When I look at contest winners and finalists, no matter the contest, I see a world that I don't seem to live in. I see frogs and lizards and other animals doing things in perfectly clear water the likes of which I never see or on perfect flowers the likes of which I never see. I see perfection in every image the likes of which I never see. How do you find a perfect natural world like that? Or how do you make the imperfect natural world look perfect? How do you get to that level? I really would like to get to the next level, but I don't even see it around me, so if I don't see it I don't know how to get there no matter how much I practice.
It has to be within you before you are able to do it. Locations, subjects and technique will only get you so far. The "thing" that elevates an image from a mere representation to something that has emotional meaning is not in the subject; it has to come from the photographer.
Guy
Posted by David Prichard on January 31, 2012 at 12:07 PM
Patience can also be a key. Several years ago, while travelling through the Yukon, my wife and the wife of a photographer we met during our travels, complained to each other about the time spent at the side of the highway taking photographs. The other woman turned to my wife and stated, "It could be worse, I talked to the wife of a National Geographic photographer who said her husband had waited 12 hours in Inuvik to get one shot."
I agree with Guy that the passion has to come from within your soul. It's taken me quite a number of years to realize the I just love photography, I love to look at the world and see its beauty through my eyes. The world is not perfect, nature is not perfect, our lives are not perfect, but it's that passion within me that keeps me going. I am fortunate that photography is not my "career" and that I do what I want, when I want and not have to worry about paying my bills. I love to exhibit and I love to hear what people say about my work, but I mainly take hold of that camera, and hold it tight and just marvel at the beauty around us. Barbara, you have to find that place in your soul and everything else will fall into place. Just keep shooting!
You've made the first and most important step, Barbara- recognizing that there are settings and situations that make it possible.
As Guy points out, using the opportunity comes from an inner "vision" of just what you want to do with it. Sounds like you've got that covered too.
Now it's time for the final step, as pointed out by David. You have to hunt for or wait for those opportunities. They're special, and they don't grow on trees by any means.
I'll add another that's just as important. You need to recognize the opportunities. It's easy for them to slip right by you, especially those that occur close to home. You're busy, you're distracted, you left the cameras at home, whatever.
I was a victim of distractions with bears a couple of years ago, and here I live right in the middle of bear country. Conditions brought an unbelievable number of bears down to the Kodiak road system, and for weeks I just drove on by, grumbling at the numbers of idiots blocking the roads in classic bear jams, and never wanting to enter the dust-up. Then it occurred to me: YOU DUMMY!!!! Here I can drive 5 minutes and have great bear ops rather than spending thousands on charter planes.
I started carrying the camera and looking for ops away from the crowds. And I found them.
But it still took over a month of stalking light and settings, then getting acquainted with the habits of individual bears. I bet I had over 100 hours invested and still didn't have the shots I wanted.
Then it all came together in a half hour encounter with THE BEAR. Light, setting, bear behavior and camera in the truck all happened at once. The shot I'm using for my avatar is just one from close to 100 exceptional shots I got that morning. I probably shot 3,000 or 4,000 shots before and after that one brief encounter, but they counted for nothing more than practice shots and entertainment while working to bring it all together.
The flip side is a shot a friend got. She's not a photographer. She owns a cell phone and not a single DSLR. She stopped by the side of the road to see what everyone was looking at. She raised her phone and took a single shot. And I bet it would win almost any photo competition she entered. Go figure! But that happens, too.
But it's probably the only great bear shot she'll ever get. I've been lucky now and then too, but I can't accept one great bear shot in my life. So I have to keep working for the rest of them.
Posted by Debbie Yarra on January 31, 2012 at 1:15 PM
Barbara, I do know what you mean, but like everyone here has said, many, if not all, of those shots were made from being there at the right time and place. Sometimes having waited for that time and place for hours or days or weeks. I can't tell you how many times I been to Maroon Bells to capture that unique light and element combination that makes a fantastic shot versus just a good one and I have yet to come away with one like that. I've probably been there at least 20 or more times at sunrise (its a 4 hour drive) and only about two of those times, did I think that I might come away with that fantastic shot, only to have a cloud pass over the sun just as the light is about to get amazing on the mountain. The more times you are out there and the better you know your equipment the more likely you are to get a perfect shot like the ones you see in the contests. Another thing is there are photographic tours or classes that will certainly increase your likely hood of getting those great shots. I just saw a post a few weeks ago that talked about Alan Murphy Bird workshops. He sets everything up and you can get these amazing bird photos with natural props but it's all set up for you. Take a look at this http://www.naturephotographers.net/imagecritique/ic.cgi?a=vp&pr=186584&CGISESSID=79ad79fed03c98e9ed3fdc0d0d9c9b35&u=27496. This photo is perfect, but ,also, set up not just taken in the wild. Keep shooting and do it from your heart! Blessings, Deb
Posted by Jim Sabiston on January 31, 2012 at 1:26 PM
Well, I was going to say 'Photoshop'...
