Here are photo techniques that painters use all the time but photographers tend to overlook! Give this a try, it’s the easiest route from photo technician to photo artist!
Here are some photo tips that you may not have considered … actually I’m not sure if these should be called photo techniques or strategies or maybe even photo tutorials. Whatever you choose to call it, it’s worth it! This will turn you into a photo artist faster than I know.
Copy!
One of the main training techniques used by fine art painters – over the centuries – has got to the basics as best they can and then drove them home with practice copying the work done by masters.
They’ll try to copy the scene, they’ll try to copy every color color, they’ll try to copy every brushstroke and so on. In fact, it’s not just how masters of art are born, but how art fakes are created as well. They never tried to move past the copying stage.
But, copying is the fastest way to take the leap from technician to artist. Thousands of artists in every field have proven this to be true.
You can do the same!
Go through your favorite photo books and magazines and pick some photos that you really like – and try duplicating them!
You want to get every detail as accurate as possible. You want the finished photo to be indistinguishable from the original. (But keep in mind, this is a learning exercise – never miss a job like your own!)
It makes sense … if you like scenes that take place on a beautiful tropical island with swaying palm trees, crashing waves and beautiful girls in bikinis … but you live in Katmandu in the shadow of Mount Everest, it’s definitely not. will work!
That said, choose a photo that you CAN duplicate and do it! Try to get the same setting, the same type and color of clothes – the same kind of light … Everything!
This is a huge amount of effort but very much appreciated! BTW – I’ll start with a kind of silent life instead of including people. It’s easier and cheaper.
They say you can’t really understand a man until you walk a mile in his shoes … (And the well that lies here is your chance to truly understand the photographer’s thought process. Why
did he choose this color over that one (?), why orange not apple (?), why this lighting pattern over the others?
The more detail you put in your copy, the better – and the more you will learn. It will finally appear in YOUR work!
Remember, the key initial step to this project and becoming a photo artist – is to FIRST be completely comfortable with the basics – THEN start copying! For more information, check out the resource box!