Making Photographic Art is about Communication

Why I make photographs is to tell stories or parts of stories engaging the viewer to become part of the tale. Communication by a passionate observer of humanity. I very rarely shoot people without their knowledge if not prior to the making the image then after. In this digital age you can show the person your image and talk a bit, gain a little insight. I have worked this way forever. Recently saw a post of a “street photo” where the shooter said “she didn’t even know I was taking her photo” to me that’s akin to masturbation.

 

Design, the triangle and negative space. Everyone shoots the train tracks, a road rolling away into the distance. Perspective right up the middle of the frame. But simply stepping to the right or left one step and your disappearing line to the horizon now travels diagonally through the frame implying the 3rd dimension in a stronger way. This way of splitting your image create triangles in the negative space. The above image made by stepping to the left first view was looking straight down the sidewalk  one step to the left and the walks negative space drives the viewer to the subject with an array of triangles.

The subject, the center of you image is not the absolute center of the universe, it is in fact a composition black  hole. Let your subject escape into the frame and negative space. If your subjects are always in the center what it says to me is you are allowing your camera to take the photo. The subject is 50% of the image when I depress the shutter I know what is going on in the frame not just the subject but all the space. The chalk in the left corner of the above image I put it there.

 

You could say I am pointing out pet peeves I spend too much time looking at images here online by “photographers” people who own cameras. Cropping something I rarely do but framing is done in the view finder. Image above uses the perspective vanishing point but sort of in reverse the fence rather then heading away leads you back to the subject. As you look at this image that is full of triangles directing you to the person. When framing image look at the whole frame, if person is moving is there space for their next step? Amputees cropping at the wrist, ankle, forearm are a no no in my photographs if the above image was cut higher say just under the right elbow the left hand would be cut and visually lead your viewers eyes off the image.

EDIT! If you shoot an event, portrait whatever,  you make 50 images and post them all. Why cause you can you have the app.

An Art Photograph should say more than “I have $800 of post process programs.” Cool is okay for the first days of creating.

My Mantra from Brian Berry at Paier College of Art 1971 “Every image you make is a self portrait” working this way allows/compels me to be more intimately involved with my creation. 

All anyone photographs is light the subject is merely a vehicle to transform the light into an emotion.

Spend more time with each image prior to depressing the shutter. See and speak with your composition.

Simplicity is the most difficult concept to grasp.

I hope these thoughts help to improve your work comment here not on FB or other sites. If you only see the images at these sites then you are seeing how the Artifiscal Intelligence has cropped my visual words.

enjoy pjc

Photographic Art

New Galleries, B+W Comments on individual images greatly appreciated.