Goals are the guideposts that take us along our photographic journey. Let me show you how setting objectives for yourself helps you achieve mastery.
Category - Photography Clips
Separating the Art from the Marketing
Art is not about the tools, whatever marketers have to say about it. Look at it from the perspective of a writer and you’ll see what I mean.
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!
Shine a Spotlight on It
Spotlighting is an often overlooked technique, which is a shame because there are many, many different creative ways to put single light sources to...
Wandering
Productivity aside, there is value to be had in the journey. Sometimes simply wandering may be the best thing—and I’ll show you why.
Clean Edges
The devil is in the details, as they say, and we photographers don’t always notice the little distractions around the edges. Here are some thoughts on...
What You Want to Say
Photographers love to tell stories about where, how and why their photographs were made. And that begs the question, shouldn’t our images speak for...
Dealing with the Weather
Weather is one of the biggest struggles any photographer will face. When it doesn’t cooperate, we have to be creative enough to work with what it gives...
What Are Your Reasons?
What are your reasons for liking or disliking a photograph? There are many reasons why we make these decisions—and some require more thought than...
Just Because You Can Doesn’t Mean You Should
It’s exciting to be able to print photographs at extremely large sizes. But is it always necessary? Some images may benefit from smaller sized prints.
Looking in the Mirror
Photography is really a way of projecting our personal perspectives onto the world. That’s what makes each image from every photographer unique.
Eye Level
Perspective is one of those crucial elements that can turn something ordinary into something extraordinary. Here are my thoughts on using perspective...
Aging Photographs
It’s tempting to share exciting new images as soon as we can after taking them. But letting them age a little bit can truly bring out the beauty.
Training Your Brain
Brain training is a popular fad nowadays, and there are ways to train your creative brain, too! It’s all about activating the brain’s reticular...
We Shouldn’t Generalize… Or Should We?
Generalizing and stereotyping is viewed as a bad thing. But generalizing is a lot of what photographers do. We just need to be conscientious and do it...
Preparing Your Mind
Throughout the day, our minds go from work to errands to family and more. It helps to take a moment and shift gears so you can prepare your mind to be...
When Future Proofing Goes Wrong
Future-proofing is good in that we need gear to suit our photographic needs—but it can go wrong, too! Here are thoughts on when future-proofing goes...
Going in Blind
Going on a photography trip without pre-scouting the area can be a valuable challenge that teaches you to trust your instincts. Read my thoughts here.
Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone
As a photographer, it’s important to step outside your comfort zone and rise to challenges. That’s the best way to push yourself, learn new things, and...
Are We Overlooking the Shadows?
We think of photography as the art of painting with light—but we paint in shadow, too. Here are some thoughts that might give you new perspective.
Break the Rules
We need to learn the rules so that we can learn the basics. But once you’ve learned the rules well enough? Then it becomes OK to break them when needed.
Emphasis
Sometimes the emphasis is necessary for photography, but it’s not so easy as adding an exclamation point. Here are thoughts to help you get your point...
What People Say and What They Do
Paying for photography reviews might result in a brief flash of attention. But lasting popularity comes from photographs designed to promote themselves.
Does Empathy Make Us Better Photographers?
Empathy may just be one of the largest factors that makes one into a better photographer. Here are my thoughts on how you can channel this into your...
Using Adversity to Your Advantage
Creating art is no easy feat when adversity strikes. If you can find a way to create anyway, you can channel that adversity into powerful photographs.
Art is Timeless
Classical works teach us that art has timeless value—and that includes photography. This is why we spend time with images in order to fully understand...
Cookie Cutter Websites
It’s easy to create a cookie cutter website with templates. But when art is supposed to be uniquely ours, shouldn’t we display it on unique websites...
Deliberate Mistakes
There are many techniques, like overexposure, that can look like mistakes when they’re not done right. Here’s how to use them so they look purposeful!
Photography Every Day
Daily photography is a good habit to form if you can make time for it! It keeps us sharp and increases the odds of making something fantastic.
Thinking in Layers
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.