- but the real answers are already here, with Guy and Hank hitting the hard points. I recently shared a vacation home on an Adirondack lake with a favorite aunt (only 4 years my senior) who is an accomplished painter and author. She watched me for days has we hung out and traveled about, me always lugging my camera equipment along. Towards the end of the week over dinner she mentioned that watching me observe the world was like watching a hunter. I will stalk a scene for hours revisiting and reconsidering until it clicks with the vision I have conceived in my imagination. Sometimes, serendipity will place the perfect shot right smack in front of you, but you have to be mentally engaged and ready.
Here is a suggestion: One of the things I do constantly now is shoot with my cell phone camera. I also carry a small Leica, but the iPhone camera is the heart of this particular ongoing exercise. The camera lives in a clip right on my belt. I can literally recognize a photo op and go from recognition to 'click' in 15-20 seconds, maybe less. This encourages me to be constantly engaged with the world as a photographer. I've taken thousands of shots like this. Most are junk, but I've garnered a few gems in the process.
Go to the iPhoneography Gallery and see some of the results. One of those images was just accepted into the 'iSpy: Camera Photography' show in the Kiernan Gallery in Virginia. Here is the link to the entire collection of images accepted for this very interesting show. It is truly amazing to see what people can do with even the simplest equipment when their heart is engaged in the work:
On looking at your gallery, I see some contest-worthy images. About all I can say is that you just need to do more of your best work. How often do you enter contests anyway? Have you received any validation? Crafting an image that you like should be enough, but some folks need more validation than others.
Posted by Dan Roberts on January 31, 2012 at 4:43 PM
One of the cool things about still photography is creating that illusion of that "perfect world". All the viewer has to go on is what they see in the image. Water flowing over mossy rocks could be in a ditch beside a busy highway. The frog in the placid pool could be in a backyard water feature. Like many have said already being able to visualize the image when opportunities present themselves is the key. On the other hand, for many, like myself as a converted hunter, the photo is almost a byproduct of the search for that special personal encounter with nature.
Then again, what the heck do I know. I've never won anything. But I sure have enjoyed being a loser...
Posted by Richard Ditch on January 31, 2012 at 4:49 PM
Don't discount the obvious - set ups and/or game farms. With a lot of "cleaning up" in photo shop thrown into the mix.
Posted by Brian Gatlin on January 31, 2012 at 5:48 PM
Rich said a lot in a few words about what I was going to mention.
And as others have alluded to, in many instances, that perfect world exists only in the photographer's mind--the final image may look nothing like what you would have seen had you stood in that exact spot at that exact moment when the shutter was pressed. Photoshop work, cloning, blending, HDR, etc have all produced a trend in landscape photography where so much of what is popular looks so fake to me that I tend to ignore the whole genre these days.
One thing I notice looking at these responses is that many of these people live in photogenic places with photogenic wildlife. Now, that's not the whole story, obviously, since time and effort and constant work are even more important (i.e. likely to get a good one if you spend 36 hours at a location instead of 2 and go back 20 time after checking weather forecasts, sun azimuths, etc. )
Nonetheless, if you don't have orchids, grizzlies and iconic monoliths, try the following (in any order):
1. Plan a trip to some place that has a subject you are excited about and research it thoroughly (seasons, weather, sun location)
2. Do some macro work is another thing...when I can't get to my mountains or waterfalls, I crawl around my yard. First you have to prune shrubs and look for good specimens (that's the hard part).
3. Take pictures all the time so you literally see like a photography and know your camera the way you know your hands.
If you do these things and feel some passion and inspiration in the process, it will eventually lead to some great images (and some disappointing ones) but enjoying the ride is important.
Also, as an English teacher, I know that we are sometimes eager to figure out how to get an A instead of figuring out what we want to say and how to say it. Thinking about subjects and perspectives is a crucial process.
Posted by Luke Ormand on January 31, 2012 at 8:33 PM
I'll chime in with others that there's a lot of luck involved. I have a couple of images that really stand above the rest and they were largely due to luck. The first set of photos is of a Gyrfalcon (a very rare bird in the lower 48 - especially on the east coast). This bird had killed a large gull and I got photos of this bird that are equal to or better than all photos that exist of this species (because of its rarity). It also happened to be the first day I had my new DSLR and 300mm lens and teleconverter. With my previous equipment I wouldn't have gotten the photos I had and the bird was only seen for a couple hours. Right place, right time. Some images from this experience ended up in raptor ID books.
