The Creative Photographer - Andrew Gibson PDF

THE
CREATIVE
PHOTOGRAPHER
SEVEN WAYS TO MAKE BETTER PHOTOS
Andrew S. Gibson
Contents
Introduction 3
1. Set Yourself Challenges 6

2. Cultivate Patience 12
3. Master Natural Light 20
4. Work the Subject 26
5. Create Projects 41
6. Learn Post-Processing Inside Out 51
7. Embrace Simplicity 63
Conclusion 81
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Copyright © 2017 Andrew S. Gibson
2 | The Creative Photographer
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Fujifilm X-T1, 35mm, 1/125 @ f3.6, ISO 400
INTRODUCTION
There are two sides to photography. First there’s the technical side, like how
aperture and shutter speed affect the photo, or how to get a good exposure. Every
photographer has to learn it, and there are plenty of resources to help.
Then there’s the creative side. This is harder, because there are no absolutes. Back
in high school one of my friends preferred subjects like Physics because the answer
to an exam question was either right or wrong. Subjects like English or Economics
were harder for him because exams asked questions that were open to a variety of
subjective answers.
The creative side of photography is similar. Which aperture do you need to create a
portrait with bokeh? This is easy. Should the background be out of focus or sharp?
This question is more difficult because it’s a creative one. Some portraits work well
with blurred backgrounds, others with sharp ones. It’s up to you to decide which
approach to take.
The Creative Photographer | 3

The question is harder to answer. But it shows a deeper understanding of the When it comes to photography, which mindset do you have?
creative side of photography when you get it right.
If you look at the work of professional photographers and think you could never
The ideas in this book will help you give better answers to the more difficult, achieve that level of excellence then I have some news for you. You’re wrong. You’re
creativity related questions that photography asks us. They will push you to try new not limited by your perception of how much talent or creativity you have. You’ll be
approaches and become a better, more thoughtful photographer. amazed at how much you can achieve if you put the work in.
None of them are particularly difficult to put into practice, if you’re committed. All Developing a growth mindset
of them will help you be more creative and make better photos. How do you move from the fixed mindset to the growth mindset? Here is a list of
attributes that I think help, based on my observations of people who are successful
Photography and mindset at what they do.
Do you believe that your level of photographic ability is fixed? That there’s little
you can do to change your innate level of talent? Or do you believe that you can They have curiosity. Successful people are driven by curiosity. What happens if I
become a much better photographer through hard work and continuous learning? do that? How does this work? Curiosity drives us to find the answers to things we
don’t know.
There’s an interesting book called Mindset by Dr. Carol Dweck. She explores the
idea that people have one of two mindsets in areas like intelligence, creativity and They have little fear of failure. Sometimes people are afraid to try something new
talent. in case it goes wrong. But you don’t have to be right all the time. Failure is part of
the up and down nature of the learning process.
Fixed mindset
A person with a fixed mindset believes that they have a finite amount of talent or They work hard. People with the growth mindset understand that there are very
intelligence and there is little they can do to change. few successful get-rich quick (or perhaps learn to be a photographer quickly!)
schemes. Success is the result of years of learning and hard work.
Growth mindset
A person with a growth mindset believes that you can develop intelligence, They love what they do. It’s hard to put in the effort required to become good at
creativity and talent. The pursuit of excellence involves hard work but is ultimately something if you don’t enjoy what you do.
possible to achieve.

They like to learn. A growth mindset requires a desire to learn new skills and the
discipline to find the time to study.
They have a positive attitude. It’s hard to learn and to grow if you have a negative
outlook on life.
They take action. The growth mindset requires that you don’t just think about
something – you take action and make it happen.
They set goals. A goal has a measurable outcome and a specific target date. For
example: My goal is to have a photo published in a photography magazine by the end
of the year.
They network. They get to know people who can help them achieve their goals or
learn more.
As you might have guessed by now, you’ll get the most out of this book if you have
a growth mindset and approach these ideas with an open mind.
Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 85mm, 1/350 @ f1.8, ISO 800
Above: It’s easy to know what aperture you need to create a portrait like
this with a blurred background. But the creative decision of whether the
background should be sharp or out of focus is more difficult to make. Your eye
for what works will improve with experience.

