I always pay attention
If it ain’t helping, get rid of it.
Ok, now that I put the emphasis on what this post is about, I can further explain.
I’ve been writing posts here since 2011. For those that are just now tuning in, I teach an online class with the BPSOP, and I conduct workshops all over the place. I can tell you from personal experience that so many of my fellow photographers don’t pay attention to what’s going on inside the four walls of your composition…or barely outside.
Your field of vision narrows down to your subject or your center of interest, without considering what else is going on. One of the best ways to help with this problem is what I’ve been teaching forever. It’s called my 15 Point Protection Plan.
There’s two ways to use it effectively. The first is easy, just move your camera up a little, down a little, move to the right or left, take a step forwards or backwards.
The second comes when the first one can’t be accomplished. First, let me say what I’ve been telling students as long as I’ve been teaching. Make no mistake, you and I are artists who has chosen the camera as our medium. The camera on a tripod is the same as a blank canvas on an easel.
We paint. What that means at least what it means to me, is that like a blank canvas we add pigment until we feel like we have painted our ‘work of art’. In photography, the art of subtraction, we add or subtract things in our compositions until we have create our ‘work of art’.
What that means is that if something is in the way, move it out of the frame. If you need something that’s out of your composition, move it in.
Of course this is predicated whether you needed to obtain permission or not. I know…I know…I know, that there are people out there that call themselves a purist, and wouldn’t think about doing something so utterly distasteful. Those same so called purists have no qualms about using Lightroom or Photoshop to enhance their photo.
Don’t get me started!!!
Visit my website at www.joebaraban.com, and follow me on Instagram www.instagram.com/barabanjoe. Check out any new workshops at the top of this blog. Come shoot with me sometime.
JoeB
