A series of articles discussing looking and seeing.
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Level horizons and constructive criticism
Level horizons are really just the tip of a critical iceberg. Here’s why you should consider going straight.
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Expectations of Pictures
I got thinking about how we each bring our own expectations of how images work. What really interested me was how we deal with when that expectation is not met.
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Material ingredients
Several years ago as we were building our new house, I was taken by the idea of recording some of the materials we used or found on the site.
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Black and White Photography – Pictures for the Imagination
A very personal view of black and white photography.
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Talk about your picture
Try this as an exercise. You’ve got three minutes. Describe your image and give me some idea of what motivated you. Intimidating? Impossible? Here’s how.
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I saw the light
This year, a new camera has changed the way I take pictures. I’ll not break the habit of a lifetime – this won’t be a camera review – so this is all about how you see.
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The value of a good editor
Finding someone else to help with editing our pictures and choose our collections can prove useful. It works in other fields; why not photography too?
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Monochrome: one less distraction
Consider the use of monochrome to concentrate your viewers’ eyes on the real subjects of your photos.
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I know WHAT it is but WHY did you take that photo?
I feel like something of a scratched record about this, banging on about photographic intentions yet again. But it’s important.
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Learning to see: going beyond looking
We all take disappointing pictures at times. To get out of the habit, we have to learn to see in a different, more conscious way.
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From intentions to image – a worked example
In this article I describe some of the aesthetic decisions I made when processing a raw image file to get to this picture of Berwick Pier.
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Critiquing others to improve your photographs
Surprisingly you can improve your own pictures by critiquing other peoples’ images. Being specific about what you like will help when you create your own images.
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How do you title your pictures?
Do you need to tell people what your photograph is about? As ever it all depends on circumstances – what does your audience need to make the most of your images?
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Make your intentions plain
Being clear about your intentions for a photograph before you actually press the shutter button is the first step in creating images that say what you want them to say.
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Why monochrome?
Working in monochrome means you can’t rely on colour contrasts to separate elements in your photographs. You have to use the light and capture differences in luminance to produce an image with impact.
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Simplify, simplify! Pictures with impact
One of the hardest lessons to learn in photography is how to leave things out. Here’s how to simplify your pictures.
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Don’t just look – See!
“Seeing Things” by Joel Meyerowitz was conceived as a “Kid’s Guide to Looking at Photographs”, but it works for older people too.
