Light (Not Time) Is Money
A couple of weeks ago I posted an article called Recipe Of Light where I made an analogy comparing photography with cooking and great photographers with world class chefs. The comments ranged widely from photographers, clients and mentors. Each had something to say about my points and views. I heard everything from “You should use the analogy of an automobile because people can relate to how cars require gasoline and maintenance,” to “Great quality is not a requirement for most people.” One photographer even pointed out all the ‘ingredients’ I didn’t mention.
Perhaps I did over simplify the idea a bit but of all the comments I received, One comment that I wanted to reply to was, “And all it takes to be a surgeon is a scalpel, so why is open-heart surgery so expensive?” half-jokingly I said “it’s the lights!” For the physician it is obviously not about light but for photographers it is all about the light.
As a professional photographer I have studied the science of light, the subtleties, the colors, temperatures, angles, reflections and how light can make or break an image. For photographers it is indeed all about the light, its quality and how it can bring out the emotion that we want it to. I know many a photographer that has studied the science of light, the art and the craft of photography for longer than some physicians have been in practice.
To be able to create an image takes many skills. Knowledge of light is only one of the elements of a great photograph. As a photographer I am a man of many hats; I need to be a counselor, composer, laborer, manager, director, producer, artist and today a computer tech too. All of these things are wrapped into any good professional photographer. After all I have to relax my subject, design the right image first in my mind then at the shoot. Sometimes I have to construct the ‘stage’ as it were, direct the actors, process the images and do it all in an artistic way that conveys the message my client needs.
Above all of that I have to know how the light is going to interact with the subjects and how it will interact with all of the actors in my production. Light is a very good actor but it is one that has its own motivation; it has to be coerced into performing the way I need it to. To understand it, to speak the language of light, takes practice and a talent.
When you see an image where all these factors come together to create a wonderful image that tells the story the photographer wants told the talent is often over simplified. Non photographers will say “wow they are a good photographer.” Even other photographers will simplify the gift and talent by saying; they have “the eye.” They have the ability to harness the acting ability of the best, and the worst, actor of all: light.
Creating images that capture moments is easy: take off the lens cap and click, a moment captured. Capture a story in a moment? That takes time.
What story can I tell for you?
