May 12th, 2011 by Dan Stuart

From time to time I’m asked to explain my photographic techniques. I’m convinced that my success is not a matter of the tools I use or even of how I use them. Rather, it’s a matter of my approach to the art form. Here a few of the very straightforward concepts that set my work apart from the mainstream, both now and in the past. You can see that they’re more “method” than “technique.”

1. Keep it simple

As with most art forms, less is more. Keep your photos simple and enhance their “Wow!” factor. Remove all the nonessential elements in your picture space. Compose for simplicity, which makes you decide what is the most important element in any given composition, and also leads you to look carefully in your viewfinder for unnecessary information in front of, in back of and all around your chosen important element. Also, zoom in or let your feet do the zooming. Get closer. Think of Jack Palance’s character in the film “City Slickers,” when he wisely advised Billy Crystal to find “The One Thing,” and then focus on it.

2. Think About the Image

Okay, now that you’ve found that most important element, how do you make it stand out? There are many ways, and I’ll cover more of them in a future posting. For now, consider one of the simplest yet most effective methods– using natural contours and lines in the foreground of your compositions to draw the viewer’s eye into the image, thus leading it directly to your main element. Wait for the right light, or walk around to find the best angle with the best foreground and background. Again, remember– less is more.

3. Know What’s Happening

Consideration of composition naturally requires you to pay attention to your surroundings, also. And I’m not simply talking about what you see in your viewfinder. How about the weather, the light, moving things that you don’t want in your picture? Is it going to rain or snow? Is the wind blowing that flower around, thus killing the macro shot you were going to take? Is the sun casting harsh shadows? Are kids going to run into your composition? These things may wreck your planned shot, but they might be creative elements anyway. Don’t automatically run away from foul weather or unplanned conditions. Work with them.

4. Be an Artist, Not a Technician

Finally, drop the “I’ll fix it in Photoshop” attitude. Post processing will not compensate for sloppy work. At its best, Photoshop is a way to optimize the best image you can capture. Good photography hasn’t really changed with the digital revolution. It’s still true that the better the content, composition and quality of the capture, the better will be the final result. Don’t depend on cropping in post-processing to “find” your picture. Instead, try to “see” the final picture before you shoot, and then capture what you see. After all, photography is 98% seeing. Today, we just process our images differently; the darkroom is digital, not chemical.

I hope this has been helpful. Perhaps later I’ll speak to the concept of “seeing.” I promise that posting will not be steeped in discussions of the comparative merits of cameras, lenses and other “Wow-Zow” items of photographic equipment. Remember: Fancy cameras don’t “take good pictures,” and excellent art is seldom found in photos that accidentally “turned out good.”

March 11th, 2011 by Dan Stuart

Welcome to my world of photography. It’s a bit different than one might expect in this digital age. You see, I’m less interested in equipment than I am in results. I still believe that photography is an art form, rather than a gymnastic technical exercise in Photoshop.

So, in future posts, I’ll develop a category for “Photo Techniques.” There, I’ll offer some suggestions on how to capture difficult images, or how to avoid common problems, or how to take pictures that surpass the “postcard” level, or how to present your photos. Basically, I’ll be sharing stuff I’ve learned in over 38 years of serious shooting. And you must admit, that ain’t bad for a guy that’s only 39.

Also, since my wife, Rita, and I travel quite a bit, I’ll be posting shots taken from our trips, perhaps in a category called “Travel Pics.” Some of these images will show up on my website, in my art fair booth, perhaps in some galleries, and in my exhibits.

Finally, I invite you to tell me what you’d like to see. I can promise you that this ‘blog will mostly be used to give you information, rather than try to sell you something. Mostly.

Meanwhile, here are a couple of snaps from our January hike in the San Jacinta Mountains outside of Palm Springs, CA.

Please come back again soon.