To Make Better Photographs, Study More Photographs, Part One
I started this craft innocently enough—purchasing on a whim a Voigtlander rangefinder with a fixed 35mm lens when I was 14—but by the time I was 16 years old, I was hooked and desperate for something with a few more options. I wanted “a real camera.” I have no idea where I thought my mother would get the money for …
The Pleasure of the Poetic
I’m taking a bit of a chance with this one, but as I’ve been talking lately about the poetic possibility of photographs, I thought I’d make some further observations. I read a little poetry most mornings, coffee in hand, as I gather my wits for the day. Lately, it’s been Billy Collins, a two-term Poet Laureate of the United States. …
Motion? Make Me Feel It.
I don’t do rules very well. But I’ve got a couple of my own that come pretty close to inviolable. Don’t clean your sensor with your tongue is one such great rule. Very practical. In Bosnia, I was once given a large jar of honey that I thought would be better protected in my camera bag than anywhere else (I …
Further Thoughts on B&W
I’ve been hosting Heart of the Photograph virtual lectures for camera clubs around the world over the last couple of months, and one of the questions I seem to get after every one of those lectures is this: How do you approach your black and white work? The question comes in many forms, and now seemed as good a time as any to revisit …
The Most Powerful Tool Money Can’t Buy
Have you ever looked at an image made by another photographer and really felt like you were there? Like through some kind of magic, you weren’t just looking at the photograph so much as you were a part of it, immersed in it? Have you ever looked at an image and found yourself wondering about some tiny detail that is hinted …
Contrast: Look For The Differences
When legendary NY photographer Jay Maisel was asked how to make more interesting photographs, he unflinchingly replied, “Become a more interesting person.” You might have heard that story. It doesn’t surprise me at all; Jay is a blunt man who suffers no fools and saves his subtlety for his photographs. It’s a good answer, but it’s not very immediately applicable, is it? And …
Vision Isn’t Everything.
Vision Isn’t Everything. It’s Often Not Even the First Thing. Those of you who have been with me a while probably never thought you’d see the day when I’d write those words. I’ve built much of my teaching around the idea that “vision is better’” and, specifically, have placed a priority on vision being better than relying on endless gear upgrades where …
Clubs, Competitions, & Critiques
This is a longer one. You might want to grab a cup of coffee. In fact, if you’d rather listen than read, I’ve made an audio version for you and you can download it here. Enjoy. When I was a kid, I begged my mother to let me take horseback riding lessons. After some tearful pleading (mine, not hers), she …
Making the Poetic Image, Part Two
You wouldn’t be wrong if you called the last article I posted a bit of a “think piece” and wondered when the more practical advice was going to show up. Think of that last one as a nudge towards considering why an intentional use of composition is important if you want to make images that don’t just show us what …
Are Your Photographs Poetic? Part One.
Painter Robert Henri said, “Paint the flying spirit of the bird, rather than its feathers.” Similarly, Poet Anton Chekhov said, “Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.” One is a plea to painters, another to writers, but both beg the same thing: make me feel something. Don’t just tell me; don’t …