1. SET YOURSELF
CHALLENGES
Earlier this year I attended a talk by photographer David Clapp. He showed us some
of his gear, including two film cameras – a Fujifilm panoramic camera and a 5x4”
camera.
He explained the practicalities of using those cameras. The 5x4” camera costs
nearly $30 for film and developing every time he takes a photo. The panoramic
camera suffers from heavy vignetting and requires an expensive type of graduated
neutral density filter to compensate. The negatives need scanning, another skill he
had to learn.
So, why do it? somebody in the audience asked. The answer was simple. Learning
to use the new equipment is a challenge that stops him getting bored.
The lesson here is that you need to keep challenging yourself to avoid stagnation
or boredom. There are always new photography skills to learn, or new equipment

Fujifilm X-T1, 14mm, 1/4 @ f11, ISO 200
to master. You don’t have to buy expensive film cameras, but you should think
about the types of photography you would like to do, and how you can master the
required skills.
Here are some ways you can challenge yourself to become a better photographer.
1. Learn new photography techniques.

The photography world is so vast that it’s impossible for one person to become
an expert at everything. That means there are plenty of challenges you can set
yourself. Here are some ideas. Some of them require the purchase of new gear, but
if you’re on a budget don’t be afraid to look at the second-hand market for what
you need.
Off-camera flash. If you’re accustomed to working with natural light, why not set
yourself the challenge of using portable flash? There are lots of books and videos
that show you how to use it.
Macro and close-up photography. Photographing the world in miniature

presents technical and practical problems. Learning to use extension tubes, close-
up lenses, reversed lenses and macro lenses lets you take close-up and macro
photos of flowers, insects and other subjects.
Use vintage lenses. Second-hand vintage lenses can be mounted on most SLR or Above: I made this photo using my 35mm lens (a standard lens on my APS-C
mirrorless cameras using adapters. Mirrorless cameras work well with old lenses as camera) with an extension tube. Close-up photography requires learning to
the electronic viewfinder displays a bright image even when you stop down the use equipment like extension tubes, close-up lenses and macro lenses.
lens. Focus peaking helps you focus manual focus lenses used at wide apertures.

The idea of using vintage lenses is not to search for perfection, but for
imperfections you can exploit in your photography. A good example is the swirly
bokeh effect created by the Helios 58mm f2 lens.
You can also consider the unusual lenses made by Lensbaby and Lomography.
Painting with light. This is the technique of using a hand torch or portable flash to
illuminate the subject during a long exposure taken at night. It’s an interesting way
to enhance your landscape photography skills.
Long exposure photography. Use Bulb mode and shutter speeds as long as six
or seven minutes to create photos that blur moving parts of the landscape, such
as the sea or the clouds. You’ll need some neutral density filters and a tripod to
experiment with this genre.
2. Set yourself new challenges in a genre you know well.

This is about going deep rather than wide. If there is a genre that you are very
experienced in, what can you do to step things up a level and retain your interest?
David Clapp, for example, used medium and large format film photography as a
way of going deeper in the genre of landscape photography.
As a portrait photographer I have gradually moved from taking portraits of Above: I made this portrait using a Helios 58mm f2 lens. This is a vintage
beautiful women to portraits that capture character. My approach has become manual focus lens that you can mount on your camera using an adapter. When
more documentary in nature. you use the lens wide open you get a swirly bokeh effect in the background.
It’s clearest on the left third of the frame.

