Photography Lessons
from John Hedgecoe's New Book of Phtography
Most good photographs capture the spirit of a subject,
conveying any unique aspects or features and giving it experesion
and meaning. To do this you need to understand the various
elements that ensure good results.
Taking photographs that have appeal and impact depends
in part on your ability to see the potential in a subject
and then interpret it in your own way. Hedgecoe's chapter
"How to See Better Pictures" makes one aware of
how light effects form, color, texture, shapen, and pattern,
and how to compose excellent photographs by considering
the different qualities of light. The main dimensions are:
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Focal point.
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Color: harmony. Restricted palette or
stong hues. Low-key or high-key. Quality of light.
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Color contrast. Light and color. Muted.
Spatial abstraction. Touch of color.
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Shape. Viewpoint. Competing shapes.
Shadows. Concentrating attention. Silhouette. Rim lighting.
Light and dark.
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Form. Emphasis. Direction of light.
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Revealing texture. Diffused lighting
keeps shadow out of the way. Magnify.
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Pattern. Viewpoint critical. Layers.
Isolating design. Effective detail. Random pattern.
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B&W. No color distration. Easy darkroom
manipulation. (Filters in analog world.)
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Framing the image. Surround.
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Viewpoint. Selective. High. Varying.
Low.
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Depth and perspective. Horizon = depth.
Wide-angle exagerrates depth. Vanishing point. Diminishing
scale.
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Balance and proportion. Balanced shapes.
Partial view. Foreground interest. Human scale. Dynamic
imblance. Abstraction.
Photography makes me mindful.
I slip the new camera in my pouch and actively scan for
striking geometry, humourous juxtaposition, bold color,
interesting pattern, dramatic lighting, and what-not.
A desirable photo is a combination of quality
of light, color palette, contrast, shape, and so forth --
a harmonious set of relationships represented by this mental
"equalizer."
Immediate feedback is such a great teacher.
When I had to wait a week for photographs to be developed,
I'd forgotten the details of the shot by the time the prints
arrived. Now I evaluate my results within an hour or two.
It's amazing how the camera points out how
interpretive one's eye is. These two views of the pyramid
looked equally pleasing through the viewfinder yet the one
on the right is clearly the better photo.
Feedback also teaches one about the camera
itself. Just because its auto-senser selects flash doesn't
mean it's right.
Here's another case where the images looked similar when
I was taking the photos but the left one is clearly out
of kilter.
In the analog days, you snapped a picture and took what
you got. (I often cropped photos with scissors before mounting
them.) Now taking the photo is only the first step. Then
comes cropping, brightening, cleaning up, and so forth in
a photo manipulation program.
