Of the four skills I have mentioned, capturing seems to get the most attention among photographers. Perhaps processing would come in a close second, but seldom is seeing and presenting given much space in any course about photography. Yet, of all the skills capturing is the one most dependent upon the other three. Admittedly, capturing is the central focus of the photograph, but it is extremely dependent upon what is seen and how or whether the photographer plans to process the image and how the image is too be presented. Thus, capturing has its tentacles deeply imbedded in seeing, processing, and presenting.
What the photographer sees is what the photographer wants to capture and ultimately convey to the viewer. Let me dare say that what is attempted to be captured is not necessarily what is there, but rather what the photographer sees there. Monte Zucker said, “I don’t photograph the world as it is. I photograph the world as I see it.” That means that the photographer is ultimately a communicator and what is communicated is both personal and unique to the photographer.
The first thing to consider when trying to capture what one envisions is that any camera sees the scene differently from how the photographer sees it. You may have often heard, “the pictures really don’t do justice to the scene.” The camera is merely a small object with a shutter that opens long enough to capture whatever tone and color is before it. It doesn’t necessarily capture what we see, even as advanced as our modern cameras are. It can’t convey the richness of the colors we see because the color palate of our amazing eyes is much too broad. It can’t capture the depth of field that we view since it has only one lens and not two, 3D cameras notwithstanding. Neither can it capture the range of tones what we can see since its natural tonal range is much smaller than that of our eyes.
All that means capturing what we see and want to present to another is seldom a ‘tap and snap, to be on our way” endeavor. For one thing, what we really see in a scene must often be searched out or studied rather than grasped instantly. Kathleen Clemons, who is known for what she says are “flower portraits,” says that she seldom takes less than forty to fifty shots of a flower from many different perspectives before she is satisfied that she has what she wants.” Scott Kelby talks about “working a scene” until you are sure you have what is interesting to you. I am sure there are individuals who see immediately what is fascinating to them and can capture it in two or three shots. Perhaps these are the individuals we speak of who “just have the eye.” I am afraid that I’m certainly not among them, for it seems that I must work extremely hard taking picture after picture to truly “see” what I have “seen” in a setting. I am much encouraged by my inability, however, to realize that many of the great “masters” of art made different sketches of pieces of their master works before starting to paint.
All that said, it means that there is so much to consider in the skill set of capturing. Can my camera capture the tonal range that I see, or do I have to take several images and merge them together? What depth of field do I need here to emphasize the subject I want to emphasize? Is the light that is present illuminating what I think is important, or do I have to come back at another time, or shoot the scene in such a way that I can change the lighting in post? Do I want to print out this image, include it in a book of photos, or post it on the internet and how does that affect the way I am going to capture it–portrait, landscape, or square–overexpose for highlights or for shadows–worry about excessive noise in the subject or not? All these questions relate to what we normally think of as the technical aspects of capturing–ISO, aperture, and shutter speed. How we dial in the settings for these and balance them out to form a good exposure depends on these considerations about all these other aspects of the image.
Above all of this in the skill of capturing is the composition. How do we set up the image? Do we need to consider aspect ratio? Where is the subject placed in the photo–rule of thirds, golden ratio, golden spiral, etc.? Should the subject completely dominate? Is there anything in the scene that takes away from the subject? How does the background set up the subject and what does it help communicate about the subject? Does the background or anything else in the image overwhelm the subject? What about negative space and positive space? Is the image balanced? Does the subject take up the proper amount of space in the image? Are there things around the border that pull the viewer out of the image and if so, can I remove them in the capture or do I have to do that in post? Are their leading lines or lines of light both actual and implied that lead the viewer to the subject?
All these questions come up in the arena of capturing, but not as a checklist that the photographer runs through, but just as a matter of working the scene. They are in fact a part of what is learned in this skill and along with the use of the camera and the understanding of that instrument, become almost intuitive for the photographer. That is why practice in shooting and working the scene is so important as the photographer learns how to share his/her vision of a scene with others.
There is so much more in the skill of capturing that I have failed to mention or indeed don’t yet understand myself. I do encourage your own input and suggestions in this area. Please comment and share in the discussion by clicking here and going to my blog to comment.
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