3. Become a more interesting person.
Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it will make you a better photographer.
It motivates you to have visit new places, meet new people and have new
experiences.
Curiosity often expresses itself as an urge to travel, either in your own country or
overseas. But it also encourages you to get involved in new activities in your local
area. For example, you might decide to take up yoga or a martial art. When you do
so, you’ll meet people who are into those activities, and may like to take part in a
personal photo project.
4. Get out of your comfort zone by traveling

If you believe that people in other countries aren’t friendly and welcoming, then
you might not travel much at all. But if you are open-minded, you will have a much
better experience and find new friendships.
The urge to travel has taken me to some interesting countries. One journey leads
to another. For example, I visited Argentina in 2002. I enjoyed it and have returned
several times. It encouraged me to learn to speak Spanish. I’ve made friends with
Spanish speaking people and spent time in Spain. One of my friends invited me to
see her aunt’s bull ranch – something I would never have seen if I had visited just as Above: This portrait is a good example of the documentary, character
a tourist. driven style I favor now. Compare that to the portrait on the previous page,
which is what most of my portraits used to look like. There’s nothing wrong
with photographing beautiful women, but it shows how your interests and
direction can evolve over time.

5. Approach strangers to ask if you can
photograph them.
This can be nerve racking if you’ve never done it before. It
helps to have a good reason to give to people. For example,
you might like to do a project photographing interesting
people in your local area. Once you have decided on the
project, you have a reason to give when you ask somebody
if you can take their portrait.
In The Candid Portrait I interviewed Barbara Asboth, a

photographer who set herself a project photographing
strangers in London. You can see the results in the book,
and on her website.
www.barbasboth.com/blog/street-portraiture-the-100-
strangers-project-part-i/
Creating and meeting challenges are a natural part of

every photographer’s evolution. But what other soft skills
come in useful? The next chapter discusses one of the most
important.
Above: A bull ranch, in Andalucia, Spain. I would never have been able to make
this photo if I didn’t have a friend in Spain with a relative who owned a bull ranch.

Creative This exercise is fairly simple – set yourself a challenge. Then
take action and meet it. You can use one of the ideas in this
exercise:
chapter, or one of your own.
Challenges work best when they push you a little outside your
SET YOURSELF
comfort zone. Ideas that require you to learn new skills and
try new things help you grow as a photographer.
a CHALLENGE
Afterwards, take some time to reflect about what you learned
from this exercise. What skills did you learn? How are you
evolving as a photographer?

2 . CULTIVATE
PATIENCE
It’s easier to find articles and books about gear and photographic techniques
than it is about creativity and mindset. You need to learn the technical side of
photography, but the creative side is just as important and in many ways more
interesting.
The key to understanding why people are successful, whether it’s in photography
or any other field, lies in the way they think. If you have a goal to build a business
that turns over a million dollars a year, you will learn a great deal from talking to
people who have already done it.
Photography is the same. One of the skills that is underrated, but important to
cultivate, is patience.
These are some of the ways patience makes you a better photographer.

1. Patience gives you time to explore the scene 2. Patience helps you find the best light
Curiosity is one of the driving forces behind photography. Curiosity drives us to The best light for most types of landscape, travel, architectural and portrait
travel, explore, meet new people and have new experiences. photography occurs at the beginning and end of the day.
But what happens when you find somewhere interesting to take photos? Quite When you find an interesting place to photograph it takes patience to wait until
often you may take a few photos, then move on to look for something else. the sun is lower in the sky. Maybe you need to make the effort to wait and return
when the light is better.
But what if you waited? Maybe you need more time to explore the photographic
potential of the scene. Maybe you need to experiment with different viewpoints If you find the patience and discipline to do this you’ll be rewarded by beautiful
and focal lengths. Perhaps you have to wait for somebody to finish what they’re light and more powerful images.
doing and move out of the way. Maybe you need to work the scene more, taking
lots of photos and exploring its potential beyond what you first saw. Light changes with the seasons as well as the time of day. It takes patience to
return to a scene at different times of year. But you’ll be rewarded with different
Patience helps you do that. types of light and mood.
If you are with a partner or a friend who doesn’t fully understand that you need 3. Patience and landscape photography
time to dedicate to photography, then you may feel obliged to rush. Your attention Landscape photography is a popular subject. But it’s a hard genre to master. You’re
is split – it’s not nice to feel that you have to hurry up and take photos because at the mercy of the weather and the light. They are outside your control. If they are
somebody is waiting or getting bored. not ideal when you are on location then the only option is to return another time.
The solution is to set aside time for photography. Let’s say you’re on holiday Landscape photography is also hard because the standard is so high. There are
in Venice. It’s one of the most beautiful cities in the world. But it’s also packed lots of good landscape photographers out there who are dedicated to their art.
with people and tourists. If you’re there with friends or family who are not You need patience to wait for the right light to achieve this standard. On location,
photographers, set aside some time for yourself. Make the most of it by working that may mean waiting for the sun to dip down towards the horizon and give you a
early in the morning or early evening, when the light is at its most beautiful. beautiful quality of light.
Time alone gives you time to be patient.