The second set of photos that are really exceptional are of a whale that washed up (alive) on a nearby beach. After reading about it in the paper for 2 days I took off work and made the trip out there. I had just purchased a new 18-200mm lens (used from a fellow NPN member) and this was my first time using it - without it I would never have gotten the shots I got. Plus, I happend to be at the right place at the right time with my camera pointed at the Whale as it openend its mouth and raised its fluke in the air. The shot was in the semi's of a top nature competition and was considered for a two-page spread in Nat Geo. Let me tell you, this was mostly luck.
Posted by Kent Staubus on January 31, 2012 at 9:01 PM
Learn to previsualize. Learn how to recognize and use Light.
Kent in SD
Posted by Dan Borzynski on January 31, 2012 at 9:03 PM
There is a wonderful Thomas Jefferson quote that goes something along the lines of
"I am a firm believer in luck and I fnd that the harder I work, the more luck I have."
Posted by David Chauvin on January 31, 2012 at 9:45 PM
Beauty is all around us. You surely do see it or you would not be tempted to pick up a camera. Certain things will be attractive to your eye and your quest is to use the camera to translate that attraction, to make it understandable to others. Take for examples my last four landscape posts. The spring maple shot was within feet of a busy highway. When the big rigs roared by at 65mph the ground would shake. The stump photos are practically under an elevated stretch of interstate. The sand abstract is from a not so scenic stretch of public beach. These places do not jump out as being worthy of taking the time to stop and photograph. That's not to say these images are worthy of awards, but I like them and hope they cause some people to stop for more than a casual glance. I hope that they are more than visual gibberish to a few viewers. I know not everyone will get the message or care to hear what I have to say. Looking to contests for validation is a risky proposition. Shoot what attracts you and let the chips fall where they may.
Posted by Stan Rose on February 1, 2012 at 8:28 PM
Tequila.
Posted by Roger Rouch on February 2, 2012 at 11:23 AM
I have actually had a little shift in my photo endevours and am trying more to show the beauty of the ordinary world, rather than the perfection of contest winners and the like. I always think about the popular Maroon Bells photos. If you look left and right of the scene, chances are you will seen a line of photographers and it is not the serene beauty of the photo, but a bunch of people grappling for position. The photos are not an honest representation of the mood of place, regardless of the perfection of the photo.
Posted by Bill Fach on February 4, 2012 at 6:22 PM
Barbara: For me seeing the possibilities in a scene is the key whether its in the mountains or the garden. I'm not sure vision is something that can be taught but it certainly can be learned. A book that helped me a lot is Photographing the Landscape: The Art of Seeing by John Fielder.at Amazon. A lot of the landscape guys might find this too basic but it got me to thinking about how I look at the natural world. While it only applies to flora/macro in an indirect way I do know that my compositional skills improved significantly after I read it. Another thing that has helped me is an empty slide holder. I can look at a scene/subject through it and see comps that will fit in a 2:3 format. My wife calls it my pocket camera. It lets me make the image in my mind before putting it in the camera.>=))>
Discussion
18 repliesGuy
I agree with Guy that the passion has to come from within your soul. It's taken me quite a number of years to realize the I just love photography, I love to look at the world and see its beauty through my eyes. The world is not perfect, nature is not perfect, our lives are not perfect, but it's that passion within me that keeps me going. I am fortunate that photography is not my "career" and that I do what I want, when I want and not have to worry about paying my bills. I love to exhibit and I love to hear what people say about my work, but I mainly take hold of that camera, and hold it tight and just marvel at the beauty around us. Barbara, you have to find that place in your soul and everything else will fall into place. Just keep shooting!
As Guy points out, using the opportunity comes from an inner "vision" of just what you want to do with it. Sounds like you've got that covered too.
Now it's time for the final step, as pointed out by David. You have to hunt for or wait for those opportunities. They're special, and they don't grow on trees by any means.
I'll add another that's just as important. You need to recognize the opportunities. It's easy for them to slip right by you, especially those that occur close to home. You're busy, you're distracted, you left the cameras at home, whatever.
I was a victim of distractions with bears a couple of years ago, and here I live right in the middle of bear country. Conditions brought an unbelievable number of bears down to the Kodiak road system, and for weeks I just drove on by, grumbling at the numbers of idiots blocking the roads in classic bear jams, and never wanting to enter the dust-up. Then it occurred to me: YOU DUMMY!!!! Here I can drive 5 minutes and have great bear ops rather than spending thousands on charter planes.
