Do You Create Your Own Reality?

Whatever type of photography you practice and, be it amateur or professional, that which you are shooting, has been shot before. You are the difference. That's right, the only element in this equation is your imagination and technique. If it were not so, then every picture from the same location would be exactly the same.

When you are on location and sizing up the subject matter, you make choices, first your angle and composition, then possible exposures and finally, what lens you want (of course, if you are an amateur photographer and have but a single lens...).

While you may not do it exactly as I described, the basics are the same. Most every item and location has had someone, at some time, take a picture of it. If you've looked through available web sites, such as Flickr, for instance, you will see how images, from different people, look similar.

So, the sixty-four dollar question is: what do you bring that marks you as a photographer? Do you attempt to recreate an image you've seen before or do you look for a unique way of portraying the subject?

There must be a gazillion images taken at the edge of some body of water, where the photographer used a wide-angle lens and a small aperture to put everything into focus, from the rocks near the camera's position, all the way to the horizon. Do you really need to create another image like these? If you were standing at the same location, what would you do that's different?

Sure you could recreate what you've seen before, if, for no other reason than a learning experience, but is it original? Now, I'm not saying don't examine other images; you can learn quite a bit. Besides deconstructing the picture, you also know what's already been done.

Finding something new is what distinguishes a photographer. Stepping out of the ordinary, into the extraordinary is difficult and frightening. You are operating without a safety net and yet, that's exactly where you need to be. You need to be on the edge because that's where you'll find your personal style and bring a unique voice to the community.

 

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