How Do I Look - Revised!
By Jasen Arias
17 Jul 2008
You know it's funny. I have been involved in art since I was very young, and never thought much of it. Most days it was getting in trouble for drawing cars or some other cartoon in class, and other days it was a teacher's or classmate's comment that made you feel like you were doing something right. From there it turned into a way to pick up girls in high school, and eventually led me to taking on architecture as a profession.
Lately, the artistic side of me has started to focus on photography. I'm 30 years old now, but have been they guy with the point and shoot camera at all the parties and events and houseboat trips and vacations. And it always left me wishing I could have saved that moment just a bit nicer. So the next step was obviously buying an SLR camera.
Roughly a year ago I bought my first digital SLR. The Canon XTI. Good camera. I would bet many of you use this very camera, so I'm sure you can relate.
So off I went without having a clue of what to do with this bulky black object that was going to "take better photos FOR me". What I didn't know, is that this would actually take worse photos FOR me, and force ME to take better photos. Soon it turned in to a bit of an learning experience. The first of which was understanding how light affects your camera. . . .and then it was trial and error of how to adjust your camera to take advantage of different lighting situations. Then it was learning that if you have a flash, you can make light work for you instead of always working for the light provided (sometimes). . . .then it was 2 strobes off camera. . . .then the 40d. . . then this. . .then that . . .and of course trying to upgrade the glass on the front of the camera the whole time.
So now, a little over a year later and with much shallower pockets, I have found that I am now involved in a hobby that has come just slightly short of an obsession. If it was feasible to remove my head and replace it with a camera, just so I wouldn't miss those shots we all see when we don't have the camera with us. . .I might consider it. And the other dilemma I have started to encounter is, how do I afford to keep up with all the "Fancy Fringe Toys" that we all love to buy?
The answer was pretty simple. Try making a little side cash doing what you are doing anyway. So again, off I went. First starting with MySpace, and then finding this nifty little site called JPGMag.com. . .and then finally having my own site (Ariasphoto.com if you must know). Out of the 3, JPG Mag has provided the most insight AND hesitation on my end, and this, FINALLY, brings me to my topic that I'm writing about.
We all know or know of composition, lighting, rule of 3rds and so on. But understanding the "X" factor has been what I'm trying to focus on. How do the photos we take look to everyone else vs. how they look to ourselves? I find myself battling with the fact that I have seen the entire view and not just what has been presented in the view finder. I am influenced by the actual emotion that was in the room when I took the photo. I know the shot that I was looking for in my minds eye and despite what ends up on my storage card, I'm often let down because it's not quite the way I thought it would have looked. These are all things that place us in a special area that no one else is allowed visit. This is was separates the way we see our photos from the way everyone else see's the same exact photo. And while it's true that no 2 people will see the same piece of art in the same way, it's also true that everyone but you is given a chance to see your photo without the contamination of being the one standing behind the camera.
It can be a tough place to be. I often find my self liking one photo out of a set, and being the only one, but for some reason everyone else likes a different photo much more. And that's all fine and dandy if you are doing this only for yourself, but if you are doing this for anyone not behind the camera, then you must find a way to understand the "X" factor, and then find a way to use it to your advantage. But how do you find it. Everyone has it. Not everyone knows where to dig it out from. Some of you happen to use it everyday with out effort. Others are teased with it because it hides in the shadows and jumps out just when you think its not really there.
The long approach is to stash the photos away for several months, and then look at them again. That just happened to me about 3 months ago. I had taken some family photos at the zoo for a co-worker. He brought in a new photo frame with the photo in it, and I commented that it was a pretty cool photo. As that was coming out of my mouth, I noticed the clothing and surroundings, and then remembered that I took the photo. Hehe. . . .but that can take too long.
Your other option is just to put it out there and see what people gravitate to. That's why JPG is so cool. Post up some shots and see what strangers think. Family and friends are crappy critics, but the public. . .they don't really give a 2nd thought to not leaving a comment or a props on your recent prized photo. They will either like it or not. Here on JPG you get to gauge your photos based on comments and favorites. Now comes the tough part. Now you get to sit and look at your very own photos and try to figure out what it is about THAT photo that makes people stop and take notice. What is it about THAT photo that makes someone say "I wish I could have taken that photo."? What is it about that photos that lets people feel that same ambient emotion that you felt when you took photo? You know that same emotion you wish you could separate your self from just so you could see your own photo for what it is, and not for what it was meant to be.
Practice makes improvements, but will never make perfect. But that's what makes this so fun right? The never ending challenge?
Thanks for reading.
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