Finding Your Path in Photography

St. Francis de Assisi church, Ranchos de Taos, NM 2003.  Kiev 60, Verichrome Pan

If you are just starting out with photography as a hobby, there’s a lot of things to learn.    Most of the time, you are learning about the mechanics of the equipment, and coupled with the understanding of the exposure triangle, it can seem like a lot -- at first. If you are coming from the digital world to the film world, there’s even more ways to discover that you can screw things up.  Fear not.  Like any endeavor that requires the understanding of a subject, you are bound to make mistakes along the way.  Learn from them. All that camera manipulation and understanding of light aside, the thing about photography is that one can use the very best equipment or the very simplest of equipment and be an amazing photographer.  One person may use the very best equipment and have boring photos, and another person might use a toy camera and become a published artist.  And vice versa. There’s no guarantee that using a Leica or a Rolleiflex will make you a better photographer, nor will the latest mirror-less Nikon or Canon digital camera result in a gallery show (if that’s what you want).  It really boils down to your competence with the camera and what’s between your ears.  

Do you follow trends?    Do you ask what so and so used to get an image, or what film stock you should use to get “that look” whatever it may be?    I get it, I really do.    It’s part of the process of becoming a photographer.    However, many times people ask the wrong questions. You may wonder about the film stock, and be totally unaware of what kind of lighting was used in the photograph.  You may ask about a camera, and not think about the lens that was used.    In our naiveté, we often overlook the complexity and think there is a single answer. There are many factors involved in making an exposure.  

In my early days, I was an avid fan of John Shaw, a well-published nature photographer.    I shot a lot of slide film, aiming to get results like I saw in his photographs.    A few times, I think I succeeded. What I didn’t have was his breadth of knowledge, sense of composition, and insight. It took me years to get to the point of being able to get consistent results, and then digital came along, which made macrophotography a whole lot easier and cheaper.    I was able to experiment without thinking about how many shots I might waste on a roll of expensive slide film.    

Were my photos better?    Yes -- because I shot more.    Therein lies the crux of photography. To get better, shoot more.    But wait, that’s not all.    You’ll eventually develop a style, or find your niche.    Maybe it was something that you started with early on, or perhaps you just found out that one day, when you were really in the moment, and the image and your expectations just came together.    Sometimes that path changes over time, as it should.

When I started to take photography seriously in 1999, I had a mentor that was generous with his time, knowledge, and equipment. I’d been taking photos since the early 1970s, but had never taken a class, except for an after-hours class in high school.    I felt that knowing as much as I could about macrophotography would be useful in my career as an entomologist and museums collection manager.    It did, but I learned something more.   

Looking at various books and reading about photography and other photographers, I realized there was so much more to be explored.    So many cameras! So many lenses!    So many different films! And so on.  The thing that I had not expected was the more I learned, the more my photography changed. The macrophotography had run its course, and was useful in my daily work, but what really gave me satisfaction was getting out in the world, learning about other types of photography, and seeing the work of others. My photography improved as my brain was exercised, my eyes trained to see things differently.    Becoming proficient operating a camera was also a key to being open to exploration.    If you are trying to figure out the mechanical aspects of making a photograph, it’s harder to “be in the moment.”          

I believe that the passion you have for something also reflects in your photography. Being affected by your surroundings, and how you interact with them is a key to taking meaningful photographs. Photography is a very personal experience.    What one person does does not mean that he or she is a model for others to follow.    What inspires me probably won’t inspire you.    If you pursue photography seriously, you will find those things that inspire you.    Be aware that one path may lead to another, and do not blind yourself to new possibilities.    Your photographic practice improves over time.

One of the ways to explore what’s possible in photography is to look at the work of others, as well as some more philosophical takes on being a photographer.    I have read that young people today don’t read books, preferring to get their information (infotainment) via YouTube and other social media.    There are some photographers that have excellent YouTube channels, but there are many that I feel are entertaining, but not necessarily informative.    I do believe that if you are serious about photography, you should know something about its history and at least be familiar with some of the photographers.    You might get some of that in a real photography class, but if you want to explore on your own, I can recommend some books that will give you a good overview.

