Three steps to great images

Vincent shows the model he is working on of Leonardo Da Vinci's "Flying Man". Vincent is an artist, musician, sculpture, maker and repairer of musical instruments, a "renaissance man" himself.

Firstly, I think I should apologise for the long absence of new blog articles. To say I have been busy of late would be, to put it mildly, an understatement. All good things. But I really felt it was time to get into gear and ship my blog again.

So how can I make it up to you? Well as usual I hope to provide some food for thought.

If you want to make great images you need to ensure that three steps have been taken. Miss any of them out and your image may be good, it may be interesting for awhile but it will not be remarkable.

The magic only really happens when you:

Have an authentic reason to take the picture.
Want to use the image to express something, to communicate with your audience.
And you actually make the picture happen, using your knowledge and expertise to turn the idea into reality

Miss any of these steps out and you end up with nothing special. Or nothing at all if you miss step three.

In essence the process above involves creating a story using your image, built around a central interesting idea which lies at it's core. That magic ingredient in every great image is a single idea that with a mental 'snap of the fingers' your audience 'gets'.

You could put the three steps a different way and turn them into the following questions:

Why do you want to create the image?
What do you want to say?
How are you going to say it?

Once you have the answers clear, you have to make it happen!

Till soon,
Paul
wwww.indigo2photography.co.uk

Comments

The Story Behind the Stories in My Photography

Thank you for taking the time to explore my work. Photography, to me, is a meditative act—an opportunity to be fully present and notice the smallest details. The interplay of colour and light, the textures and shapes, the shift of an expression, a gesture — these subtle moments bring me pure joy. They are why I love storytelling and creating visual poetry. Every image in my portfolio is born from a moment of connection or curiosity. Whether I’m in a bustling city street, a quiet room, or a remote location, I aim to create photographs that resonate with empathy. Take "The Cyclists," for example—what appears to be a simple scene of people pedalling along the pier transforms into a visual symphony of movement and stillness, the hurried energy balanced by the serene focus of the riders. This interplay between action and calm often draws me in. I’m drawn to capturing the essence of a person—their inner world, not just their outward appearance. My approach often dances between the...

Beyond the Obvious: Lessons from the Masters of Photography

In photography, there’s more than technical skill or gear; the real art is in connection, storytelling, and moments that matter. In this blog, I’ll explore what I have learned by taking master classes with photographers like Steve McCurry, Joel Meyerowitz, and Albert Watson. One of the surprising outcomes of learning from them was discovering just how closely my thoughts and practice aligned with theirs although I've always carved my own path. There is something delightful about finding kindred spirits. I wanted to share what I've learnt and remind us of our true practice as photographers behind the lens. Storytelling Through Human Connection A photograph should convey more than just skill—it should capture a story that resonates. Steve McCurry’s iconic Afghan Girl does this beautifully, capturing strength and vulnerability in a single frame. Like McCurry, I believe photography should reveal the depth and uniqueness of our subjects. This requires empathy, patience, and a ...

Overcoming creative block and self doubt

Every photographer, for that matter every creative, I've ever met comes to a point when they're not happy with the work they're producing. The pendulum between creative highs and dry spells swings continuously. For some the cycle is long and the bouts are quite mild for others the feeling of doubt about their work can be a crushing experience which returns all to frequently. It's actually quite healthy to have these periods of doubt because it can often be the beginning of something new and interesting which takes you further than you thought possible. Creatives in the commercial world have to always perform and although they may agree looking back that they've had a few patches where their work was less good, they always seem to bounce back. A very few creative geniuses deliver such high quality work that their poorest attempts still surpass the rest of us. But I have never heard of anyone, from tortured soul of Van Gogh to the supreme showman and genius, Salvador ...

Beyond the obvious

Search This Blog