Aspiring photographers often associate photography skills with technique but the inventiveness and thinking about how to approach a subject is equally valuable. This section looks at how you can prepare for going out in the field.
As photographers we need both artistic and technical skills which break down into a sub skillset of the soft skills (imagination and playfulness) and for hard skills thinking (precision and consistency). When presented with a new subject or project we should initially keep our options open for the widest possible interpretation (soft kills), before switching to more directed and applied technique (hard skills). Modules 1 & 2 in the photography course portfolio develop this and through the tutorials here, you will get a mix of both types.
On a film making course I was praised for my skills in producing rather than for my direction. Without being explicit they were highlighting my creative shortcomings. Each of us is somewhere on the creative/technical spectrum. If you’re at one end rather than nearer the middle, you may need to balance it out through developing the missing set: i.e becoming more rounded.
One of the common mistakes I see with less experienced photographers is tunnel vision, where they are following a technical formula that makes no sense for their subject. Selecting the right technique with an eventual aim in mind, is akin to choosing the right club in golf. Probably not the best example but you get the drift. In time you will have a complete set, and understanding of when to use them.
Ultimately you want a good command of the techniques and working methods to support your expressive outlook, but also to have the thinking skills required to make good photographs. In this tutorial section we’ll be covering the bread and butter of fieldwork and processing, attempting to find a fresh approach to improving your image making.
As per the other photography tutorials we are beginning with four, in time adding more as they organically develop including; large format (film) photography, astro photography, infrared, ICM, abstract and alternative processes. As prescribed, we’ll keep a balance between technical understanding, aesthetic considerations and some of the acquired traits that are useful for photographers. Check in from time to time to keep your photography skills developing.
As photographers we need both artistic and technical skills which break down into a sub skillset of the soft skills (imagination and playfulness) and for hard skills thinking (precision and consistency). When presented with a new subject or project we should initially keep our options open for the widest possible interpretation (soft kills), before switching to more directed and applied technique (hard skills). Modules 1 & 2 in the photography course portfolio develop this and through the tutorials here, you will get a mix of both types.
On a film making course I was praised for my skills in producing rather than for my direction. Without being explicit they were highlighting my creative shortcomings. Each of us is somewhere on the creative/technical spectrum. If you’re at one end rather than nearer the middle, you may need to balance it out through developing the missing set: i.e becoming more rounded.
One of the common mistakes I see with less experienced photographers is tunnel vision, where they are following a technical formula that makes no sense for their subject. Selecting the right technique with an eventual aim in mind, is akin to choosing the right club in golf. Probably not the best example but you get the drift. In time you will have a complete set, and understanding of when to use them.
Ultimately you want a good command of the techniques and working methods to support your expressive outlook, but also to have the thinking skills required to make good photographs. In this tutorial section we’ll be covering the bread and butter of fieldwork and processing, attempting to find a fresh approach to improving your image making.
As per the other photography tutorials we are beginning with four, in time adding more as they organically develop including; large format (film) photography, astro photography, infrared, ICM, abstract and alternative processes. As prescribed, we’ll keep a balance between technical understanding, aesthetic considerations and some of the acquired traits that are useful for photographers. Check in from time to time to keep your photography skills developing.
Get in touch with any ideas you have for future tutorials.
Areas you may want to think about are:
Different compositional approaches and their impact.
On location strategies for photographing specific subjects.
Processing techniques.