Discover Your Unique Self In The Photos You Make
Ice crystals on tree show the delicate beauty of nature on Huangshan (Yellow Mountain), China
What's a single word you might use to describe this image?
Don't Be Hasty | Beware Of Familiar Patterns
Stop! Try not to choose a word that suggests subject matter (e.g., tree), genre (e.g., landscape or nature photography) or technique. Rather opt for a word that explores emotion. It will change the way you feel about the image.
The next step is to take this approach to viewing and critiquing your own images. Overtime your choice of scenes and subject matter, and the way you go about making your photos, will change.
The idea of technique is to learn and be able to implement it, almost on auto pilot. But it's your connection with what you photograph and how you interpret the world around you that matters most. That's the most important thing that sets you aside from other photographers.
Your Unique Vision Needs To Be Celebrated
Identify your uniqueness, allow it to become a part of the way you make photos (your workflow) and the world will notice you and celebrate your uniqueness.
Emotion Conveys What Your Photos Are About
For what it’s worth the word I came up with for this photo was fragility. It’s an emotive word that, I believe, allows for a stronger connection with the image than if I’d chosen the term black and white, or words that describe composition such as line and texture.
There are many ways by which we can label and describe a photograph. But, given the choice, if the first word your audience chooses is an emotive word, then you’ve likely produced a successful and compelling image. Which is what it’s all about. Is it not?
