Where is The Picture Part 1

Spitalfields Tea dance 2019 – Double Bass Player and Dancers

Where is the Picture? – Part 1 

In this three-part series, I want to look at the fascinating subject of visual awareness and explore what I think and feel about why some photographers say “where is the picture?”. Firstly, in part 1 I will use the “5 Whys principle” to try to get to the root of the problem.

Next, in part 2 there are suggestions on how to ban looking and begin seeing.

Lastly, in part 3 the question of looking and seeing is expanded to include what other working photographers think about this engaging subject.

In part 1 the topics are:

• 3 Types of Photographer Seeing
• The 5 why’s of why some photographers see great pictures when others don’t?
• The 5 why’s in the seeing photographic attraction process
• Looking at everything and seeing nothing
• What Is The Aspiring Photographer’s Problem?

3 Types of Photographer Seeing – Here are examples of each

3 An interesting picture is not found – shoot loose crop loose

Above – Andalucía 2003 – if there is a picture here it may be the road in the top left-hand corner?

Maybe we all can think of people we know who roughly fall into one or two of these categories for most of the time. I would say there are a relatively small number of photographers who consistently work in type 1. Type 2 has a much greater number within its realms and type 3 a small but doggedly determined group to improve their seeing skills.

The 5 why’s of why some photographers see great pictures when others don’t?

In a former life, I worked in construction which is always time and hence money-driven. If sub-contractor A has to instal a ground source heat pump before that can start other preceding activities by sub-contractor B must be completed. If the work by sub-contractor B is not complete to the programme then a conversation between the two companies will take place.

The root cause of the reasons why sub-contractor B’s work is not complete can be found by asking the why question up to five times. That usually reveals work by sub-contractor A was not complete elsewhere on the site, which is also holding up sub-contractors B&C. This is a very simplified example of what can quite complex problems.

Getting to the real fundamental single reason why something is or is not happening can take some persistent questioning. Once the root cause is overcome then work can proceed as intended.

The 5 why’s in the seeing photographic attraction process

I have tried to apply the five why’s principle to the question of why some photographers see great pictures when others don’t? By defining a cause and effect may help to put some meat on the bones of the issue.

It should be said at the outset that we are all attracted to different subjects therefore what is fantastic to one is of no interest to another photographer. For example, I am not particularly interested in wildlife photography. I may be looking at a very rare bird doing an even rarer mating ritual and it would not cause me to raise a camera to my eye. Now, some rusty old bit of industrial architecture or a steaming power station would get my juices going.

Here is my current take on the problem of “where is the picture?”

I have added the Effect Column as a sort of additional notes section.

Effect

1 They may not know what good looks like

2 Not everybody with a camera is a photographer
3 An interesting picture is not found – shoot loose crop loose.
4 The eye is not being constantly trained to look or see
5 The cost of learning is not valued. Hardware is easily bought.

Technical Output 

• How 
• Shutter speed 
• Aperture 
• ISO
• Focus 

For more on “Cameras have nothing to do with photography” see Chapter 5 of The ABC of CameraWork Manual        

If you want to make expressive and satisfying pictures that reflect your view of the world, then you have to dominate the chain of decision making. The decision chain is why, what, when, where, how and includes controlling the camera. Your expensive camera is only a box to record your ideas, it is one of the links in the photographic chain, not the be-all and end-all.

Digital technology does not provide the answers to the ultimate photographic questions, it only provides a means to make a record with greater accuracy and speed.

To quote Henri Cartier-Bresson in 1952: 

Looking at everything and seeing nothing

The Seeing process is based on inspiration, observation and abstraction. Where these three elements are completely lacking, I fear the end result is looking at everything and seeing nothing in particular.

Inspiration could be linked back to other photographers work or style but be aware of plagiarism. (Read the book “Steal Like an Artist” by Austin Kleon). It is maybe as simple as having a plan or a theme for the subject(s) you want to take that day. By choosing a theme you are excluding some of the other possibilities this may help you to start seeing. A telephoto instead of a wide-angle lens may also help to reduce the choices available to you.

Observation is the act of carefully looking at and studying a subject just like an artist before they begin to make a sketch. Observation feeds into what you find attractive.

Abstraction for me is choosing a part of the whole to represent the whole. You cannot photograph the whole world; some bits need to be left out. By thinking about the essence of the attraction – what is it in particular that you find interesting or attractive will help.

What Is the Aspiring Photographer’s Problem?

A. Not enough time in the Learning Zone 

We all want to maintain our progress as photographers. Competence is rapidly gained in the early stages of our career, then it tails off. You may still have the desire to learn but things are not happening for you. Does this sound familiar?

The idea of getting express results is explained in the encouraging article called The learning Zone.

The more time you spend in a low-risk Learning Zone will help you to gain new skills without the burden of perfect performance.

Just to recap in part 1 the main topics were:

• Examples of 3 Types of Photographer Seeing
• The 5 why’s of why some photographers see great pictures when others don’t?
• The 5 why’s in the seeing photographic attraction process
• Looking at everything and seeing nothing
• What Is The Aspiring Photographer’s Problem?

In Part 2 I suggest 10 Easy Ways to Ban Looking and Begin Seeing.