Experiencing Your World: Page 3
However, this doesn’t need to be the case. You simply need to be aware of the fact that a human eye and a camera’s eye see distinctly differently. The human eye is dynamic and can change it’s focus quickly, change it’s exposure settings and have a wider field of vision. A camera is limited to the 4 walls of a photograph and for best results require manual control of things like exposure settings. Awareness of these differences is important if you want to maximize your work as a photographer. What you see as a human is very rarely a carbon copy of what you get on your cameras film.
Using your two hands, put your right thumb to your left index finger and your left thumb to your right index finger. You now have created a camera frame using your fingers.
Now what I want you to do is to use the same plant from your last exercise and use the frame created by your fingers and walk around the plant. Notice how when you manually zoom in the photograph would change dramatically. Now zoom out and notice how the picture changes again. Blur your eyes and notice how taking the picture out of focus causes the photograph to have more abstract qualities. Now change your perspective. Instead of standing or sitting as if the plant was sitting for a portrait consider taking a picture from an aerial view or get under the plant and take a picture looking upwards.
Changing your perspective in photography is a very easy way to differentiate your photography from most amateur photography. Most people take pictures standing up and they take horizontal pictures. Try ducking down or raising yourself above your plant to change your perspective. Dramatic different isn’t it? Now instead of shooting a horizontal picture, try shooting a vertical one by flipping your hands around to make the picture change once again.
The point of this exercise is to show you how even the most common subjects can be shot in literally thousands of different ways. Changing your focus, your zoom, your perspective to name a few, can all lead to dramatically different photographic outcomes. I wanted you to use your hand frame because I didn’t want you to waste film or take up camera storage space. I simply wanted you to be able to conceptualize the dramatic differences that small changes make.
Most amateur photographers will approach their subject, either human or inanimate and take the most convenient shot. However, there are virtually limitless possibilities within each shot. You are limited only by your imagination. Take the time and think about each shot. You’ll be surprised with the creative possibilities that come to mind.