What is your Philosophy of Photography?

[Dave_D]

Do you really think so? I'm not at all sure about that. As Torus34 says, it is very difficult to do, and although I had been taking photographs for a long time, I hadn't even heard of it until last year.



Well of course, but visualisation is about knowing how you want your final print to look, seeing it in your mind's eye and taking steps to ensure that is what you get.

Seeing an inspiring scene and pointing your camera at it may give you what you want, and that's fine. But visualisation is about controlling the limitations of your equipment and materials and making decisions so that your print matches what you saw in your head before you released the shutter. How many people really do that?

Yes I really think so. Other then a pro in a studio or on location shooting for a client, anyone who uses a camera to capture a moment visualizes to a certain degree. The soccer mom talking pictures of her kid, the tourist at a zoo, Ansel Adams, Quang-Tuan Luong. They all saw something which compelled them to point a camera at something.

David D:

Sure, everyone 'visualizes' before they trip the shutter. But what you are doing is trivializing the process.

I think not. On the contray, the way this discussion has gone has over complicated the process. Let's keep this simple for a moment: The difference between the soccer moms and people who "visualize" is knowledge and technique. The basic concept is still the same. I know this because I too have been there and back. I learned the technical aspects of this concept studying under Alan Ross. I know all about the zone system of pre-visualization and post processing. I try not to get too hung up on the particulars and do what comes natural. For more reference on the philosophical discussion here is a whole forum dedicated to those who opine and ponder that colormesilly and others might enjoy. My particular philosophy of photography is continually evolving.

__________________

 

[darin3200]

The HCB approach. To capture life.

 

[Torus34]

Irminsul:

Welcome!

 

[Irminsul]

Irminsul:

Welcome!

Thank you for your kind welcome. I'm very glad To Be Here.

 

[Mr. Innuendo]

My philosophy of photography: Shoot more, earn more.

Simple stuff.

 

[Alexr25]

My philosophy is to always look at the date of the thread you are responding to. THIS THREAD IS ALMOST 9 YEARS OLD!!!

 

[KmH]

Seems maybe a now banned and deleted spammer dug up some old dried out bones.

 

[raventepes]

I have a couple philosophies regarding photography.

First of all is a no-brainer:
"Get it right in-camera"

Photoshop and other media is there for tweaks, but the more you get right when you press your shutter button, the better. It takes a lot of post processing work out of the equation. For typical workflow, I strive to just have to convert from RAW and sharpen a bit with maybe a couple tweeks to the output (using Levels).

The next one is pretty simple:
"Photograph emotion"

Photography should convey an emotional response, weather it be something for the photographer him or herself, or to family and friends, and even the general public. This rings true no matter what you're photographing, even if it's a shoe or watch. In product photography, images should have a "I want this" message. While I know they have their place, even studio portraits should have some kind of emotional response, though I know that they often seem fairly robotic in nature. Non-typical portraits are where I love to be, weather it be in-studio, or on location, especially working on wedding portraits.

Natural photography, weather you're shooting any kind of 'scape, or animals or birds, should bring you to the place and time where you took the picture, and have a sense of awe to them. I strive to compose and capture stunning images that make both myself, and other people wish they had been there to see what I saw through my lens. The same is often true for photojournalism. Take them to that place, weather they would want to be there, or not. Give viewers a sense of what's happening.

Put my two philosophies together, and you get my general mindset when I'm behind my camera.

My name, by the way, is Eddy Calhoun.

 

[Buckster]

I guess my philosophy of photography is best summed up: "Have fun with it."

Enjoy it in any way that makes you HAPPY. Shoot whatever kinds of subjects you like. Explore whatever genres you like. Shoot film or digital or both. Edit to the moon and back if you want to, or not at all if that's your bag instead. Worry less about what others like and prefer and advise, unless what they like and prefer and advise is what you like and prefer as well.

There are plenty of guidelines that you'll get from others along the way regarding what and how and why and when and where THEY think you should do something, but the only REAL rules and limitations are the ones you place on yourself, and that's entirely your decision to do so or not; To limit yourself what others want you to do, or be more carefree and adventurous in your exploration of the medium.

In the end, if you can't find fun, enjoyment, happiness in it - put it behind you and find something else that fulfills you instead.

 

[Mr. Innuendo]

My philosophy is to always look at the date of the thread you are responding to. THIS THREAD IS ALMOST 9 YEARS OLD!!!

Huh, so it is.

But does that somehow mean that the topic is no longer valid? Apparently a couple other people decided it was worthy of comment, so what's the BFD?

Yeah, I don't always look at dates. If a topic interests me, and it's a good discussion point, I'll reply.

If you don't like that, well, that's something you'll just have to work through.

 

[bribrius]

i don't care about getting through to a audience. I often don't care about pre visualization. Although i have my moments of semi artistic genius my general sense of it is that it is mostly bullshit. My minds "eye" i would rather turn off in most cases and see things for what they actually are.

simple.

when i was real little i watched the world outside through a window.
i got a little older and i watched it from out in the yard.
i got a little older again and i watched it go by from the sidewalk.
i got a little older again and i managed to see it in different towns and states.
i got a little older again and i managed to see it outside my country.

The principle purpose of my photography, beyond "family photos". Is still sitting on that sidewalk or looking out that window as a little boy watching the world go by. And taking a photograph of it. Reality fascinates me. while i do some artistic/landscape sort of shots sometimes they really dont mean a damn thing to me.

 

[Torus34]

Another peek into what a photographer does is to contrast it with the work of a painter. The painter begins with a blank canvas. He/she then adds to the canvas until he/she's added just enough. The photographer begins with a view of a big piece of the world and subtracts until what remains is ... just enough.

It's assumed that both the painter and the photographer are attempting to produce a work of some value; that is, a work which 'says' something. It's perfectly OK with me if that statement's 'Gee, isn't this beautiful?' Not all of us wish to, or can, plumb the depths of which the medium is capable.

 

[photoguy99]

There's no law that says reality cannot be art, cannot be beautiful, cannot be interesting, cannot be universal. Many of the best photographs are several of these things all at once.

 

[imagemaker46]

"A photograph is worth a thousand dollars plus expenses"

I personally believe I'm recording a memory for someone else. I'm not in the picture. I remember where where they were all shot, but the person in the picture will remember everything about why.

Scott

 

[Gary A.]

Shoot, shoot again and when you think you're done for the day ... shoot some more.