The Art of photography

WhattheCameraSees:MakingaFinePhotograph

aversions,trainingandintelligenceofthe

beholder.Mostpeoplelookingata

certainround,red objectwillidentifyitasanapple.At

thisfirstlevelofmean-

ing,theysimplyrecognizetheobjectforwhatisis.Lookingcloser,they

ascertainits

state

ofripeness,andtheyrelatetheobjecttotheirmemoriesof

eatingapplesand

theircurrentdegreeofappetite.Emotionssuchashap-

piness,worryordisgustmightcomeinto

play.Andsomepeoplemightgrasp

subtlermeanings:thewaytheapplegrew,thesymbolismoftheintricate

shadesofitsredskin,theusesthatanapplemightbeputto,andsoon.

Asthisappleexampledemonstrates,theexplorationofmeaningisguided

bythevisualcharacteristics

ofthe

subject.

Thesecharacteristics,inturn,

canbeexploredinaverydirectwaybecausetheyarefundamentallyob-

jective.Theroundnessandsmoothnessofapples—orofmushrooms(page

1

1

)orhumanbodies(page

39)

—arefacts,measurableonesifneedbe.Simi-

larattributesareidentifiableineveryobject,sothattheappearance

of

a sub-

jectcanbeclassifiedinanorderlymanner(pages22-56).

Thearrangementofobjectswithinthepictureisalsosubjecttodirectanaly-

sis,foreveryarrangementcan
begauged

accordingtowidelyacceptedstan-

dards.Wesaythatapictureseemsbalancedorunbalanced,forexample,but

balanceisonlyoneoftheattributesinfluencinghumanperception;manyoth-

ersarediscussedinChapter2.

Thesetechniquesofexplorationconfrontthephotographerwithchoice

after
choice.Shouldheemphasizethebrighttextureofleavesonthepotted

trees?Orthehardlineofareflectionintheglass?Shouldthetreesbecen-

teredinhisframeorplacedtooneside?Hischoiceseemstobeintuitive:If

heispressedtorationalize,heislikelytosayonly,"Itlooksbetterthisway."

Butintuitionis

shapedbyexperience—bylifelongexposuretotherespons-

esthatarecommontothehumanrace.Anditcanbesharpenedbystudying

photographsthatareacknowledgedtobesuccessful.Notthatthetech-

niquesandstylesofgreatphotographersshouldbecopied.Ratherthey

shouldbeanalyzedfortheunderlyingprinciplesthathelpedthepictures

communicate
meaningssoeffectively.

Thisemphasisonmeaningisjustifiedeventhoughthephotographercan-

notbesurehisviewerswillsharehisownresponsestohissubject.A

photographerwhoperceivesanappleasdelectablemaydepictthatmean-

ingofdeliciousness
withgreatsuccessformostviewers.Yet apersonwho

hatesappleswillhaveadifferentresponsewhenhelooksatthepicture.He

willprobablyseetheappleasanundesirableobject,sincehisattitudesand

emotionsplayaslargearoleinperceptionashiseyes.Nevertheless,ifthe

photographis
successful,theapple-hatingviewerwillrecognizeitsintend-

edmeaning

—

andhewillappreciateitsexpressivepower,ifonlybecause

hisnegativeresponseissostrong.

BERENICEABBOTT:Aphotographisorshould

beasignificantdocument,apenetrating

statement,whichcanbedescribedinavery

simpleterm—selectivity.Todefineselection,

onemay

say

thatitshouldbefocusedon

thekindofsubjectmatterwhichhitsyouhard

withitsimpactandexcitesyourimagination

totheextentthatyouareforcedtotakeit.

Picturesarewastedunlessthemotive

power

whichimpelledyoutoactionisstrongand

stirring.Themotivesorpointsofvieware

boundtodifferwitheachphotographer,and

hereinliestheimportantdifferencewhich

separatesoneapproachfromanother.Selection

ofproperpicturecontentcomesfrom

a

fine

unionoftrainedeyeandimaginativemind.