The Essence of Photography Bruce BarnBaum The Essence of Photography Seeing and Creativity Bruce Barnbaum, www.barnbaum.com Publisher: Gerhard Rossbach Copyeditor: Jocelyn Howell Layout and Type: Petra Strauch, [email protected] Cover Design: Helmut Kraus, www.exclam.de Cover Photo: Bruce Barnbaum Printer: Tara TPS Printed in Korea ISBN 978-1-937538-51-4 1st Edition © 2015 by Bruce Barnbaum All photography © Bruce Barnbaum (unless otherwise noted) Rocky Nook Inc. 802 East Cota Street, 3rd Floor Santa Barbara, CA 93103 www.rockynook.com Image on page 35 used by permission. Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico, 1941 Photograph by Ansel Adams Collection Center for Creative Photography, University of Arizona © 2013 The Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Barnbaum, Bruce, 1943- The essence of photography : seeing and creativity / Bruce Barnbaum. -- 1st edition. pages cm ISBN 978-1-937538-51-4 (paperback) 1. Photography--Vocational guidance. 2. Photography--Technique. 3. Composition (Photography) I. Title. TR154.B37 2014 770.23--dc23 2014000426 All rights reserved. No part of the material protected by this copyright notice may be reproduced or utilized in any form, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission of the publisher. Many of the designations in this book used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks of their respective companies. Where those designations appear in this book, and Rocky Nook was aware of a trademark claim, the designations have been printed in caps or initial caps. All product names and services identified throughout this book are used in editorial fashion only and for the benefit of such companies with no intention of infringement of the trademark. They are not intended to convey endorsement or other affiliation with this book. While reasonable care has been exercised in the preparation of this book, the publisher and author assume no responsibility for errors or omissions, or for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein or from the use of the discs or programs that may accompany it. This book is printed on acid-free paper. To you, the reader, Seeking meaning and creativity. In hopes that this book May be of assistance. Bruce Barnbaum 31417 Mountain Loop Highway Granite Falls, Washington 98252 USA Phone or Fax: (360) 691-4105 [email protected] www.barnbaum.com Table of Contents IntroductIon ....................................... x 1 FIndIng Your groove ........................... 3 3 Who are You trYIng to Please? ................ 49 Discovering and Developing Personal Interests ....... 6 Personal Work versus Professional Work .............. 50 Photographic Rhythm ................................ 10 Pleasing Yourself versus Pleasing Others ............. 54 How Your Equipment Affects Your Photographic Professional Necessities versus Personal Expression . 57 Rhythm ............................................... 15 Personal Satisfaction versus Photographic Sales ...... 59 The Impediments to New and Different Work ........ 61 2 Your Interests and Your ImagerY ............. 19 Breaking Barriers ..................................... 62 Finding Your Photographic Interests .................. 20 Photographs versus Fine Art Photographs ............ 66 The Starting Point of Photographic Seeing and The Power of Photography ............................ 67 Creativity ............................................. 23 Emotional Effects of Photography .................... 70 Compositional and Lighting Considerations .......... 25 The Psychological High of Photography .............. 72 Composition .......................................... 25 Light .................................................. 27 4 FIndIng InsPIratIon For realIsm or Example Images: Applying Compositional and abstractIon ..................................... 75 Lighting Considerations .............................. 29 Inspiration from Daily Life ........................... 78 Eliminating Problems in Advance with Careful Photographic Inspiration Near and Away from Home 79 Looking and Seeing ................................... 34 Inspiration from Literature ........................... 79 Improving Your Seeing with Film ..................... 36 Inspiration from Music ............................... 80 Print Size .............................................. 39 Interpretation of Realism and Abstraction ............ 83 Getting Feedback and Responding to It ............... 42 Color in Realism and Abstraction ..................... 84 The Importance of Feedback in Shaping My Work The Importance of Defining Your Expressive Goals ... 85 and Yours ............................................. 45 We See Similar Patterns in Different Subjects ......... 86 Exercise Completed ................................... 46 vii TABLE OF CONTENTS 5 the heart oF IntuItIon and creatIvItY ...... 91 7 technIcal knoWledge, materIals, Creativity Requires Preparation ...................... 92 and equIPment For creatIve PurPoses ....... 137 What Drives Creativity? ............................... 93 Using Technique for Creative and Educational “Know Thyself” ....................................... 96 Purposes .............................................. 139 Applying Insight and Intuition to Photography ...... 97 Combining Known Ideas in New and Creative Ways .. 144 Trusting Your Intuition ............................... 100 You Cannot Rely on Good Technique Alone ........... 149 Finding Opportunities for Creativity ................. 102 Materials, Equipment, and their Openings to Personal Examples of Creativity ...................... 103 Creativity ............................................. 150 Creativity in Unexpected Places ...................... 113 Moving Ahead with Creativity ........................ 116 8 breakIng the rules and FolloWIng Your Pushing Yourself versus Pressuring Yourself .......... 117 PassIon ........................................... 161 Putting Everything to Use ............................ 118 Working with Light ................................... 162 Cedar Breaks, Winter .................................. 165 6 learnIng through PhotograPhY WorkshoPs Rooftops, Heidelberg ................................. 168 and assocIates .................................. 121 Photographing My Passion; Finding Yours ............ 169 Photography Workshops .............................. 122 Photography as a Creative Art Form .................. 176 Misguided Education in the Arts ...................... 126 Defining My Goals; Defining Yours ................... 178 The Benefits of Photographing with Others .......... 129 Reviewing the Work of Others and Vice Versa ......... 132 technIcal InFormatIon ............................ 183 Finding Photographic Associates ..................... 133 Openness from Instructors ........................... 134 viii