Beyond the obvious

What is the difference between a random snap and a careful photographic composition? 81 Bo Kaap The answer may not appear obvious at a glance. Uncovering the joy of photography that has been crafted requires a measure of effort and engagement from the viewer. Sadly too often in our hyper-speed online and social media world images are clicked past in a split second. The carefully crafted image looses out but so does the viewer, missing the joyful discoveries that can be made by someone who takes the time to really read an image. Today image consumption is akin to flying over the grand canyon in a jet at the speed of sound. If you really want to enjoy the view you've got to sit on the canyon rim for an hour and watch the sun going down. Using my own humble example above I'll try to illustrate why 81 Bo Kaap is not a random snap. The first reason is something the viewer will not know. The photographer, me in this case, pre-visualised the image. I didn't just lift the...