I have discovered recently that I tend to learn everything backwards. I decided to become a photojournalist after photographing in Haiti. I learned how to navigate foreign lands, communicate non-verbally with people of a completely different culture AND take their photo before I was even trained at all to shoot like a photojournalist. Photography itself I'm still learning backwards. I learned how to shoot through trail and error and intuition before I understood how a camera actually worked. French is similar to me. I learn better speaking with people who are fluent and then learning the grammar and structure after I know how to speak.
So one might say that right now I'm learning the photojournalistic technique backwards, I'm not really sure if there's a set way to do it, but I think I'm doing it the hard way.
I've realized that I shoot for the composition and the light, and moments come after. It was something I was doing unconsciously until a few weeks ago when I realized what I was doing. Now I'm trying to put moments first on my priority list. I realized that I could be on the tipping point, because right now the majority of my photos are Almosts, which kills me.
Hopefully I will teeter and fall in the right direction.
Stay tuned.
1 comment:
i understand what you're saying but i feel like most of the learning in photojournalism is exactly what you have already experienced...being out there and doing it. there is not set formula or anything. dont worry about focussing only on moments first, if you try that, you will miss other things. just use your camera as a tool to show the experience you are going through, dont stress out about certain things like moments and stuff, just let it happen. as long as you are conscious of a situation, the photo will come. and you seem to be doing great so far, keep it up, dont stress. rad frame on apad of the dudes working out at the amphitheater, by the way.
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