Skip to main content

The three questions professional photographers ask


Follow me on Instagram @paul.indigo

As photographers, we walk around seeing the world in a different way to other people. Something catches our eye and triggers our interest. We decide to lift our cameras and take a shot. A photographer with a professional approach will ask themselves several questions before lifting their camera.

Three key questions I always ask myself are:
  1. What specifically in the scene caught my eye?
  2. Is it really worth photographing?
  3. How can I make a stronger image to communicate what’s important to me? 
There are, of course, many other questions you ask as you make a series of decisions which lead to the final image. You work the scene. You think about how the light will change, different angles and perspectives and you keep going until you’ve revealed the essence of what you want to communicate. Once you have the first shot, you look for ways to make an even better image. You keep going through this process until you’re sure you’ve got it.

Curiosity and self-critical dissatisfaction are vital drivers in the creative process. Complacency is the enemy of great photography. Keep asking questions, keep working for better answers, hold a passion for seeking perfection, and you’ll take better images.
Till soon,
Paul

Follow me on Instagram @paul.indigo

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

All the different types of photography

Welcome to my blog. While you're here why not browse through my extensive library of articles covering everything from tips on how to do things photographic to help with the mental approach you need to become a successful photographer. You'll also find articles with some of my unconventional views. Yes, I've rattled a view cages in my time. Hope you have as much fun reading them as I did writing them. You can view my more serious work on www.indigo2photography.co.uk All the different types of photography With the help of acquaintances on a photographic site I've tried to compile a list of all the different types of photography out there. I'm sure there are many still missing but the list is pretty impressive so far. We have identified around 80 descriptions. For fun I've highlighted in bold the different types I've done so far... 3D photography Action photography Advertising photography Aerial photography Amateur photography Animal photography Architecture p
6 comments
Read more

Understanding wabi-sabi and photography

Wabi-sabi is a Japanese aesthetic concept that has fascinated many Westerners who have tried to encapsulate its meaning in a neat definition. I have delved into its meaning as I learn more about Japan as I explore the country and culture in my photographs. Levels going down to the dry stone garden in Keninji, Kyoto. In Japan, the concept is well recognised, but I think Japanese people are comfortable with a more vague and ambiguous notion of what it means. The ideas and definition of wabi-sabi have changed over the centuries and continue to evolve. Literal translations are not useful, and as far as I know, you can't look the word up in the Japanese dictionary. The closest literal translation you can probably get is something like 'humble simplicity'. Based on what I have read, here are some of the key concepts that seem consistent and inform my vision of what wabi-sabi means: Impermanence - everything is in a state of continual change. Nothing remains the same. Imperfectio
Post a Comment
Read more

Is professional photography still a viable career?

I am not against amateurs and semi-professionals selling their photography. It's a great way to earn some extra cash. However I am concerned about the level of high quality published work and the standards that clients and the public accept these days. It seems that just about everyone is a photographer. The line between amateur enthusiast and professional is fuzzy to say the least. Photography enthusiasts are selling their images through stock libraries and microstock websites, directly to magazines or through their own and third party sites. They're accepting commissions to shoot weddings, being hired to shoot for magazines and selling fine art prints from their websites. They're teaching photography on the weekend and guiding photographic holidays and safaris. Photography became accessible to the masses with the first non-expert cameras and the famous Kodak slogan"You press the button, we do the rest." The digital camera age has taken the whole thing to a ne
14 comments
Read more