Realizing your Creative Vision

The simple act of pushing the shutter button to make a picture changes the scene. When we make an image, the camera compresses our three-dimensional world into two dimensions. It freezes a single moment in time forever. Understanding this fact is the first step to becoming a true photographer.

As photographers, we make many conscious decisions before we push the shutter. We understand we can use a fast shutter speed to freeze action, while we can use a slow shutter speed to intentionally blur movement. We choose a lens for the impact it will have on the final look of the image. A wide-angle lens, for example, exaggerates distances, while a long telephoto visually compresses the elements in the scene. With a simple adjustment of the aperture we decide how much of the scene we will render sharp. What we choose to include in the frame, our chosen perspective, the lighting, background, focus point, angle of view each of these elements and countless others all affect the look of our images.

– Understanding these tools, we move beyond just framing up a pretty part of the world and taking a picture? Using these concepts are what move us from simply taking snapshots to making images.

To become a true photographer, we must intimately understand our tools and how each setting affects the final look of our images. Our conscious choices about each of these elements enables us to realize our own creative vision.

Good Luck and Good Light!

Steve