Capturing and Conveying Emotion
In today's digital world where almost everyone carries a camera of some sort around with them each and every moment of every day, we sort of take the art of photography for granted. We can even easily forget that photography is an art.
Cameras are in virtually all mobile communication and media devices. Compact cameras are relatively inexpensive and the amount of available models is mind-boggling. There is a vast array of photography-enthusiast cameras. There are professional cameras. There are security cameras. There are traffic cameras. There are news cameras. There are webcams, Skype and Face-Time. We are immersed in photos all day long... but, do we truly understand how to effectively use these devices we call cameras?
Cameras are tools made to capture an image. Each camera is different. Each camera has its weaknesses. Each camera has its strengths. The person handling this tool must understand light, shadow, tonal contrast, color, aperature, shutter speed, sensor sensitivity, and how to effectively compose this image in order to draw the viewer into the scene. The photographer's understanding of all of these concepts is crucial to capturing a beautiful photograph.
Once we draw the viewer into the scene, we then must find a way to capture and convey feelings. This is perhaps the most difficult thing to do. How do you capture a photo of a feeling or emotion?
To capture and convey that which is intangible in a two dimensional medium seems absolutely absurd. These intangible things are feelings about the environment including basic environmental factors such as temperature, moisture and the warmth of a scene. Going even further, we must also capture and convey human feelings such as happiness and utter joy as well as despair, sadness and grief.
The best photographers not only understand their tools completely, but they seem to have some innate superpower enabling them to effectively capture and convey these intangible environmental factors and emotions in a simple two dimensional photograph. They have the amazing ability to be at the right place at the right time to capture this invisible spirit of intangibility if even for only a split second.
Wedding photography is a good example of needing to not only understand all the basic and advanced concepts of photography, but of effectively capturing an elusive mood of a scene and its subjects.
Wedding photography is much more difficult and much more complicated than many think. It is so difficult and so complicated that I refuse to ever shoot a wedding. I could not nor would not risk disappointing a bride and groom on their day. There is far too much riding on the outcome of a wedding shoot and far too much could go completely wrong much more quickly than imagined. (Of course, compounding this is all my health issues which worsen without warning making anything impossible, especially photography!)
Unfortunately, far too many people think shooting weddings is simple. They think you just show up, press the shutter release button a thousand times, and then the camera gives you these beautiful photos. That is not the way a wedding photography gig goes... never! There are some who make it look this way though...
Rangefinder magazine recently published an article about the "30 Rising Stars of Wedding Photography". What makes these 30 the top rising stars is skill... experience... professionalism... integrity... excellence... teamwork... hard work... and that innate ability to effectively capture and convey emotion in their photography.
I pulled out about 80 of my favorite wedding shots by these 30 "rising stars" and put together a little slideshow for you. In these photos, you will actually see and feel joy, happiness, love, adoration, the warmth of a scene, the frosty wetness of snowfall on a bride, and even the mixed emotions of parents...
If you would like to read the article and see all the galleries, here is the link: 30 Rising Stars of Wedding Photography.
Good photographers can also capture sadness, confusion, and grief while also capturing love and adoration... In this next example, a new photographer tells his gut-wretching, heartbreaking story in photos...
A Newlywed's Journey
I aspire to effectively capture and convey these intangible feelings and emotions in my photography. This is what makes photography so beautiful... this is what makes photography an art... capturing and conveying emotion...
Cameras are in virtually all mobile communication and media devices. Compact cameras are relatively inexpensive and the amount of available models is mind-boggling. There is a vast array of photography-enthusiast cameras. There are professional cameras. There are security cameras. There are traffic cameras. There are news cameras. There are webcams, Skype and Face-Time. We are immersed in photos all day long... but, do we truly understand how to effectively use these devices we call cameras?
Cameras are tools made to capture an image. Each camera is different. Each camera has its weaknesses. Each camera has its strengths. The person handling this tool must understand light, shadow, tonal contrast, color, aperature, shutter speed, sensor sensitivity, and how to effectively compose this image in order to draw the viewer into the scene. The photographer's understanding of all of these concepts is crucial to capturing a beautiful photograph.
Once we draw the viewer into the scene, we then must find a way to capture and convey feelings. This is perhaps the most difficult thing to do. How do you capture a photo of a feeling or emotion?
To capture and convey that which is intangible in a two dimensional medium seems absolutely absurd. These intangible things are feelings about the environment including basic environmental factors such as temperature, moisture and the warmth of a scene. Going even further, we must also capture and convey human feelings such as happiness and utter joy as well as despair, sadness and grief.
The best photographers not only understand their tools completely, but they seem to have some innate superpower enabling them to effectively capture and convey these intangible environmental factors and emotions in a simple two dimensional photograph. They have the amazing ability to be at the right place at the right time to capture this invisible spirit of intangibility if even for only a split second.
Wedding photography is a good example of needing to not only understand all the basic and advanced concepts of photography, but of effectively capturing an elusive mood of a scene and its subjects.
Wedding photography is much more difficult and much more complicated than many think. It is so difficult and so complicated that I refuse to ever shoot a wedding. I could not nor would not risk disappointing a bride and groom on their day. There is far too much riding on the outcome of a wedding shoot and far too much could go completely wrong much more quickly than imagined. (Of course, compounding this is all my health issues which worsen without warning making anything impossible, especially photography!)
Unfortunately, far too many people think shooting weddings is simple. They think you just show up, press the shutter release button a thousand times, and then the camera gives you these beautiful photos. That is not the way a wedding photography gig goes... never! There are some who make it look this way though...
Rangefinder magazine recently published an article about the "30 Rising Stars of Wedding Photography". What makes these 30 the top rising stars is skill... experience... professionalism... integrity... excellence... teamwork... hard work... and that innate ability to effectively capture and convey emotion in their photography.
I pulled out about 80 of my favorite wedding shots by these 30 "rising stars" and put together a little slideshow for you. In these photos, you will actually see and feel joy, happiness, love, adoration, the warmth of a scene, the frosty wetness of snowfall on a bride, and even the mixed emotions of parents...
If you would like to read the article and see all the galleries, here is the link: 30 Rising Stars of Wedding Photography.
Good photographers can also capture sadness, confusion, and grief while also capturing love and adoration... In this next example, a new photographer tells his gut-wretching, heartbreaking story in photos...
A Newlywed's Journey
I aspire to effectively capture and convey these intangible feelings and emotions in my photography. This is what makes photography so beautiful... this is what makes photography an art... capturing and conveying emotion...
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