The Photographer's Craft

DavidTO

I'm reading Digital Photography in Available Light, and there's a quote in the book from another boo, "The Photographer's Eye" by John Szarkowski.

I thought it would make an interesting discussion point. Anyway, I found it interesting.

The Photographer's Eye wrote:

To quote out of context is the essence of the photographer's craft. His central problem is a simple one: what shall he include, what shall he reject? The line of decision between in and out is the picture's edge. While the draughtsman starts with the middle of the sheet, the photographer starts with the frame.

The photograph's edge defines content. It isolates unexpected juxtapositions. By surrounding two facts, it creates a relationship. The edge of the photograph dissects familiar forms, and shows their unfamiliar fragment. It creates the shapes that surround objects.

The photographer edits the meanings and the patterns of the world through an imaginary frame. This frame is the beginning of his picture's geometry. It is to the photograph as the cushion is to the billiard table.

ian408

I have read that several times because I think it is one of, if not the,
essence of photography.

When making photographs, especially those that tell a story, we have to
learn how to frame or put into context the subject we are shooting so that
that one picture tells the story.

Just how do you learn the art of framing a good picture?

DavidTO

The thing that really got me about that quote was at the very beginning. "To quote out of context". That thought really fascinates me. I've always thought of taking a picture as putting something in context. But really, every time we frame a subject we are deciding what not to show: what context to omit, what to include.

ian408

Yes. And by deciding what to include, we are defining the context we want
to give our viewer. Which is a more powerful image? The image of a
firefighter (in full turnouts) holding a child or that same firefighter in the
context of a disaster scene (ie;tight shot or more of a wide angle)?

CavalierPhoto

I think that's what gives all of our images their uniqueness. Given the same "subject" and 4 photographers will yield 4 separate and distinct images. Each one of us sees things in our own way and the trick/skill is to accurately capture the image and portray it as we see it.

jdryan3

DavidTO wrote:

The thing that really got me about that quote was at the very beginning. "To quote out of context". That thought really fascinates me. I've always thought of taking a picture as putting something in context. But really, every time we frame a subject we are deciding what not to show: what context to omit, what to include.

This discussion could get esoteric very quickly. How Fun!

Forgetting the photograph itself, every scene may present a different context for any given observer. Sure, many may be the same, or at least similar, but there would be differences. When you then 'frame' (or compose) the scene the photographer is subjectively deciding what elements, DOF, oppositions, perspective, etc. best relay her/his vision for the scene's context.

Even then, different viewers of the image will still see it within different contexts - their own. That is why I like doing this so much and work hard at it. I want to create that frame around what I see, so that you see what I do. But you still may not. And that has to be OK. If the image I present looks to ME like what I want it to, the rest doesn't matter. I have hard enough time getting it to look like I think it best presents my vision/context. When I do that, it's like "yeah, that's it!"

BTW, I DO like it when you see what I do. But I also like it when you see it in a way that never even crossed my mind. Your context.

claudermilk

I find it really interesting when a viewer comes up with a totally different context/interpretation of one of my images. It's always, "gee, cool, I never thought of it that way"