is “standard equipment” from our earliest age. In fact, as kids it might have been at its strongest, and alas, as we grow older we often hear excuses for not being able to imagine and create as we once did. But the visualization ability of the mind is powerful! It just may need some regular exercise to get back in shape.
Can you remember the wonder you had as a child and the flexibility your imagination had? It’s that ability we want to focus on at this stage of photography. And by the way, as I told you earlier, I first became a photographer at age 12, and a year later made the jumping picture above. I am so grateful that photography has been the part of my life that has kept me young by causing me to continue to imagine.
FEED YOUR CREATIVITY: GO TO MUSEUMS
In the last chapter, I told you about some of the photographers who have inspired me and recommended looking at others’ work. Let’s go a bit deeper to find out why and how.
» Goat Skin, Joey L.
Some years ago I interviewed a young photographer named Joey L. He got his start when he was 16 on the first of the Twilight films, and his career just took off from there. Have a look at the photograph above and his other work, and especially notice his lighting and composition. He told me he tries to place subjects in the frame similarly to the way that some of the master painters would. These same masters have also influenced the way he lights his subjects and images as a whole.
Here’s Some Damn Good Advice from the book of the same title by George Lois, who has been an inspiration for me. While he is not a photographer, he is one of the most creative people I know; in fact, he has said, “Creativity can solve almost any problem – the creative act, the defeat of habit by originality, overcomes everything.” Among his many accomplishments, he has designed 92 covers for Esquire magazine, so listen closely to his advice about feeding your creativity:
“You must continuously feed the inner beast that sparks and inspires. I contend that the DNA of talent is stored within the great museums of the world.”
“Mysteriously, the history of the art of mankind can inspire breakthrough conceptual thinking in any field.”
Take George’s advice and spend plenty of time looking at art (he does it weekly on Sundays). But when you look, don’t just glance and say, “That’s great. That’s strange,” etc. Really look deeply.
Here’s the process I suggest; bring your AYP notebook with you to take notes or sketch as you look. If you can’t go to a museum, you can do this with books, but don’t do it on your computer – you should get as close to the original art as possible.
Select a genre of art that is similar to what you want to photograph. Joey L. does a lot of portraiture, so he was particularly inspired by the classical painters of the 17th and 18th centuries, but choose your own.
Find a work of art that you are particularly drawn to. Look closely and observe:
A. How was the subject (or subjects) composed within the frame?
B. How were they lit? Where was the light coming from?
C. How did the light strike the subject?
D. Look at each layer: the foreground, middle and background, plus any other layers.
E. What was your eye drawn to?
F. What was de-emphasized by being put in the background or made darker, etc?
G. How did the artist use color?
H. Can you find a pure white and a pure black (representing the full range of black and white)?
I. What is in focus and what is out of focus?
J. What is the overall message or communication?
K. What is its emotional impact? How did it hit you?
Keep up this exercise, taking notes as you go.
Now that you’ve “fed the inner beast,” you’re ready for the next step:
TRAIN YOUR EYE TO SEE IMAGES
It’s good practice to always look for images, with or without a camera. Whenever you have a moment, riding on a subway, waiting for a meeting, or out on a walk, try to find the images in that environment.
It can help to “frame” with your hands making two “Ls” on top of each other or touching your thumbs together (as you see me doing on page 36), and look through them with only one eye, to simulate what a camera would see with a single lens. Simply find images that are interesting to you. Why not use a camera to do this? Because we’re working on training your eye, freed from the camera or any equipment, just you and the scene. Think of it as a workout for your eye!
I often will walk into an environment and just know there is an image there, and like a game of hide and seek, will look for it until I find it!
Repeat the above drills – building your mental collection of art, and then framing with your hands. And feel free to come back with your camera and create an actual image!
CRASH COURSE/SUMMARY
1. The most important and central part of the cycle of photography is visualization: first seeing the photograph as a mental image. It guides all the other parts of the cycle.
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