Seeing Emotion

In today's photographic world where cameras are so innovative and where everyone has some version of photoshop on hand, so many of us are now able to take (or create) amazing photos without much thought or effort. Great! Or is it? I want to caution you in this weeks article about not falling into a routine of comfort. I know many of you reading this have been there....and some of you are going through it right now. How do I know? Because I have gone down that road of non-thinking comfortable "safe" shots myself. As photographers we know, don't we, what photos our clients are going to want to purchase before they leave our session. In some cases you may know before you even take a single image. Now don't get me wrong...this can be a very good thing. It can help you with the soft sell after the session or it can help you prepare prior to the session. Either way it will help you create an image and an experience for your client....which in the long run will mean more sales. BUT......We have to be so careful as artists to not get so caught up in the business side of photography that our artistic side gets put on "auto pilot". You have to be so mindful of every shoot that you do. Pay very close attention and see if you ever catch yourself doing that same "cute" pose with todays client because yesterdays client bought a 16x20 of it. Watch out that you don't take this weeks senior to the pier at Grand Haven and shoot them in the same location with the same pose. What do both of these warnings have in common? We STOP seeing the emotion. Remember that photography is painting with light...it is about capturing or creating emotion. Lets face it....emotion sells. So what I want to give you is somewhat of a homework assignment. I want you to go and try some new techniques and tell me if you see things differently.....do you see more? Here are three simple techniques to help get you to start seeing emotion again and not just poses; not just those "oh, I have shot here a million times so I don't have to think about it" thoughts that will come. 1. Being Six 2. Red 3. Eye Smile So with the first one....I want you to think about when you were 6 years old. What was life like? What were you like? You need to be able to show someone with just one photograph....what "being six" means to you. For the second one....If I were to ask you to close your eyes and tell me the first thing that pops in your head when I say to you "Red"...What would that be? Could someone who is color blind be able to tell from that single image what emotion your are conveying? For the last one....I want you to think smiles. What is it like when you truly smile? You know that one I am talking about....the one where you don't even think about it....the one where you can NOT hold it back....the one that makes your face hurt because it is so big. Now it has been said that your eyes are the "window" to your soul. So we are going to be voyeurs...in a sense. I want you to be able to show someone, anyone, with one photograph what a smile looks like....but by only showing them someone's eyes. That's it! Its that simple! I know that these may sound like very simple and basic techniques...and you're right they are. Sometimes though when we get into a situation and we are feeling flat or unsure or uncreative...it is returning to the basics that helps to put us back on the creative road we started down when we picked up our first camera. Until next time... Gregory Schrader