The Whole Enchilada
Here’s a saying that has been around as long as I can remember; somewhere right after the last dinosaur disappeared.
I’m sure that at one time you have either said it yourself, it has been directed to you, or you read it, “Can’t see the forest for the trees”.
For those that don’t know the actual meaning, it’s an idiom ( https://www.dictionary.com/browse/idiom) and it means…”an expression used of someone who is too involved in the details of a problem to look at the situation as a whole”.
Another definition is, “To focus only on small details and fail to understand larger plans or principles”; basically the same thing.
At this point you’re probably asking yourself what does this have to do with taking pictures?
I have seen this first hand with many of my fellow photographers that have either taken my online classes with the BPSOP or have seen it during the critiques in my “Stretching Your Frame of Mind” workshops I conduct around the world.
They get so zoned into a subject that they fail to see the environment that surrounds it. This causes confusion when the viewer can’t figure out what you’re trying to visually say.
One of the problems I observe is that I see people walking around and all of a sudden they’re shooting pictures of things that could have been shot anywhere; For example, coming in close on a person, just a face, an object, something in a window, Etc.
This all works when you’re back from your trip and have the family over for the proverbial slideshow and you’re able to talk your way through each photo.
That’s all well and good, but for the most part you probably won’t be around to explain the pictures. If you want to say where the photo was taken (without being there), you’ll want to show some of the environment to give your subjct a place; including a name of the city (if at all possible) somewhere where the viewer can read it.
This what I refer to as The Whole Enchilada.
Btw, in the above image I was looking at the patterns, color, and light on the tent. When I stepped back I saw the ferris wheel!!!
🙂
Visit my brand new website at: www.joebaraban.com, and checkout my workshop schedule at the top of this blog. Come shoot with me sometime and we’ll slow down together and smell the roses. I still have an opening for my upcoming workshop in New York starting this coming September 17th. I hope you can come join us as we shoot all the five boroughs.
JoeB
