Photography

There are so many elements when it comes to composition. (contrast, color, depth, negative space, etc, etc). Do you consider each before capturing an image? Or only focus on a few?

Mastering Composition: Consider Every Element for Captivating Images

The question is, there are so many elements when it comes to composition. Such as contrast, color depth negative space and Etc. Do you consider each before capturing an image or only focus on a few? That is a extremely, good question. And of course different for everyone for myself. I actually think of all of them but I now know what I want and I trust it and if Let's say, for example, I you mentioned depth, I personally love depth within my images. It's something that I kind of like have to have. So if it's not there, the way that I particularly liked it, I simply won't take the picture. And again, if I don't have a certain amount of say negative space or if the leading lines aren't working the way that I want, if I don't have layering elements behind or And fright, if I'm going with, you know, between the foreground and the background, if it's not layered in a way that I want it to be layered. I also won't take the picture so trusting your gut really allows you to kind of multitask in a way, like you said, knowing all of those elements because it can be a lot. So for me, yeah, I actually think of all of them and it just makes up every single picture that I capture. There are times that, you know, I may just add a pot, a little pop of contrast In post-processing. So when I'm taking that picture with intent, understanding what I can do with you know within post as opposed to what I can do, not stop the shutter are all things that I'm thinking in my head all the time with every single image. But once you start trusting yourself, that stuff is so second nature that it's crazy. Hope that helps

I think of all the elements of composition when I take photos, such as contrast, color depth, and negative space. I trust my gut and if it doesn't look quite right, I won't take the picture. I also know how to make adjustments in post-processing for any elements that are not quite right when taking the photo.

https://assets.anyquestion.com/raw/upload/n0cel1qhauxek4zbkps8.vtt

When it comes to composition, there are indeed many elements to consider, such as contrast, color, depth, and negative space. Personally, I do think about all of these elements before capturing an image. I have a clear idea of what I want and I trust my instincts. For example, I love incorporating depth in my images, so if it's not present in the way I envision, I won't take the picture. The same goes for other elements like negative space or leading lines. If they don't align with my vision, I won't capture the image.

Trusting your gut allows you to effectively consider and balance all these elements. Sometimes, I may enhance certain aspects like contrast during post-processing, but when taking the picture, I already have an understanding of what I can achieve in post and what I need to capture in-camera.

Once you develop this trust in yourself, considering these elements becomes second nature. It becomes an integral part of every image you capture. I hope this explanation helps.

Would you ever avoid showing an image you enjoy because you think people may not understand your story?

Embrace Your Story: Why Not Everyone Needs to Understand

The question is, would you ever avoid showing an image you enjoy because you think people may not understand your story? The answer for that for me is no. And here's why. Because the work that I create is coming from me and me only. And if I like it, the people that hire me, my portrait clients, then they will like it as well. It's my job to create images that I love. And hopefully the people who hire me will love them as well. Now here's the thing. When a client does hire me, it's up to me to kind of figure out, you know, how to tell their story, but it's always going to come through my lens. So it's always going to be like my eye, if that makes any sense. So from there, the client will kind of always understand my story. The part that gets a little murky is when you showcase the work to the masses, people who did not hire you. So they may not understand your story. And guess what? They're probably not meant to understand your story. And what I think all of us should think, you know, you know, what I think people or photographers should always understand that you are not for everybody. And when you learn that you are not for everybody, the confidence in yourself and your work will grow tremendously. And when that confidence grows, I think the work gets better and better. Hope that helps.

