Singing

I made this picture a few years back at a county fair. Originally, this was a horizontal photograph, but I realized that his hand was doing something, but you can’t tell what. So, I decided to do what I had been taught in photojournalism school, crop to the heart of the image in order to eliminate distractions. I don’t usually like square crops, but I think it works in this case.

For me, square crops show a lack of energy caused by indecision. A lot of photographers and, especially, designers disagree with me. If you work through the templates that WordPress provides you’ll see a lot of square crops so that the pictures fit the design.

That’s exactly backwards. Form follows function. Always.

In fact, that’s how I make photographs in general. I let the picture show me, rather than try to force myself on a picture. I can tell the difference between an image that just sort of came to me rather than once on which I imposed my will. I bet you can too.

As they say, “Don’t take the picture, let the picture take you.”

There are all sorts of sayings like that one. “F8 and be there is another one.” These are a sort of cliche, but cliches become cliches for a reason. They work. And, it’s likely they have worked for a long time.

Unfortunately, these days all of those sayings are getting tossed out in favor of the ten things you can do be a great photographer in the next hour. How funny. It takes time, energy, and thought to be great at anything.

Anyway.

That’s what I think. Don’t take it that seriously. I’m often wrong.