Shot from the front, and with a red tractor.
I teach my fellow photographers how to use the Elements of Visual Design to create stronger compositions, as well as images that have strong visual interest. Unfortunately, it’s more than every once in a while that someone in my online class with the BPSOP, or someone that’s with me in one of my “Stretching Your Frame of Mind” workshops I conduct around the planet tells me that a friend told them not to do something.
Just the other day, one of my students said that a friend of hers, that’s a “professional” photographer, told her to never shoot buildings from the front. WHAT?????
Moreover, I’ve also been told that friends (more professionals) have also said to never shoot anything that’s red. Someone, please shake me because I must be in some kind of twilight zone episode. How about this one from a friend to another friend…”Why worry about it now, you can always fix it later”. “Always have people walking into the frame so you can give them room to walk into”, is another ridiculous statement; by yet another professional photographer.
Let me digress for a moment by saying…by definition a professional photographer is someone that at one time in their life got paid for taking a photo. All it takes is one photo to qualify for this ubiquitous title so…I’m just saying!!!
My standard answer is…’Well, I guess if they told you to follow them while they jumped off that bridge, you would? If you do, leave your camera on the ground before you take a dive so someone might get some use out of it “.
I find it interesting that a lot of photographers, especially those that haven’t been at it long don’t have faith in their abilities and creative ways to make good photos. It’s hard to be objective when looking at our work, and so we sometimes rely on what others tell us, and we take it in good faith to be the way it is. After all, they want to sound as if they know what they’re talking about when in reality you probably know more than they do…at least as much!!!
Follow what you feel is right, and stop listening to your friends that just might have an agenda other than helping out. Take workshops from people whose work you admire. More than likely they’ll lead you down a better path. Read books like Freeman Patterson’s, The Art of Seeing. It’s one of my all-time favorites.
BTW, I guess I really screwed up when I shot this building straight on and put s red tractor in front!!!
🙁
Visit my website at: www.joebaraban.com, and follow me on Instagram www.instagram.com/barabanjoe/ check out my workshop schedule at the top of this blog. come shoot with me sometime.
JoeB
Hey Joe,
I have a friend at work who also says they are really into photography. Recently they just purchased a brand new camera and could not wait to tell me all about it. My friend honestly bragged about “how deep the menu settings can go on the back” and that the instruction manual was “over an inch thick! ” Needless to say I wanted to cross my eyes at him and tilt my head to the side. He once showed me his pictures that he was so proud of and they were horrible. Snapshots of people he converted to black and white except the eyes, were he pumped up the color. All he kept saying was look at how great these pictures were coming off his camera chip. I hate when he tries to talk “photography” with me. Because he is a coworker I see and talk to everyday I usually just nod and listen. Every now and then I try to offer some advice like if your going to shoot someone during the middle of the day, at least put them in the shade so the light is even on their face. He usually doesn’t listen and instead wants to know when I’m going to upgrade my camera.
Keep on teaching Joe. More people need to understand the visual design elements to help create better pictures and not just have gear lust or weird antidotes.
Gary,
You should get your friend to submit one of his favorite photos to Ask JoeB!!!!!!
Here’s a good post on it: http://joebaraban.com/blog/most-import-equipment/
JoeB