Looking deep into her eyes was great!
I teach fellow photographers how to incorporate the elements of visual design and composition into their imagery.
In my part I and part II online class with the BPSOP, and in my “Stretching Your Frame of Mind” workshops I conduct around the planet, one of the basic elements and probably the most important of them all is LINE. Without Line, the other elements of visual design wouldn’t be elements, and worse, the world as we know it wouldn’t exist…why you ask????
For the simple reason that Pattern, Texture, Vanishing Points, Shape, Form, and Perspective are made up of Line. The world wouldn’t exist because everything around us from buildings to forms of locomotion to flowers to humans, etc. all have an implied outLINE.
When I’m photographing people, I almost always have my subject looking into the lens. One of the most important implied lines is the imaginary line that runs from the subject’s eyes to the center of the lens. Not only does it suggest a certain intimacy and private bond between the subject and the photographer, but it also creates visual tension and intellectual energy.
As I always say, “Tension=Energy”.
I don’t mean the Tension that comes from mental or emotional strain, but the Tension that comes from forces acting in opposition to one another…as in the subject and the camera looking at each other.
At one time taking pictures of people use to be thought as “robbing oneself of their soul”. Having said that, I’m not looking to steal someone’s soul (what would I do with it once I had it? Craig’s List or eBay?), however, I like the old adage that suggests the eyes are the doorway to one’s soul, and I do like the idea of looking into one’s inner spirit.
Visit my website at: www.joebaraban.com and check out my workshop schedule. Come shoot with me sometimes and maybe we’ll go steal some ‘souls’ together!!!
🙂
JoeB
The Amish to this day believe the camera steals your soul! These are just fantastic articles Joe you always seem to talk about how to make better photographs and never once talk about camera brand or gear!. Fantastic! I once met a “PRO” photographer at a meet up and it was such a disappointment. He would only talk about gear and how you owed it to the client to shoot them with the most state of the art Nikon or Cannon. What baloney! When I asked him how to take better photographs he would just brush me off and say use the rule of thirds! Honestly true story! Think this is why I appreciate your teaching philosophy Joe! Your only goal is to make great photographs pure and simple!
Thanks Gary!!!
The term “professional photographer” means someone that makes money when they take a photo. It doesn’t specify how much, how often, or for how long!!!!
Each month in my online class, and also when I conduct workshops, invariably someone will tell me that as soon as he gets a better camera, he’ll be able to take better photos. I love this one: “My pictures always come out dark and out of focus, and they never look good.. My friend said that it was because i used a cheap camera, and as soon as I upgrade, my pictures will look a lot better”.
REALLY? REALLY?
This what I tell them, and I stated part of it in an earlier post: Going out and buying a new Canon 5D Mark II won’t make you a better photographer. What it will do is make you the very proud owner of a Canon 5D Mark II.
It’s not the camera Gary, it’s the ten inches behind it!!!
🙂
Joe