There are many people out there that believe in very hard fast rules when it comes to taking a picture and feel that if those rules are not followed, that their images will not be considered “GOOD”. Well, let me totally destroy that notion in one phrase.
- © Benjamin Kanarek
“Don’t Take that Photo, Yet!”
All of the greatest photos ever done BROKE with convention. My suggestion is the following: Whenever you are about to press the shutter to take a photo, STOP! Ask yourself the following questions. Is what I am about to capture something that is different in approach to what I have seen before? Is it really what I am feeling at the moment or am I more worried about the technique than the substance? Could I not approach this subject from a totally different perspective? Perhaps imagine that you are an ant with a camera or a giant towering over the subject matter. Maybe the subject you are focusing on should take a secondary role in the image allowing the banal to take precedent? Perhaps this would add an interesting counterpoint to your theme.
If you are shooting a beautiful landscape, try adding an element that enhances the message with a garbage bag in the foreground to add a message to your statement. You could add some humor by bringing a plastic picnic table and chairs with plastic flowers as the foreground with the perfectly gorgeous backdrop of mountains, streams and towering trees… LOL! Counterpoint is a very powerful tool in any mode of expression. Always attempt to observe your intent when you are about to commit to the pressing of “The Shutter”. It is a very important decision that may live on after you have left this dimension. So the next time you take a photo, remember that it is a reflection of who you are and how you view the world around you.