No, I would not ever avoid showing an image I enjoy. My work is my own and if I like it, the people who hire me will too. When showcasing to the masses, it's important to remember that you are not for everyone and that the confidence in your work will grow when you recognize this.

https://assets.anyquestion.com/raw/upload/q36wpuqqavfmpxwjqo88.vtt

The answer is no, I would not avoid showing an image I enjoy because of potential misunderstanding. The work I create is a reflection of myself and my vision. If I love it, chances are my portrait clients, who hire me, will love it too. It's my responsibility to create images that resonate with me and hopefully with those who hire me. When working with clients, I strive to tell their story through my lens, maintaining my unique perspective. However, when showcasing work to the general public who did not hire me, there may be a lack of understanding or connection with my story—and that's okay. Not everyone is meant to understand or appreciate your work as a photographer. Understanding this allows for greater self-confidence and growth in both yourself and your craft.

In your opinion, what is the relationship between the photograph and reality?

Photography's Relationship with Reality: Capturing Perspectives and Crafting Styles

So the question is in your opinion, what is the relationship between the photograph and reality while my thought process is that it's really up to the photographer and what they want to capture, you have some people who want to create work that's very lifestyle documentary meaning that they want to take exactly what their eyes. See you have other photographers who want to highlight certain aspects of what they see. Perhaps they want to use white apertures and just make a subject look very 3D and pop off the The background or they're going to incorporate different sorts of lighting, where image that may have been captured during the day, can be altered and looked as if it was captured at night time by bringing in a strobe, it really has to do with what the photographer wants to capture and I think that's the relationship between a photograph in reality. It all falls in the hand of the photographer and that's the beauty of taking pictures. The beauty of art, is that we can dictate what that relationship is because we can create it. So we think about how you want to really you know, approach each situation and that's how you're going to really you know be able to hone in your craft and create a style and I think that the style of your photography has a lot to do with the relationship between the images, you create and the reality in which you capture them in.

The relationship between a photograph and reality is up to the photographer. They can choose to capture a lifestyle documentary as it is, or incorporate different lighting and apertures to create something that might not be true to the original scene. It's the beauty of art that allows us to dictate what that relationship is.

https://assets.anyquestion.com/raw/upload/kig36mbauwrhwrgy8c7b.vtt

In my opinion, the relationship between a photograph and reality is subjective and depends on the photographer's intention. Some photographers aim to capture exactly what they see, creating a lifestyle documentary style. Others may choose to emphasize specific elements by using techniques like wide apertures to make subjects stand out or incorporating different lighting to alter the mood of the image.

Ultimately, the photographer has the power to shape the relationship between the photograph and reality. This is the beauty of photography and art in general – we can dictate and create that relationship. It's important for photographers to consider how they want to approach each situation, as this will help them develop their craft and create a unique style. The style of photography plays a significant role in defining the relationship between the images created and the reality in which they were captured.

What's the first, most important skill to master for portraits?

Mastering Light: The Key to Stunning Portraits

What's the first most important skill to master for portraits? My opinion, and I don't even think this has to do with just portrait, but just photography period is light. I think understanding light is the first thing that you need to understand because that's going to really kind of like outline, build a foundation for the portrait or picture that you are going to create. It can set the mood. It can set the tone. It can set the intent. It can set so many different things, but the most important thing about light is that if you don't have it and it's not proper, you're not going to expose the image properly. So it's just light has so many different meanings for a photograph or portrait, but honestly, learn light as much as you can and light is infinite. So that really just tells me, at least in my opinion, that the learning possibilities of light is infinite, regardless of how good you may be. You still have something to learn when it comes to light and photography. So hope that helps.

The first and most important skill to master for portraits is understanding light. Light has so many different meanings for a portrait and the learning possibilities of light are infinite.

https://assets.anyquestion.com/raw/upload/fouxkpcywchycgxzi4ki.vtt

The first and most important skill to master for portraits, in my opinion, is understanding light. This applies not only to portraits but to photography in general. Light plays a crucial role in outlining and creating the foundation for the portrait or image you want to capture. It sets the mood, tone, and intent of the photograph.

Properly exposing the image relies on having the right light. Light holds multiple meanings for a photograph or portrait. It is essential to learn and understand light as much as possible. The possibilities for learning about light are infinite, regardless of your skill level. There is always something new to discover and learn when it comes to light and photography.

