How do you make really great photographs?

[Ron Scubadiver]

Ron, you being a SP par excellence, probably you know about Saul Leiter and if you don't, he is right up your street.

Thank you for the compliment.  This the first I heard of him.  Many of his images are available on the web.  It is difficult to make color work for you rather than against you in street photography, but he does just that.  It amuses me that he started out to be a rabbi.

[Ron Scubadiver]

That being said, you really should try the 300 PF. It is good if not great, rather inconspicuous (if you don't mount the shade) and is a sweeeet long distance portrait lens.

You are the second person here to mention that lens to me.  I mainly shot my 70-300 all the way at 300 in Hawaii, and I used it when the 200-500 was either too heavy (long walks) or too obvious.  I think it would work great and easily blow the 70-300 away.  This will have to come after a 20 f/1.8.

[Gary]

To your OP:

1) Shoot;
2) Shoot some more:
3) At the end of the day when you think you're done shooting ... Shoot again.

Then, self-critique the hell out of your images.  Be you own worst critic.  Always look for improvements to be made in your images.  Find a mentor that will kick your a$$. Use a camera/lens until you have harmonized with said camera/lens. Use the camera until you can operate it in the dark and the camera is an extension of your hands. Use your lenses until they are an extension of your eyes. Until you know the FOV and DOF without having to mount the lens. Previsualize the image you desire to capture in your minds eye, then reflect that image with camera position, lens choice and settings.  The less post manipulation you need to make to attain your previsualized image, the better your are becoming.

After the above, shoot for the next level ... Crop only in the camera. If you need to crop in post to straighten a horizon or eliminate distractions or any reason ... then the image gets dumped.

[Frank Fremerey]

Thank you Gary.

[Ron Scubadiver]

To your OP:

1) Shoot;
2) Shoot some more:
3) At the end of the day when you think you're done shooting ... Shoot again.

Then, self-critique the hell out of your images.  Be you own worst critic.  Always look for improvements to be made in your images.  Find a mentor that will kick your a$$. Use a camera/lens until you have harmonized with said camera/lens. Use the camera until you can operate it in the dark and the camera is an extension of your hands. Use your lenses until they are an extension of your eyes. Until you know the FOV and DOF without having to mount the lens. Previsualize the image you desire to capture in your minds eye, then reflect that image with camera position, lens choice and settings.  The less post manipulation you need to make to attain your previsualized image, the better your are becoming.

After the above, shoot for the next level ... Crop only in the camera. If you need to crop in post to straighten a horizon or eliminate distractions or any reason ... then the image gets dumped.

Your 3 steps are nearly what HCB said, except #3 was only show the good ones.  I think for those of us who shoot in a journalistic mode cropping, straightening horizons and other fixes are necessary.  Things happen too fast.  However, experience tends to eliminate bad horizons and various other mistakes.  The fewer the better.

[Frank Fremerey]

Your 3 steps are nearly what HCB said, except #3 was only show the good ones. 

That is the thing I always hear. To no avail. I get angry hearing that nonsense again. Why?

How do you ever know what the good ones are?
To masterly judge something you have to be a master yourself.

Will you let the public decide what the good ones are?
Or will you decide for yourself?
So will you be a copycat or will you produce genuine art up to your own builtin limit (which can be very low at times)?
Is art teachable?
Is it a question of hours put in, of diligence or is it talent whatever talent might be?

***

I feel in the end it is understanding on a very dep level what has been done so far and what the crowd is ready to accept next. Every photo you take with ambition either extends what has been achieved so far or it is for the bin...

My (angry) two cents.

***

I declare that I took Bjørn word "to be free to express my sentiment"

#2022

[Gary]

Your 3 steps are nearly what HCB said, except #3 was only show the good ones.  I think for those of us who shoot in a journalistic mode cropping, straightening horizons and other fixes are necessary.  Things happen too fast.  However, experience tends to eliminate bad horizons and various other mistakes.  The fewer the better.

As a former photojournalist, I disagree. I used to crop 100% in the camera when I worked for a major market daily newspaper and shooting film. With sufficient practice and dedication, I think most photographers can attain that level of proficiency. Saying that because you shoot in a photojournalistic manner allows for cropping is an excuse for setting the bar low ... an excuse not to be self-critical ... is an excuse so accept flaws while shooting ... which could be corrected in the field.