“A World History of Photography,” by Naomi Rosenblum is an excellent introduction to the history of photography, with lots  of great images. I think it’s been reprinted many times, and is often used in college photo history classes.

An even larger tome, with more emphasis on European photographers, and profusely illustrated, is “A New History of Photography,” edited by Michel Frizot.    At 775 pages, it’s a monster of a book, but it’s really great.    It is perhaps the most comprehensive volume with less focus on American photographers.

A more easily carried book from Taschen is “A History of Photography from 1839 to the present” from George Eastman House.    It’s over 700 pages, but is not a coffee table book.    I think it’s a great introduction to photographic history, with lots of examples, as well as a glossary.      

Those are just three examples to get you started.    You can start with the obvious list of the “greats” and delve into their oeuvre.    Alphabetically - Berenice Abbott, Ansel Adams,      Diane Arbus, Eugene Atget, Margaret Bourke-White, Henri Cartier Bresson, Anne Brigman, Wayne Bullock, Imogen Cunningham, Walker Evans, Robert Frank, Dorothea Lange, Lee Miller, Elliot Porter, W. Eugene Smith, Alfred Stieglitz, Edward Steichen, Paul Strand, Josef Sudek, and many others.    Contemporary photographers such as Sally Mann, Michael Kenna, David Plowden, Joel Myerowitz, and Stephen Shore are definitely worth looking at.  There are many more that you’ll discover on your own.      

There are also a number of excellent photographer documentaries available on streaming services. Search under "Photography documentary" on your smart TV or digital device.

Writings on the philosophy of photography can be useful, too.    There are a few that I think can be very helpful to photographers:

• Why Photography Matters by Jerry L. Thompson. 2013, MIT Press, 92 pp. ISBN#978-0-262-01928-6.
• Beauty in Photography by Robert Adams. 1996, Aperture Books. 108 pp. ISBN# 0-89381-368-0.
• Ways of Seeing by John Berger, 1980. Penguin Books, 165 pp. ISBN#0-563-122447.
• The Ongoing Moment by Geoff Dyer, 2007. Vintage Books, 285 pp. ISBN#978-1-4000-3168-9
• The Nature of Photographs by Stephen Shore, 2010. Phaidon Press. 136 pp. ISBN#978-0-7148-5904-0
• The Tao of Photography. Seeing Beyond Seeing by Philippe L. Gross and S.I. Shapiro. 2001.    Ten Speed Press. 136 pp. ISBN#1-58008-194-0
• The Art of Photography. An Approach to Personal Expression by Bruce Barnbaum. 2010.    RockyNook Publishers. 352 pp. ISBN# 978-1-933952-68-0.
• The Photographic Eye. Learning to See With a Camera by Michael F. O’Brien and Norman Sibley,    1995.    Davis Publications. 287 pp. ISBN#0-87192-283-5
• Zen Camera. Creative Awakenings With a Daily Practice in Photography by David Ulrich. 2018. Watson-Guptill publishers, 217 pp. ISBN#978-0-399-58033-8.

I enjoy looking at the work of other photographers, and being inspired by them. I’ve said it before, that photography is a big tent, and there are all sorts of processes, styles, subjects, and methodologies to explore, and you’ll find something that resonates with you.    Becoming familiar with what’s been done before is not a bad thing.    I guarantee that whatever interests you, someone has already done it, and reading up on it beforehand will help you avoid the pitfalls and let you concentrate on the creative process.    

This brings me to my final point - photograph for yourself.    Do what makes you happy and inspires you.    Your vision, your imagination, is yours. Make it work for you. Maybe doing that only requires using a smart phone camera. Maybe it requires a wet plate camera.    Maybe you need a DSLR with a 600mm lens.    Whatever you require, shoot as often as possible, and eventually, you’ll get really good at it.    Be proficient with the process, whatever it is.  Nobody paints a masterpiece the first time they pick up a brush.    Photography is a skill set that gets better the more you practice.    So, get out there and photograph!

Note that I have not recommended  a camera, film, or process in the above.  It's yours to explore, and as the saying goes "The journey is the reward."