The best photographs are the ones with deep layers of meaning. It takes thought to find these layers—and to create images featuring this depth, too.
Category - Photography Clips
Shades of Feeling
We often work hard to reproduce reality perfectly—but we’re not bound to do so. There’s value to bending reality if it lends shades of emotion to a...
Content is King
Content is king in photography, but maybe not quite in the way you think. It’s the emotional content that counts, the pieces of ourselves that we pour...
To Explain or Not to Explain?
Should photographers offer explanations of their art, or should interpretation be entirely on the viewer? Perhaps the middle ground is the right answer.
Every Pixel Counts
There’s so much that is out of our control. Weather, animals, the people that we photograph. But in the digital darkroom, we can control every single...
Bragging Rights
We sometimes fall into the trap of doing things the hard way just to say that we did. But, viewers rarely get to hear the story of an image’s creation.
The Best Tip to Offer Meaningful Critiques
Critiquing is a difficult process! It’s easy to overlook the photographer’s vision for the image. Ask this question so you can give the best feedback...
Work Your Subject
Seasoned photographers develop a couple useful habits when they’re out in the field. Here are two things pros do when searching for an interesting...
Marketing or a Money Grab?
It might work for cars, but pushy salesmanship can drive potential art buyers away. To market your photography, the best way is to be authentically you.
It’s OK to Avoid Trends
Trends are always coming and going. While there is pressure to follow them, ultimately, it’s up to you whether or not to follow whatever is current.
Photography Isn’t a Team Sport!
Cooperation among photographers is wonderful, but when teams form around brands, genres or other parts of photography, this limits creative exploration.
Meaningful to Whom?
There’s a difference between personal significance and significance for all. It takes creativity to show people what makes a photograph meaningful to...
Your Target Audience
Common marketing strategies often lead to photographers marketing to other photographers. But there are ways to put artwork in front of a broader...
The Road Never Ends
Once the technical learning is done, that’s when it may feel like the learning is over. But that’s when your photographic journey is just beginning.
Preparing for Any Display
The one area that photographers can’t control is a print’s display. Keep this in mind to create photos that show well in any situation!
Preserving Photography
Is digital preservation safer than archival prints as a way to keep our photographs for the future? I think so, and there are a couple of good reasons...
Experimentation
Planning is an essential part of the photographer’s routine. But when we can make time for it, experimentation has a lot of benefits to offer us.
Photography Isn’t Dying!
Is photography dying as an art form? I don’t think so, and here are my arguments against the idea that photography is in its waning years.
Personal Expression
How does one create unique art in an age when everything has already been photographed? By taking the subject material and making it personal.
One and Only
We all have favorite photographers who influence our work. But ultimately, each of us must grow beyond our role models to create the art only we can...
Creative Technology
Is the solution to our limitations to invest in a new piece of gear? Or is it more a matter of finding creative solutions using the equipment we have...
Don’t Count on Second Chances
Second chances to revisit our favorite places are wonderful. But everything is subject to change, so we can’t take those second chances for granted.
The Natural Conclusion
Today, with limitless digital storage, there’s no reason to limit photography projects to just a few images. Pursue a project to its natural conclusion!
Well Intentioned Photographs
There are as many motivations as there are photographers. Question is, are you creating well-intentioned photographs, or creating for another reason?
The Many Benefits of Old Age
We don’t think of old age as having many benefits, but it does! We grow wiser, and through patience or other means, we slow down to observe the world.
Anchor Shots in Photography
Anchor shots are the most important part of a series. You never know when you could create a series, so it’s a good idea to make anchor shots a habit.
Personal Aesthetics
There isn’t any accounting for taste, although photographers can try to follow mass appeal. But is this the wise choice instead of following your heart?
Dig Deep
We often give photographs a passing glance when searching for something to study. But it’s worthwhile to dig deeper even when images don’t initially...
Time is Valuable
No matter who you ask, every photographer will have a different answer as to what they prize most highly. But time is the most valuable resource of all.
Blurred Mediums
Photography is an interesting art in that we blur the lines between mediums more so than most. Check out my thoughts on this and you’ll see what I mean!