Thursday, December 19, 2013

It's all in how you see

I had someone send me a personal message recently asking about how I do my pictures.
I told her the equipment I use to take the pictures, and the software I use to edit them.
This lady said she has the same stuff, but her pictures don't come out like mine.
It took me a long time to understand, that for the most part, I needed to "see" a good picture before I snapped the shutter.
For many years I thought it was about technique, equipment, process, and things I could either buy, or learn.
As it turns out, it's much simpler, and more complex than that.
I have a friend that could take a remarkable photograph with a pinhole camera.
I've actually seen remarkable pictures he's taken with an old single lense reflex camera with the back taped on with duct tape.
It finally occurred to me, that it's not how much money you spend on equipment, or what software you buy, it's all about how you see.
You can turn your head in most any direction and see stunning photographs. You might have to move around to make sure the light plays right on the subject, and you might have to move in or out to frame it right, but they are there in plain sight.
I only wish I'd known years ago, that it's all in how you see.

8 comments:

  1. Hi Rick, thanks for dropping in on my blog. I take a lot of photos, but don't have any fancy equipment, and don't do any photo shopping either, apart from resizing so the images don't take too long to load onto the blog. I agree with "seeing" a good picture before clicking the shutter button, but I often miss shots because I'm looking specifically for something else. I've heard the best way is to take 1000 photos then go through them and keep the best 100, then go through those and keep the best 10.

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  2. It's all in the eye. Some people have it and some people don't. You got a good eye, Rick.

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  3. Anonymous12:44 AM

    You have to be able to "frame" a picture before you shoot it--& you do THAT well!!

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  4. So true...I can hand my iphone off to my daughter and she'll bring back some amazing pictures, and I'll think, how'd she do that? It doesn't do that for me? She just has a better eye for things than I do.

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  5. Yes...you certainly have a good eye for framing a picture!
    This is amazing :)

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  6. It's true - the best equipment can't make up for the lack of a good eye. I love your photography. Merry Christmas, my friend!

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  7. As they say...beauty is in the eye of the beholder...some of us see beauty in unusual places and can make it beautiful for others in any number of ways, while they might have just walked on by at first glance. You have a good eye!

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  8. This is true Rick, I don't like getting my picture taken but there are certain people that I let take pictures of me because they have the gift of capturing a look that I will like :)

    It really is in how we see it, with no limitations:)

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