Mastering the understanding of light will greatly enhance your ability to create impactful and visually pleasing portraits.

Unlocking the Potential: Making Any Subject a Good Subject

What makes a good subject? Really good question. Honestly, I think what any subject is a good subject. It's up to us as the photographer to find inspiration in what we're photographing. I think finding that inspiration is what will actually make a good subject because we kind of course it a little bit. Now I'm speaking from a portrait perspective meaning that a portrait, I don't know if I guess portraits are portraits right, but I'm hired to take pictures of people for their own memory. So I don't have like the luxury of luxury quote-unquote of picking my subjects like someone who may work with models where they can you know pick a certain person to work in a certain editorial or to make a commercial shoot happen the way that they want you know create the look. I don't have that. So what I have to do is whoever decides to call and hire me I have to decide how to make that subject a good subject. So thus is why I say any subject can be a good subject. It's kind of up to me and how I'm inspired to make it work with my style of photography. So I hope that helps.

Any subject can be a good subject depending on how the photographer is inspired to make it work with their style of photography.

https://assets.anyquestion.com/raw/upload/vvm4yguzko5448xlqypn.vtt

What makes a good subject? That's a great question. In my opinion, any subject can be a good subject. It's our role as photographers to find inspiration in what we're capturing. The ability to find that inspiration is what truly makes a subject good because we have the power to shape it.

Speaking from a portrait perspective, where I often photograph people for their personal memories, I don't have the luxury of hand-picking my subjects like someone who works with models for specific editorial or commercial shoots. I have to work with whoever hires me and find a way to make that subject a good subject. It's up to me to bring out the best in them and make it work with my style of photography.

So, in essence, any subject can be a good subject. It's about how we, as photographers, find inspiration and bring out the best in what we're capturing.

Photographer's Mindset: The Key to Capturing Perfect Shots

So the question is, what do you think about while shooting? Well, I think about getting the shot. My light, my composition, the expressions that my clients are giving me, and I guess more importantly, the intent that I was going for when I was getting ready to snap the shutter. I look at it this way. I'm very intentional with every image that I capture. Every time I snap the shutter, I have a thought process in mind, and that's the thought process. Sometimes it works, and I get it, and then I'll take a couple more to try to perfect what I captured or something that I was thinking about, it just didn't work, and then I move on to something else. So it's always about the intent that I have before I snap the shutter is really the first thing that's on my mind. Now if I'm in a location that's really, really busy, I may think about keeping my subjects engaged while I have a third eye on the background of what's around me since I'm in the city a lot. So it really depends, but everything that I'm thinking about has everything to do with the shot that I'm going for. Hope that helps.

When shooting, I think about getting the shot, my light, composition, expressions, and the intent I was going for. I also think about keeping my subjects engaged when shooting in a busy location.

https://assets.anyquestion.com/raw/upload/yvguiqc69jae4csuq4ri.vtt

While shooting, my main focus is on capturing the shot. I consider factors such as lighting, composition, and the expressions of my clients. Most importantly, I think about the intent I had in mind when preparing to press the shutter button. Each image I capture is intentional, and I have a thought process behind it. If a shot works well, I may take a few more to refine and perfect it. If something doesn't work as planned, I move on to another idea or concept. The initial intent is always at the forefront of my mind while shooting. In busy locations, like city settings, I also make sure to keep my subjects engaged while keeping an eye on the surroundings for any potential background distractions. Ultimately, everything I think about relates to achieving the desired shot.

Audrey Woulard answers your Photography questions. See all the advice Audrey Woulard has and get answers to your own Photography questions.

Follow me on AnyQuestion

Audrey Woulard is the owner and photographer of Kids And the City (KATC). She has been a full-time professional photographer for 20 years, specializing in fashion-forward high school seniors and families seeking something different. Her education website for Photographers is www.awteaches.com