Photo Art
McKaso
TM
Photography By: Steve Sullivan
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A very popular saying I have heard countless times in business dealings is “you need to see the big picture”, but don’t for a second, fool yourself into using this saying in your photography. If you don’t see the little pictures you will miss countless opportunities to photograph the unique. A little over a year ago I had the great pleasure of attending a workshop given by George Lepp at the Center for Fine Art Photography in Fort Collins Colorado. Several attendees had the privilege of having a portfolio review done by George Lepp, and the one point that I heard time and again during these reviews, was to look for the picture within the picture. In other words, look for the tiny details that make up the whole, and capture those unique scenes. Everyone of us have captured the typical tourist snapshot, and for most people that is just fine, as you are capturing a moment in your familiy’s history, and that photo is precious, but if you are like me, and view photography as an art, then the typical tourist photo is just not going to cut it. One exercise I love to do is to gather up my gear and head off to a location where I place myself in a small area, say 2’x2’, 4’x4’ or 8’x8’, and challenge myself to capture as many photos as possible from different locations and viewpoints within that area. Sometimes I may use an entire flower garden and spend all day there. This really opens your mind and eyes to observe the little things around you. To really emphasis this point I took what I would consider a snapshot of a hay bale house at a local historical attraction. It is a very simple basic photo that is a snap shot. It has recorded a period of time that I was present for. It does hold special meaning to me, but it is not a unique or remarkable photo. What would I have missed had I passed this opportunity to see the pictures within the picture? I am sure as you study the photo you can find many other opportunities as I concentrated in the area around the washing machine. I found at least four photos that I would have missed had I not looked for the picture within the picture.
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By slowing down and seeing the small details, I was able to capture and produce four distinctly different and unique photos from a single scene that started out as a snap shot. This scene has changed with time, but I was able to capture that specific moment in time that will not occur again. Photography is all about seeing and that includes all scenes big and small. Do not limit yourself to seeing just the big picture. Take your time and enjoy the small things in life as they can be more satisfying then you could ever imagine.
Have a Great Day and Happy Shooting! :-)
