so sincere, so translucent that it may be forgotten, the value of the subject shining through it. Robert Henri

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WORKSHOPS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

I run Photography Workshops for beginner and intermediate photographers. The workshops are for those with a DSLR or CSC camera who largely use them in the automatic mode and would like to find out the benefits of taking control of the camera. We look at everything from how to hold a camera properly to understanding the exposure triangle, how to compose and image to difficult lighting situations. Numbers are limited to a maximum of four participants, and they typically are run in Birmingham or Oxford, although I can travel to wherever suits you.

James works in the charitable sector as a leadership development specialist. As an author he has written nine books and courses in his area of specialism. As a speaker on a wide variety of leadership topics he travels extensively in the UK and overseas, always taking his camera with him. His passion for communication includes a love for photography, and he runs workshops and photography tours in his spare time. He lives in Warwickshire, loves anything that travels fast, and enjoys ironing.







ALSO BY THE AUTHOR Photography Tours – Your Guide to What You Need to Know, a 50 page e-book with ten top tips on how to find and prepare for a photography tour. Available from Amazon for the price of a coffee, £2.75



PHOTO TOURS I lead Photography Tours to Iceland. Over seven days we tour this stunning island. The group is eight people, and the price is on a cost only basis. Contact me for a brochure.

CONTACT DETAILS If you’d like to know more about my workshops or photo tours, or if you are interested in personal tuition on any aspect of photography, contact me: [email protected]

All photos, apart from those designated otherwise, and the text are © James Lawrence, not to be used in any way without permission from the author.

JCL Photography Workshops and Tours – Improving Your Photography –