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 "MAKING PICTURES WITH THE ABSENCE OF LIGHT" |
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Everyone knows that you need light to make a photograph. Well I spent years making photographs with the absence of light to create striking images. It was just the opposite of other photographers. I'm always looking for something different in my photography. New, fresh ideas for Art Directors and Creative photo buyers. If the images presently being published are bright and lively, then in six months or a year the demand will be for dark and moody images. In my opinion, the demand for different styles of photography seems to cycle...classical, bright, dark, balanced, off balanced, high tech, new age, then classical again, etc., repeating the cycle. With publishing deadlines off in the future, many times months, try to visualize what the Photo Directors will want in the future, not today. Look at what is being published today and think what will be needed tomorrow. It is a great way to develop a personal style of photography that you could get known for and market successfully. My goal was to make outstanding photographs using large amounts of blackness in the images; not just for composition, but using the blackness to make the image. The balance, composition, and exposure all must be perfect to make it work. My thinking about producing each photo was totally different than the way I was taught. It was strange at first, but I was determined. Instead of looking for colors and things to make my images, I looked for the absence of colors and the lack of subject matter. I needed to make a strong image from less instead of more. I used the absence of light to make what was lit have even more impact. Less became more. It was really fun, challenging, and rewarding. Many images in the web site of Photo Gallery Exhibits utilize this technique described above. Please view them in the Gallery after reading this Seminar for a visual explanation of this art technique in photography. I hope this concept fuels your imagination and creative juices to make your own unique images. Happy shooting!
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