APOGEE PHOTO MAGAZINE: Sharpening Your Creative Eye by Steve Gottlieb

Sharpening Your Creative Eye

by Steve Gottlieb

For many of us, amateurs and professionals alike, producing creative photographs is a challenging objective. Snapshots just don’t satisfy. We want to produce images that are expressive, imaginative, and original. But can our photographic creativity be developed—and expanded—and, if so, how?

Composition: Is the center of interest in the center? Should it be? Is every element in the frame needed? Is there an interesting relationship among the various objects in your photo? Is there a balance of picture elements? Don’t forget to think vertically as well as horizontally. With popular subjects, like the Jefferson Memorial and cherry blossoms, avoiding clichés poses a special challenge.

I have closely observed many people taking pictures—my father William “Bill” Gottlieb (renowned photographer of jazz musicians), various colleagues, and many workshop students. From my observations--which include observing myself, I’ve concluded that virtually anyone can learn to be creative...or I should say be more creative, since no one who has made it through childhood starts from ground zero. Creative ability, I strongly believe, is far less an inherent talent than an affirmative choice.

To choose to be creative means dedicating yourself, working with great intensity, and continually pushing yourself to improve. It means being open to new ways of seeing, and it helps if you master the tools of the trade, which runs counter to the way in which most people take pictures. Most find a subject that interests them, decide quickly how to approach it in terms of camera position, lens choice, etc., raise their camera, and--using auto-focus and program exposure mode--click the shutter. Then, they move on, in search of their next photographic quarry. Their energy is spent primarily on finding many subjects rather than exploring subjects carefully and with a fresh eye. Mind you, I’ve logged my share of miles searching for intriguing subjects, but that’s no substitute for applying thought, imagination, and effort to the subjects you find. Even top pros will fall into a rut unless they stay mentally sharp and demand the best of themselves.

My favorite method for sharpening creative vision is photographing the same theme or subject in many different ways. “Variations on a Theme” forces you to see beyond your initial, and generally conventional, instincts. You must take more time, look more carefully, and think more about the range of visual possibilities. I’ve done this with the Jefferson Memorial. I offer my pictures and captions as food for thought, but remember that being creative is not about seeing as someone else does; it’s about seeing your own way…and pleasing yourself. So pick a subject that interests you—some person, object, or place—and start shooting.

Get low, get high (left): Most pictures are made from five to six feet high - the height of most people’s eyes. You get a predictable look and often one that doesn’t put the emphasis where you want it. When I saw a yellow umbrella on a sunny day approaching the memorial, I climbed onto a balustrade to get this perspective.

Bend your neck (right): Look up, look down. Looking straight ahead is normal, which often results in a predictable visual feel. Here, I'm looking almost straight up using a fisheye lens.

Foreground/Background (left): Do foreground and/or background elements effectively “vibrate” with the main subject in terms of color, shape, contrast, texture, and content. Look for interesting juxtapositions, such as where the bend of a branch mimics the curve
of the dome.

Shutter speed (right): Do you want movement frozen or blurred? To stop the motion of the feet, I shot at about 1/125th. Didn’t get what you wanted (check LCD)? People will often go through the motions again just for you...and still maintain a spontaneous look.

     Lens choice: Observe your subject with wide angle, normal, telephoto and
     panoramic eyes. How will different focal lengths change the relative sizes of
     elements in the picture? How will changing lenses affect the amount of
     foreground/background that’s visible? How will it change depth of field? I
     used a pan camera here.   Alternatively, shoot multiple images and digitally stitch
     them.

F stop & focal point (left): Depending upon the f. stop, focal point, and lens you choose, you have tremendous control over what’s in focus. Using a telephoto lens and shooting at f.22, I focused on tulips, with Jefferson—one-third-mile away—out of focus but recognizable.

Patience (right): Patience often pays big rewards. From scouting, I knew a great shot was possible if I could get up high on ladder in the middle of a busy road that winds around the memorial. I waited two years for a rare moment when roads were almost vacant. (Reason: the Redskins were playing in the Super bowl). On my ladder, I waited half an hour for something to happen. A tourist came by and became the picture’s focal point.

Details (left): Sometimes a part of the whole has strong graphic potential. Here’s one of dozens of details of Jefferson I’ve shot.

Quality of Light (right): Does the light falling on your subject create the right "feel"? Would using fill-flash or a reflector reduce unflattering contrast? On this shot sunlight creates warm tones to the pillars, while the steps in the shade have cool tones.

Time of day: The golden light early and late in the day is everyone’s favorite time to shoot, but wonderful images can be made at all times of day. This silhouette was shot in mid-afternoon; by taking a manual exposure reading of the sky, what’s in the shade goes dark.

More Creativity Stimulants:

Shoot, review, edit: Shoot plenty and then carefully observe your own work during the editing process so that sifting your wheat from your chaff is a learning experience.

Be ready for action: Keep your camera handy and be alert for great subject matter. Be prepared to react quickly when serendipity strikes.

Experiment: Try new ways of shooting. Play. Surprise yourself. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, which often lead to growth and sometimes yield wonderful images.

Stay motivated: Savor the fruits of your efforts by sharing your pictures with friends, making large prints for your wall, and/or creating an on-line photo album. Take a photo safari or a workshop.

Study photographs you like: Deconstruct favorite pictures to see what’s possible and ponder how it was done. Ask yourself why you like the picture…and do you want to create images like that?

Know your equipment: The better you know your tools, the more varied your pictures will be and the more consistent the quality...plus, you’ll spend less time fumbling when you need to get the shot. But becoming overwhelmed with mechanics can stifle the joy of the creative process, so take your learning at a comfortable, not a frustrating, pace.

There’s more. Look for things that open your particular creative door, such as shooting with a friend or competing in your local camera club. One closing thought: let the approach and actions that sharpen your photographic creativity infuse greater creativity into other arenas of your life.

Steve Gottlieb is founder and director of Horizon Workshops in northeast Maryland, where he offers workshops in “Creative Vision” and other photography subjects, as well as workshops on “Creativity in Business.” www.horizonworkshops.com.

98 Bohemia Avenue • P.O. Box 9 • Chesapeake City, MD 21915
www.horizonworkshops.com (410) 885-2433 info@horizonworkshops.com

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