18 Aug What are the Three Fundamentals of Photography?

I’ve had a small amount of training in professional photography. I’ve taken classes in college, and much more significantly I found a mentor who, for several years, taught me more than any college class could. Now as I begin to teach my homeschooled children about photography, I wanted to first address some myths that come with this subject, and to pass on some truths. In an effect not to overwhelm, I narrowed it down to three points. What are the three fundamentals of photography?

1. There is beauty everywhere.

Take the time to find the beauty and create a composition that catches the eye. It may be a dash of color, it may be a contrast, it may be an interesting design, it may be a relationship or a smile.

Sometimes in the winter, here in Texas, you could look around and think how ugly and barren and brown it is. But when you wait, and truly look, you will still find the beauty. For me, it’s often the golden glow of an afternoon sun. It may be light sifting through the barren branches of a tree, or peeking through the long grasses of a field. It could be crowning the head of your children, or filtering through some clouds on the horizon. Sometimes it’s how the light passes over an aged face, showing the beauty and wisdom of time.

Take the time to find the beauty. It’s there. It’s always there.

2. It’s all about the light.

Light can be so many things – soft, harsh, blue, yellow, mottled, coming from different directions, shaded, flattering. Take the time to watch light. Learn light. Become a student of light. Watch how it encircles a tree, bringing out the detail in the bark. Pay attention to how it softens the hands of time on a Grandparent, or how it wraps around your friends faces, accentuating laugh lines and character. Don’t miss how it catches the glint in the eye of your children, and brings out the mischief hiding underneath. Notice how light changes color, and therefore affects mood and feeling.

Photography is all about light. Learn how to take advantage of it before creating each photograph.

3. The camera has almost nothing to do with your pictures.

I once heard a story of a chef who was hosting a grand dinner. He cooked all day and had the table laid out beautifully. The guests began arriving, and as they entered were blown away by the stunning display and scents. As they sat down to eat the wonderful gourmet meal, one guest exclaimed “Oh my goodness! This is amazing! You must have an awesome stove!”

We all know the stove had little to do with the end result!

Now imagine this story with a photographer who worked hard to create beautiful images, and someone declares “Oh my goodness! This is amazing! You must have an awesome camera!” I have gotten this comment more times than I can count.

While I was still in High School, my best friend and I were obsessed with photography. One day we found a photography contest in a magazine and decided to enter. The only problem was my friend didn’t even have a camera, and mine was a piece of crap from a garage sale. It was in such bad shape that I had to hold it upside down for it to work. No joke. Undeterred, we set out the following weekend to the market in the nearest city to take pictures. At one point my friend captured an elderly homeless man bend over to acknowledge a little girl who was offering him some food. It was a beautiful moment, on a beautiful day. My friend won the contest.

Beautiful pictures do not happen because of a fancy, expensive camera. They are the result of understanding these three fundamentals of photography.

Yes, of course, photographic skill takes years to develop, and involves many different areas of competence. (Although yes, sometimes you can get lucky and capture a perfect moment, like my friend did.) However, if you take the time to ponder these 3 points around in your head for a while, it will do more for your photography than anything else.