For a period of time, I only printed full frame on all my assignments, no cropping, if a horizon was off, if the framing was off ... the photo was dumped.

Some old samples:






I hope to attain that level of skill, discipline and self-critiquing again.

[Frank Fremerey]

thank you Gary.

[Ron Scubadiver]

As a former photojournalist, I disagree. I used to crop 100% in the camera when I worked for a major market daily newspaper and shooting film. With sufficient practice and dedication, I think most photographers can attain that level of proficiency. Saying that because you shoot in a photojournalistic manner allows for cropping is an excuse for setting the bar low ... an excuse not to be self-critical ... is an excuse so accept flaws while shooting ... which could be corrected in the field.

For a period of time, I only printed full frame on all my assignments, no cropping, if a horizon was off, if the framing was off ... the photo was dumped.

I hope to attain that level of skill, discipline and self-critiquing again.

I guess that I will have to put my superman suit on...  The way I look at it is if we have these tools, use them.  Even when we only had film, cropping and many other adjustments were fundamental.  I make photographs, nobody pays me for them, so I should have a bit of room to do it my way.

[Gary]

I guess that I will have to put my superman suit on...  The way I look at it is if we have these tools, use them.  Even when we only had film, cropping and many other adjustments were fundamental.  I make photographs, nobody pays me for them, so I should have a bit of room to do it my way.

You can call them "tools" or you can call them "crutches" ...

Many children use training wheels to learn how to ride. After a while the rider removes the training wheels because they have mastered a certain level of competency.

I am just addressing your title.  We are all different and we all learn differently.  I am giving you the lessons that allowed me to attain a high level of success as a photojournalist for major market newspapers and wire service.

I am very competitive and I embrace the challenge of photography.  For me the challenge is to strive to capture the exceptional image on every assignment and to outshoot the competition.  Those twin tenets are what drive me and my photography.  It isn't about being paid.  It isn't about doing it my way. It isn't about donning a Superman suit.  It is about doing the best job one can ... it is about shooting better today by improving upon how you shot yesterday ... it is about tossing the crutches away and moving up the learning curve of exceptional photography.

[Anthony]

Gary, I find your points very compelling.

Shooting slides for projection was a very good training in the olden days!

I am interested in your comment that you printed only the full frame "for a time".  What were the factors that caused you to move away from this approach?

[Ron Scubadiver]

nt

[Hermann]

Shooting slides for projection was a very good training in the olden days!

It certainly was. I only shot slides for many years, first Kondachrome, later Velvia, before I lost my interest in photography some 15 years ago. Now, that I started again, I find I still prefer to find a framing where I don't have to crop. Not using zooms if possible actually helps me, I find. It means I have to use my feet to find the best angle anyway ... :-)

Hermann

[Ron Scubadiver]

You can call them "tools" or you can call them "crutches" ...

Many children use training wheels to learn how to ride. After a while the rider removes the training wheels because they have mastered a certain level of competency.

I am just addressing your title.  We are all different and we all learn differently.  I am giving you the lessons that allowed me to attain a high level of success as a photojournalist for major market newspapers and wire service.

I am very competitive and I embrace the challenge of photography.  For me the challenge is to strive to capture the exceptional image on every assignment and to outshoot the competition.  Those twin tenets are what drive me and my photography.  It isn't about being paid.  It isn't about doing it my way. It isn't about donning a Superman suit.  It is about doing the best job one can ... it is about shooting better today by improving upon how you shot yesterday ... it is about tossing the crutches away and moving up the learning curve of exceptional photography.

Gary, you are insulting a lot of photographers with the "crutches" analogy.  You said your bit about not cropping, and I disagreed.  What you wrote above adds nothing to the discussion and leaves a bad taste.  As for training wheels, they are not used anymore.  If everyone followed your advice a lot of great photography would have been pitched and most photographers would have given up in frustration.  I know a retired commercial photographer of some note who advocates shooting wider than necessary to allow fine tuning later.  There are many different schools of thought.  You don't have to act like yours is the only one and you don't have to exaggerate to make a point.

[Fons Baerken]

...to become a better photographer stay away from forums and their convenient opinions and do it your own way...