Skip to main content

Photographic seeing is different

Seeking serendipity
It's true. Photographers see the world differently. It's hard to explain how we see things. The example above together with the explanation below may help to understand what goes on in my brain when making an image.

The wall with it's artwork set the stage. People passed by. I took several images. Then this guy paused for awhile with his tablet.

I thought it would be cool if I could link him, compositionally, to someone passing in the sunlight in the background. Then along came this lady. She shaded her eyes looking for someone up the street.

I waited and pressed the shutter, and every element came together in the frame. The woodwork forms frames within the frame. The tail shadows and alignment of feathers of the parrot echo the light and angle of the lady's leg. There's an interesting dynamic and angles around the man and the lady. They are together and yet separate. Even the butterfly painted on the wall behind the man's head creates a quirky detail.

An extremely precise and detailed composition in 1/400th of a second. Serendipity. Yes. But serendipity that I sought and worked hard to make happen.

You comments are most welcome and I hope you'll stick with me as I dust off my slightly neglected blog and start publishing more regularly again. Look back at previous articles. There's a wealth of content to discover here.

Many thanks,
Paul
www.indigo2photography.com

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The portrait photographer's motivation

Easy access to the Internet and digital photography has resulted in an ever growing number of photographers uploading their images for comments and ratings from peers. Online communities evolve and these mini-societies each have their pecking order, internal groups and communal preferences. Photographers learn from each other. On sites that have a rating system there is often pressure to conform to certain styles, techniques and even subject matter. Although I participate in numerous sites (it's great fun), I recognise the danger of becoming a herd animal and losing the edge of individual creativity. There will always be the creatives that lead the way and the imitators that can only try to follow in their footsteps. This lead me to think about classifying photographers according their inner motivation. So as a bit of fun here are a few different types: The innovator Driven to always find something new, different and creative. Wants to be leading edge. Motivated by creative satisfa...

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 ...

Why do you take photographs?

Have you ever asked yourself why you photograph? It's a question that can be answered with a simple one-sentence answer until you start delving deeper. The answer then becomes increasingly complex and challenging to unravel. I've again undertaken this journey recently, and my answer is below. Portrait of Paul Indigo by Magda Indigo. Thanks Magda! I also reviewed my images over the last ten-plus years, selected 30 of my favourite photos, and compiled them into a slide show. This was a challenging task. My favourites change by the day, probably by the minute. Still, eventually, I got to a selection I titled "That's Life." Please click through to YouTube to view the full screen. My approach to people and landscape photography is characterised by a distinctive blend of documentary and fine art techniques. I aim to create images that are both deeply personal and universally relatable. Through portraiture, I strive to showcase the broad spectrum of human experience. I a...