A Lesser Photographer

Escape the Gear Trap and Focus on What Matters

CJ Chilvers

• Publisher: CJ Chilvers
• Year: 2019
• ISBN:
  9780578545110
• Edition: 2
• Topic: Kunst
• Subtopic: Fotografie

Imagine creating better photographs with less. Less gear. Less anxiety. Less stress. Less fear.

A Lesser Photographer is the missing guide you've always wanted to the only gear that really matters: the gear between your ears.

In under an hour, you’ll be able to identify the myths you’ve been taught about photography and embrace useful creative habits that will set you apart.

1

How to Make Perfect Photos

“It’s the one art form that everybody is capable of performing flawlessly.” — David Strettell

What’s the secret to creating great photos? The biggest secret in photography is that you’re already making perfect photos. You’ve been told that you’re not because of the second-biggest secret: the teaching of photography has always and will always make more money than the photographs themselves.

This is why professional photographers are trying to get you to buy a new camera or buy a spot in their next workshop. Believe me, they would rather be taking pictures. That’s what’s most fun about being a photographer.

But that’s not where the money is. The money is in convincing you that your composition needs a little work, or your lens has an aberration that a prime lens wouldn’t.

The professionals don’t do this maliciously. It’s how they learned, and it’s what they need to do if they want to make a decent living. For most of us, though, their advice does not apply.

What defines a perfect photo is entirely up to you. Otherwise, this wouldn’t be an art. It would be just another commodity, subject to a checklist written long ago.

There is no checklist. Be wary of anyone trying to sell you access to one.

2

How to Create Fine Art

“Art is anything we do, after the chores are done.” — Teller

There’s been a lot of handwringing among the art crowd to explain away the democratization of photography. To differentiate between what qualifies as “fine art” and what is the work of a hobbyist, the art crowd likes to make excuses about how hard it is to create a great photo.

Some variation of “snapshots are easy, great photography is near impossible” or “it takes years of hard work” are repeated endlessly to justify entire careers, or just a large purchase. One is led to believe that great photographers are scarce and fine-art photography may be dying out.

We’re not watching the dying of photography as a fine art. What we’re really watching is the dying of a concept, the concept that good ideas in photography, ideas worthy of the gallery, are scarce. They’re not. They’ve never been. Connections in the fine-art market are scarce.

No one gets to tell you what qualifies as “fine” art. Nor could they.

3

The New Rules of Photography

“I am not interested in rules or conventions. Photography is not a sport.” — Bill Brandt

The “rules” of photography you’ll find in most textbooks are based on economics.

These techniques work for pros trying to sell something, but have nothing to do with the photographs we (the 99.9% of photographers who are not pros) consider important.

Technique is overrated.

It’s nice to have, but many of what we would consider humanity’s most important photos of all time aren’t even in focus. They break just about every rule you’ll find in a textbook.

Those textbook rules, by the way, almost always originate with what a client wanted at some point.

There’s only one rule that matters: tell a story with a compelling subject—for you.

Think of it as a Maslow’s Hierarchy of Photographic Needs. Every decent photo needs to tell a story. Telling a story with a compelling subject can make a photo historic. But a step above even those photos is a photo with a subject that is compelling to you, specifically.

4

Unlearn Photography

“Great photography is about depth of feeling, not depth of field.” — Peter Adams

How much about what you’ve learned as a photographer could you let go of today?

How many of the lessons have never really applied? And how many have applied, but never really mattered? The more you let go of, the more creative freedom you’ll rescue and the more time you’ll have to photograph.

Unlearning photography may be just as rewarding as learning photography.

5

The Snapshot is King

“Inherently, we all know that an image isn’...