The Problem with Mood
A couple years ago I was doing a little moonlighting for a small computer and imaging company that rhymes with Snapple. They were under the mistaken impression that my nearly 40 years behind the camera meant I know what I’m talking about. But what a fun gig! One of my first tasks as their Creative Storytelling Specialist (yeah, I still …
The Power of Mood
Photography can be many things. For some, it’s about capturing scenes. For me, it’s about conveying emotions and suggesting narratives that resonate deeply, first with me and then with the viewers who might experience the image. I’m not so much after eyes as I am hearts and minds. Mood does that. The mood of a photograph is its emotional tone—a …
(In)Decent Exposures?
5 Ways to Greater Competence & Control In my last dispatch, I talked about competence, hoping that asking “Is my work getting better?” might lead you to more productive places in your craft than asking “Is it good?” I suggested that a first step might be to get better at the basics of your craft before running off all half-cocked to …
Everything But The Cameras
The holidays are coming and though this is not about that, there might something in here that you could give to your favourite photographer, especially if that’s you! This is decidedly less philosophical than some of my blog posts, but I thought I’d show you what’s in my camera bag. Not the cameras and lenses, but the other stuff, the …
Is it Getting Better?
Two weeks ago, I suggested you stop asking if your photographs are good and that you not concern yourself with whether they are or are not art. I advocated a more playful approach guided by what you love and what brings you joy. I argued that the growth in your craft could be channelled by that love because the more you love doing …
Stop Making Art?
My photography is never so difficult and robbed of its joy as when I try too hard to make it “good” (whatever that means) or worse: to make “art.“ The moment I focus my concern on the outcome of what I am making or how it is received by others, my work becomes rigid and self-conscious. Not only does the …
Stronger Wildlife Photographs: 5 Ways
Wildlife photography should be easy: get a long lens, put the critter in the frame and don’t screw up the exposure. Simple, right? In the 20 years during which I have slid sideways into becoming a wildlife photographer, I have found myself both delighted and frustrated by the challenge of it. Surely if you know how to use a camera, …
Stronger Photographs With Just One Decision
Watch the short video above, or keep reading if you prefer the written word. Too many photographers look to the work they do with the camera as job one, which it is. But it’s not the only job. Your ability to edit down to your keepers, to process them in ways that are consistent with your voice, and to do …
Between What If? and What Now?
I once wrote that “what if?” was the central question for creative people. I also once wrote that our expectations of what we hope for—of a place, a subject matter, even an idea—can blind us to the reality of it. You show up in Venice to photograph the city in fog and experience agua alta, the high flood waters of …
3 Ways To Give Your Images Their Best Chance
Watch the 7-minute video above, or keep reading if you prefer the written word. Here’s a question that keeps me up at night: Why do photographers get so intimidated by editing down to their best images and the “now what?” that comes once we put the camera down? And are we missing really important creative opportunities because of this? For …