Shooting Photographs With Feeling

One of the most important keys to shooting great photographs is to shoot with feeling. By feeling I mean think about the subject of your picture and think about what you want to portray. What you are trying to accomplish is to give your audience the same feeling you had while taking the photo. If the picture is of a person you also want to try to show what the person was feeling. Here is an article written by Rick Sammon to help explain what I am trying to convey.

"I used to teach piano, specializing in jazz improvisation. (Many photographers, including Ansel Adams and Gordon Parks, were/are musicians. Many musicians, including Graham Nash, are also avid photographers.)  I’d like to share with my fellow photographers some of the conversations I had with my first-time piano students – which actually have something in common with my photo workshops students. Here we go!

Student: "Rick, do you think I should use a blues scale for my solo . . . or do you think maybe playing in fourths [very open sound] would be better?"

Rick Sammon: "It does not matter what notes you play, it matters how you play them."

Student: “Uh . . . that really helps me, Rick. Okay, do you think my solo would sound better on a Hammond B-3 organ or a Fender Rhodes electric piano or a Yamaha grand?"

Rick Sammon: "Personally, I like the organ . . . and the piano . . . and the synthesizer . . . and the grand piano.  But have you ever considered the accordion? Billy Joel uses it, and so does Toots Thielemans."

Getting a bit agitated at this point, the student says, "Fine, you are a big $#%! help. I'm not taking lessons from someone who can't teach me anything. I'm out of here."  Smiling, hoping that I can keep the student, who I really want to help because I truly enjoy teaching, I say, "Before you go, I'd like to give you some free advice, if I may."

Student: "What's that, maestro?" 

Rick Sammon: "Don't think so technical, although technique is important. When you play, play with feeling. Play with passion. Above all . . . play for yourself."

Reactions to my comments varied, from a big smile to eyes filling up with tears.

In case you were wondering, I did keep all my students. (I've had participants on my photo workshops get emotional in portfolio reviews on more than on occasion. That's very understandable. I know how important photography is to each and every person.)"  ~ Rick Sammon

As you can see from the article above ... photography, much like music, is about feeling and passion. So go have fun shooting pictures and just remember to shoot them with feeling.