May 23 2006
Camera Position 19 : When Less Really Is More
When a photographer finds a beautiful scene, there is often a temptation to put everything he sees in the photograph, even if the image that results isn’t all that interesting. Here, Ansel Adams and Paul Caponigro show us how showing less shows us more.
As a side note, if you are listening to and enjoying Camera Position, I would really appreciate if you’d send an email to a friend or two and tell them about the Podcast. Also, if you have time, I’d appreciate it if you’d leave a quick review of the Podcast at the iTunes store. Thanks!
Thanks again for another outstanding podcast. I know I’m a little slow and dim witted (because my wife keeps telling me so) so I ask your indulgence if my question/statement is obvious; your podcast has brought and epiphany to me. It seems to me that the best photographs are the ones that bring out the most emotion or feeling and not the ones that are necessarily the most technically correct. I’ve started going back and looking at my old photographs and my favorites are the ones that illicit an emotion. When I look at the photographs of others, again my favorites are the ones that cause me to think and reflect. Based on your recommendation I recently purchased Szarkowski’s Looking at Photographs and the pictures I like the most are those that stir something within me.
This epiphany has caused me to rethink how I compose my photographs and how I look at light and all the other technical aspects of photography. I think it will make me a better photographer.
Thanks again and keep podcasting
I agree that the best photographs are the ones that grab you and bring you into them, regardless of whether or not they are good images technically. Of course, when great technique and great vision coincide, that’s the gold ring and doing it consistently is the goal to strive for.
Keep shooting!