Message vs. Concept

Lately I have seen a lot of trendy pictures on some social media that puzzle me.  They use strange color pallets or funky shadow patterns lit through colandars and screens.  They use tiny strings of fairy lights, or faces either covered with fruit or sprouting a flower from the mouth.  These are all eye-catching the first time around, but they get old quickly.  They have a bigger drawback as well.

After you see several photographers' takes on the same technique you realize they are all following a formula.  There is no meaning they are trying to convey with these odd arrangements.  We're seeing a design of fruit on a face, not a commentary on the fleeting nature of beauty.  So the photographer loses out in two ways. 

First, we have no reason to linger.  No call to explore the message we are receiving by studying the work further, analyzing it for a philosophy.  And second, anybody can imitate a technique.  It happens often.  If you check out photography forums, think about how many times you have seen a picture with the model stretching one arm back to the camera, holding the photographer's hand.  This means that the original will be rapidly buried in an avalanche of imposters.  We the audience are drowned in a sea of shallow lookalikes, giving us the impression that the art has nothing left to say.

The next time you take a picture for display, consider what inner portion of yourself you are revealing.  If it is a portrait seek to reveal an inner portion of the subject.  
And please don't stick a flower in their mouth. 

A Lake Michigan Souvenir

Lake Michigan and Dunes Mug
by Deans_Scenes
Click the title above to shop the mug or the name of my store to see all products.

One is not Enough

We got some good interaction going in the studio and I just couldn't narrow down to a single shot.  Letting the conversation unfold after a few prompts will sometimes payoff big, as in this exchange.  Use generalized soft lighting and a wider angle lens for flexible light and focus during the action.

Beach Photo Tee

Men's Long-Sleeve Tee with Black and White Beach
by Deans_Scenes

Beach-themed mug. coffee mug
by Deans_Scenes

Courthouse Drama

I decided I would gamble with some bold color editing.  I think I like it, but the jury's still out.  Maybe a bit garish?  You be the judge.

Looking out the Window

They don't have to look at you, but make sure your subjects are looking at something definite.  Here Daniel was looking out a large window in the wall behind me, which provided natural light and a focal point for him.

Don't Ever Change

Isn't that what we all write in each other's senior yearbook?  Here's a picture I wouldn't change at all.  Shot from shore with a long lens on an overcast day, the subject is the center of focus both literally and figuratively.