The click of the shutter defines the moment a picture is created. Prior to this "click," the photographer must aim the camera and compose the image. And even before aiming and composing, the photographer must "see" the image. This ability to see is what separates great photographers from those who take snapshots.
From my point of view, there are two primary ways to see photographically: previsualization, which I'll call image dreaming, and realization, which is like a photographic scavenger hunt.
Previsualization (dreaming those images). Often a photographer is inspired to create a specific image that is seen in the mind''s eye, almost like dreaming the image. Such dreaming typically happens even before picking up the camera. Perhaps you see another photograph that stimulates the artistic side of the brain to visualize an image, or you notice a beautiful scene when it is not convenient to make the picture. For example, while waiting at a traffic light, you notice a gorgeous backlit daisy growing in a crack in the concrete road. Your artistic mind visualizes the daisy against an out-of-focus natural background. The memory of this visualization stays with you until your next photographic opportunity.
People previsualize in different ways. Some of us need a catalyst to start the process -- like seeing the daisy in the road. Others can let their imagination run free, creating artistic visions on the fly. One method is not necessarily better than the other. Enjoy whatever appeals to you. This creative process works best when you are not stressed and your internal creative energies are not blocked by other thoughts or concerns.
The dreaming and stimulation that produces visualized images creates a library of images in your memory that you can draw from when you are holding a camera. Great photographers have a large library in their memory that stimulates the process of creating their images. Studying other photographs you admire and using them as inspiration is a great way to build your personal library.
On the practical side, to create the image you have previsualized, you must be in the proper location at the right time, and that takes planning. Using our previous example of the daisy, you could locate wild plants in bloom or visit the florist. If you purchase flowers, try positioning them in pleasing light against a simple background. Finding a backlit wild daisy against a soft background in the field requires more work.
Realization (let's go on a photographic scavenger hunt). I like to walk into locations with a camera and an open mind to find subjects that I can make into beautiful images. To me, this is a photographic "scavenger hunt," where I compose a found subject into a photographic image that illustrates how I felt about the subject when I found it.
To allow the mind to "see" effectively, I find it important to try to free it from the stresses of daily life, so that I can think creatively. Realization, at its optimum, can be like a meditative process. You must be fully aware of what is around you to see subjects clearly and distinctly. Think of it as a chance to let yourself be completely "in the moment," absorbing the beauty around you and realizing photographs as you go.
How often have you looked at a scene and said, "Wow, this is beautiful!" Then you wonder how you might capture this beauty in a photograph. One way of getting from the "Wow!" to the camera's click is to ask yourself, "What is it about this scene that appeals to me?" Is it the colors, the lighting, the shapes and patterns, the subject, or a combination of these things? If it is a combination, then figure out what the dominate element is that ties everything together. Once that is determined, you will know what to emphasize in your image.
To summarize, realization is the process of finding a subject in its setting and then applying photographic techniques (learned knowledge and acquired skills) to produce an image that interprets your feeling about the subject. Such photography is an extension of how you view your world, a very personal vision presented for others to see.
Combining the two. Often "Previsualization" and "Realization" can be combined in a powerful way. Some photographers have one or more themes they work on. One theme could be the color yellow, where you previsualize different photographs that emphasize the color yellow. On a photographic outing, you see a yellow flower in a setting that reminds you of one of your previsualized images. You can then apply different compositions and techniques to create the final image. Without the prior creative ideas stored in your memory library, you might not notice the yellow flower, and thus pass up the chance to create a great image.
A photographic field trip can put you in contact with nature subjects such as flowers, sunsets, and wildlife. Your ability to recognize potential photographic compositions will be determined by the depth of your library of previsualized images, your knowledge of technical possibilities, and your personal artistic and emotional interpretation of the subjects you see. By combining these qualities, strive to produce a memorable image of almost anything, even a tin can in the middle of an empty parking lot.
"Seeing" is very different from just looking at things. The click of the shutter can capture a glimpse of who you are, and the resulting photograph can touch viewers and perhaps allow them to see themselves through your work. Such photographs are indeed worth a thousand words.