essential skills: digital photography in available light
Introduction
Picture postcards, calendars and travel brochures show us glimpses of romantic, majestic and idyllic
locations to be admired and appreciated. The beautiful and wonderful are identifi ed, observed,
recorded and labelled repeatedly by professionals, tourists and travellers. Mankind is responding
to the basic social needs and expectations to capture, document and appreciate. I came, I saw, I
photographed. Photography allows the individual to pay homage to beauty and achievement as if
in some religious ritual. We mark the occasion of our endeavour and our emotional response by
taking a photograph.
‘Most tourists feel compelled to put the camera between themselves and whatever is
remarkable that they encounter. Unsure of other responses they take a picture. This gives
shape to experience: stop, take a photograph, and move on.’
Susan Sontag - On PhotographyIn order to avoid a stereotypical representation it is important to connect emotionally with the
environment in order to express something personal. How do you as an individual feel about the
location and what do you want to say about it?
History
Early landscape images were either created as factual records or looked to the world of painting
for guidance in such things as composition and choice of content. Fox Talbot described his early
photographs as being created by the ‘pencil of nature’. On the one hand the medium was highly
valued because of the great respect for nature at this time. On the other hand the medium was
rejected as art because many perceived photography as a purely objective and mechanical
medium. The question was asked: ‘Can photography be considered as an artistic medium?’
Although it is the camera that creates the image, it is the photographer who decides what to
take and how to represent the subject. This subjective approach enables individuals to express
themselves in unique ways whether they use a brush or a camera.
Orien Harvey