From Fashion to Footwork

Creativity

It saddens me that people forget that photography is first and foremost an art form. The science of it is an inevitable part of any art form that should simply be learned.

I believe photography to be much easier to learn and execute than painting, but on the other hand, there is so much more to learn and apply. Just as an experienced painter is capable of fluidly and seamlessly utilizing multiple techniques learned over time, a photographer should likewise tackle photographic problems with unique solutions and allow his artwork to evolve.

It is my firm belief that every photographer should have a background in (or at least, an education in) painting. If you studied the classic greats, you will see how the photographers all tried to emulate the painters of the time. You will continuously see the same composition techniques- the architectonic, life, etc.
A little known fact is I came with a background of painting. Something my parents could not keep me away from until I dropped it sometime in high school. However, it should be readily evident for those who have seen the photographs that I actually show off.
Henri Cartier-Bresson is my greatest photographic hero, and I try my very best to live by his "decisive moment." Something I still work hard at... I rush, just like my dancing. And it's just a painful reminder that I don't take as many pictures as my teachers have trained me to do.

Sometimes it's fun to share your various techniques, but I learned the people generally hang on to them for extended periods of time. It's like the "move of the day" phenomena at dance workshops, but just drag it out for a couple years. Take for example, the standard low-color temperature, stretched highlights, muddied shadows, high-saturation method. It produces a pleasing, warm-toned image that also has the added benefit of covering light control issues, allowing very low contrast to bring out shadows and hide blown-out highlights, hiding the background, and giving a surreal quality to the image.
It's not a bad technique, and I am seeing this technique used by many photographers nowadays. Some, like Marc Dodobara (Seattle), use this to accentuate their photography. However, many others are simply using it as a gimmick and to cover their mistakes. I definitely do not look well upon the usage of that technique as a cover-all. It's lazy, like rolling back on your heels.
I remember a little bit ago, people would oversaturate color to make up for poor images- and they still do. Your image should speak out for itself... color or not. A good judge of the composition of a picture is... if you take out all the special effects, turn it simply to black and white, does your picture still stand out?

-JN

posted by Torn Red Carpet @ 2:15 PM