Pump Up Your Creative Vision

All photographers depend on a number of variables to play a part in their own creative vision.

I once heard a quote from Henry David Thoreau that "The question is not about what you look at, but what you see." All photographers depend on a number of variables to play a part in their own creative vision. Shutter speeds, f.stops, choice of lens, where you choose to be to take your photograph, the light, sometimes combined with the time of day and many more components. All of these components are important, but you as an artist will concentrate on only the aspects that are important to you. Having said that, it is important to be aware of the other variables because they all come into play at some time.

How interesting to the viewer your images are depends on how you treat and react to these components. Two photographers at the same scene will respond differently to what they see. They will not have the same emphasis on aspects of the scene. You’re the one who chooses the correct lens for this particular job. You’re the one who chooses the exposure and the depth of field. You’re the one who determines what parts of the scene need emphasis. And finally it is you that presses the shutter at your optimum moment.

Some of these choices occur spontaneously. We don’t think about them because we have done it so many times before. To create pictures that are a little bit more than just competent snaps we need to look and analyse more. Look at the subject and think about all of the variables.

It doesn’t matter where you are there will be the potential for a good image. You have to look for it, and relating the variable aspects that we have discussed to the subject will help you to come up with something different. If you start seeing in a more creative manner you will come up with the goods more often than not. Remember –

"The question is not what you look at, but what you see."