This article on creativity assumes the camera will take care of the technical aspects of exposure. Modern cameras do a remarkably good job of determining exposure, although we know that the photographer must routinely make adjustments to automatic settings for the best results. How to make these adjustments will be a topic of a future article.
We always carry our cameras when we take walks or make trips to natural areas. Most of the time, we also carry our tripods, which ensure sharp images and provide a platform for composition. You might say that there should be a few times when we go on an outing without a camera, but for us those times are few and far between!
Sometimes an outing turns out to be like a scavenger hunt, where the challenge seems to be focused on simply finding the subjects to photograph. It goes like this: Something special catches the eye, we position the tripod, frame the subject, determine the exposure, press the shutter release, check that one off the list, shoulder the camera and continue on in search of the next subject. Whew, by the end of the outing, we're usually pooped! At times, this method may be necessary because of appointments or deadlines.
However, thank goodness, at other times the pace can be slower — times when being attracted by a possible subject is just the beginning of an often rewarding creative process. Although it may seem contradictory to talk of "creativity" and "routines" together, having a photographic routine that can be followed easily and quickly actually allows us more freedom to approach our subjects creatively. Establishing a routine way to work with a subject helps us quickly take a shot or two, clears the mind of confusing technical concerns, and kick-starts the creative process.
Here's a routine we would like to suggest: Mount a lens with the proper focal length needed to capture the image you have in mind; select the f-stop for the proper depth of field; choose the shutter speed to give the proper exposure; frame and compose the image; and press the shutter release. If shutter speed is more important than depth of field, first set the shutter speed and then determine the exposure by adjusting the f-stop.
These steps imply that you use the aperture priority, shutter priority, or manual modes on your camera for better control over the image rather than using the automatic mode. Carrying your camera set on an automatic exposure mode can speed up capturing the first image, as insurance against missing the picture entirely, but this insurance image is probably not the best one from a technical standpoint. Automatic exposure modes prevent you from controlling depth-of-field and camera or subject movement in the resulting picture.
Once you have established your routine, adapted to your own style of photography, the creative process can flow. The goal is to make this technical routine second nature to free your mind for creative thoughts.
The "insurance" shot is made. What now? Using the camera, lens, and tripod position of the initial photograph, consider the effect changing depth of field might have (using the depth-of-field preview is helpful). Consider changing exposure. Changing f-stop and shutter-speed combinations can produce a high-key look or a dramatic silhouette; selecting a slow shutter speed allows you to show your subject in motion. Shallow depth of field focuses attention on a particular portion of your subject and blurs the adjacent objects in the picture''s frame. The key here is exploration. Stretch. Go beyond your boundaries. Consider all of the possibilities.
Once you have explored the possibilities of the initial composition, take another look. Use a different lens, or zoom to a new focal length, one that includes more (or less) of the subject. With a macro, go for the minute detail in the leaf, or with a wide-angle lens show the subject''s unusual relationship to its surroundings. Train your eye to become aware of the background, which is typically as important as the subject in an effective image. Check the edges and corners of the picture in the viewfinder to ensure extraneous objects do not distract from the subject, or that important parts of the picture are not being cut off.
It may be helpful to mentally tick off the steps in your routine:
Follow up by exploring different picture compositions from this camera position, and use your established routine (i.e., steps 2 through 6) each time you set up a new composition.
If you shoot with a digital camera, you can add step 7 to your routine:
The feedback from a digital camera assists you in making quick decisions and can also stimulate even more creative thought, especially on composition. No more waiting for the film to be returned from the processor. You can shoot with abandon, knowing that the less-than-satisfying images can be easily deleted.
We hope you'll give our routine, or one of your own, a try. Let us know if it helps your photography.
View part 2, Creativity: Beyond Routine.