There’s a certain “itness” to photography, which is to say that great pictures show not so much a thing or a thing happening as the nature of that thing or thing happening. For example, a picture of a forest shouldn’t show a forest so much as the quality of “forestness.” This is a great thing, because there’s no limit on the amount of things that can convey “forestness.” To one person, that quality could be calmness, to another, it could be greenness. To another, still, it might be darkness or it might be peacefulness. There’s no need to show all of it. Just whatever you think it should be. And while cues that capture the itness of things are as … Read more...

Photo by Christopher Duggan for R Wagner Photography
www.rwagnerimagine.com
rwagnerimagine.com/blog/

This is such a charming picture. At 570 pixels, you lose a bit, though, so I’d say to click here to see a larger version. It’s textbook use of foreground and background, and that’s well executed, but what really makes this work is body language and expression. It’s a context shot, so without those elements, everything falls apart.

We start off with a nice gaze from the girl (you can see my article on the art of the gaze here) that creates a good connection, and from there, the image builds. The tilt of her head combined with her face being ever-so-slightly obscured by the column tells us … Read more...

Photo by Heather Waraksa
www.heatherwaraksa.com
www.heatherwaraksa.com/blog/

Heather Waraksa knows posing. And she knows mood. Aside from being appropriately contemporary, this is the type of picture that, in the last year or so, has so often been copied, but so rarely been realized. An image like this works, because it goes against convention. Instead of going for something natural or romantic, it is quirky, odd, and rule-defying. To make it sing, every part of the picture needs to properly build to that, exactly as it does here.

First, let’s talk about the expression. This is the cornerstone, and it’s my favorite part about the image. It’s almost deadpan, but it’s underscored by a vulnerability in the man and candor in the … Read more...

You never get to see the underbelly. That hidden part of what every photographer shoots – the unedited set of files. Looking through portfolios and blogs is like going to a cocktail party, where everyone is at their best. Dressed to the nines and at their most charming, you only see the photos that represent their best self possible. Even for any individual photographer, it’s oh-so-tempting to drink the Kool Aid, and start to believe that your best represents your norm. But how many shots can most people show on a blog post? 10? 20? Maybe 40? And forget about portfolios. They’re just cherry-picked. But there’s no question some photographers draw from a deeper well than others with more consistency … Read more...