2 Still Photography Problems
A photograph is judged for its technical and aesthetic qualities. We need to care about aesthetic qualities only after the technical levels have been met. In my opinion and based on my experience, thi means, in most cases photographers have to find solutions for either or both of these still photography problems:
- Overcome the barrier of time
- Overcome the barrier of space
Any photograph that has solved these still photography problems has achieved a certain level of technical quality. In such a photograph one can find evidence of at least one but often multiple instances of photography techniques for solving these still photography problems.
So the relevant question is: What exactly is meant by barrier of time and barrier of space and why it is so important to break these barriers?
Overcome the barrier of time
A still photo by its very definition is a frozen instance in the continuum of time. The real world is however not stationary. Things are always in motion. With few exceptions such as still life or certain portraiture types, it is important to suggest motion in a still photograph. The close we can get to break out of the frozen instance the more interesting it is for the viewer. Photographers use various techniques to suggest motion in a still shot.
Overcome the barrier of space
A photograph is just a 2 dimensional representation of the 3 dimensional real world. The gap is filled by the human brain. We can look at a photograph and figure out the 3 dimensional world it represents. So the better we do to help the viewer’s brain to fill the gap, the more interesting the photo becomes to the viewer. The feeling of depth is essential for bridging the gap between the photograph and the real world. Photographers use various techniques to create depth in a photograph.
A book with perfect grammar is not necessarily interesting to read. But no one can read a book with an interesting story if it is full of grammatical errors.
Learning the techniques for overcoming these 2 still photography problems is learning the grammar of photography.