I started carrying the camera and looking for ops away from the crowds. And I found them.
But it still took over a month of stalking light and settings, then getting acquainted with the habits of individual bears. I bet I had over 100 hours invested and still didn't have the shots I wanted.
Then it all came together in a half hour encounter with THE BEAR. Light, setting, bear behavior and camera in the truck all happened at once. The shot I'm using for my avatar is just one from close to 100 exceptional shots I got that morning. I probably shot 3,000 or 4,000 shots before and after that one brief encounter, but they counted for nothing more than practice shots and entertainment while working to bring it all together.
The flip side is a shot a friend got. She's not a photographer. She owns a cell phone and not a single DSLR. She stopped by the side of the road to see what everyone was looking at. She raised her phone and took a single shot. And I bet it would win almost any photo competition she entered. Go figure! But that happens, too.
But it's probably the only great bear shot she'll ever get. I've been lucky now and then too, but I can't accept one great bear shot in my life. So I have to keep working for the rest of them.
- but the real answers are already here, with Guy and Hank hitting the hard points. I recently shared a vacation home on an Adirondack lake with a favorite aunt (only 4 years my senior) who is an accomplished painter and author. She watched me for days has we hung out and traveled about, me always lugging my camera equipment along. Towards the end of the week over dinner she mentioned that watching me observe the world was like watching a hunter. I will stalk a scene for hours revisiting and reconsidering until it clicks with the vision I have conceived in my imagination. Sometimes, serendipity will place the perfect shot right smack in front of you, but you have to be mentally engaged and ready.
Here is a suggestion: One of the things I do constantly now is shoot with my cell phone camera. I also carry a small Leica, but the iPhone camera is the heart of this particular ongoing exercise. The camera lives in a clip right on my belt. I can literally recognize a photo op and go from recognition to 'click' in 15-20 seconds, maybe less. This encourages me to be constantly engaged with the world as a photographer. I've taken thousands of shots like this. Most are junk, but I've garnered a few gems in the process.
www.essentiallightphotography.com
Go to the iPhoneography Gallery and see some of the results. One of those images was just accepted into the 'iSpy: Camera Photography' show in the Kiernan Gallery in Virginia. Here is the link to the entire collection of images accepted for this very interesting show. It is truly amazing to see what people can do with even the simplest equipment when their heart is engaged in the work:
http://www.kiernangallery.com/3/Gallery.asp?GalleryID=108091&AKey=8JMSW35S
The more I shoot, the more I study, the more I learn, the more apparent this becomes. The answer rests within you, not without.
Then again, what the heck do I know. I've never won anything. But I sure have enjoyed being a loser...
And as others have alluded to, in many instances, that perfect world exists only in the photographer's mind--the final image may look nothing like what you would have seen had you stood in that exact spot at that exact moment when the shutter was pressed. Photoshop work, cloning, blending, HDR, etc have all produced a trend in landscape photography where so much of what is popular looks so fake to me that I tend to ignore the whole genre these days.
Nonetheless, if you don't have orchids, grizzlies and iconic monoliths, try the following (in any order):
1. Plan a trip to some place that has a subject you are excited about and research it thoroughly (seasons, weather, sun location)
2. Do some macro work is another thing...when I can't get to my mountains or waterfalls, I crawl around my yard. First you have to prune shrubs and look for good specimens (that's the hard part).
3. Take pictures all the time so you literally see like a photography and know your camera the way you know your hands.
If you do these things and feel some passion and inspiration in the process, it will eventually lead to some great images (and some disappointing ones) but enjoying the ride is important.
Also, as an English teacher, I know that we are sometimes eager to figure out how to get an A instead of figuring out what we want to say and how to say it. Thinking about subjects and perspectives is a crucial process.
The second set of photos that are really exceptional are of a whale that washed up (alive) on a nearby beach. After reading about it in the paper for 2 days I took off work and made the trip out there. I had just purchased a new 18-200mm lens (used from a fellow NPN member) and this was my first time using it - without it I would never have gotten the shots I got. Plus, I happend to be at the right place at the right time with my camera pointed at the Whale as it openend its mouth and raised its fluke in the air. The shot was in the semi's of a top nature competition and was considered for a two-page spread in Nat Geo. Let me tell you, this was mostly luck.
Kent in SD
"I am a firm believer in luck and I fnd that the harder I work, the more luck I have."