I made this photo in Venice. The key to
the success of the photo was waiting
until dusk, to capture the best light, and
to set aside some time on the trip for
photography. Both are important aspects
of patience.

Canon EOS 40D, 28mm, 2.5 seconds @ f8, ISO 100
Long exposure photography is different from other types of landscape
photography. The camera’s shutter may be open for as much as five or six minutes.
This is a long time to wait, and it can be difficult to know how to fill the time.
One option is to use that time purposefully. If you have another camera or a
smartphone, explore different viewpoints and focal lengths. You may find a better
composition than the one you already have.
Another is to relax, breathe in the air and contemplate the scene. Chill out and
enjoy the view. Meditate. Quiet your mind’s chatter. Relax.
4. Patience helps you create memorable portraits

Patience is a great characteristic to have in all dealings with people, but it’s
especially helpful in portraiture.
It takes time to gain your model’s trust and to get to know them. People rarely
open up and give you expressions that reveal character and feeling right away. It
requires an emotional investment on your part.
It helps if you are genuinely curious about people. An interesting conversation or a

discovery of common experience or interest leads to more revealing portraits.
You’ll get better results if you work repeatedly with the same model. You need
patience to build a friendship and working relationship, and the understanding
Right: A long exposure landscape photo made with a shutter speed of 90

seconds.

Fujifilm X-T1, 35mm, 90 seconds @ f5.6, ISO 200
that you might only start making your best portraits on the third or fourth
shoot.
Patience is also required for documentary work. I think of portraiture as

two distinct genres. There’s the type where you try to make people look
beautiful. This is a common approach with beauty portraits, family portraits,
weddings and fashion photography.
The other type of portraiture is character based. It’s a more documentary

type of photography that capture people’s character. It may have
photojournalistic elements. You may be trying to tell a story or put together
a photo essay.
These types of project require patience. It takes time to get to know

people and gain their trust. It’s important for your subjects to feel that your
intentions are genuine. It helps if you are a naturally trustworthy person.
As people get to know you, and see that you have genuine long-
term interest in what you are documenting, they will be comfortable
recommending you to friends or associates who can help you with your
project. Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 85mm, 1/250 @ f1.8, ISO 400
5. Patience helps you build a body of work over time

One of the easiest ways to improve your photography is to assign yourself Above: One of many portraits I made of a model who I worked with over
projects you can tackle over time. Projects are interesting because they several years. The relationship we built up meant that we worked together
focus your attention on a theme you can explore in depth. This takes time, very well. I would not have made portraits like this without the intention of
patience and sometimes determination. There may be times when things building up a good, long-term working relationship with benefits for us both.

don’t go your way, when creativity doesn’t
flow, or people let you down. Patience helps
you push through these negative events
and go on to complete your project.
The long-term view

One thing all these ideas have in common
is taking the long-term view. It’s about
considering what you’d like to achieve in
photography over the next few years and
how you are going to do it.
If, for example, you decide that you would

like to spend more time taking photos of
people, then there is some hard work in
front of you in terms of finding interesting
models and arranging shoots.
Patience is required, but so is the ability to

look into the future and think about your
photography related goals, and the body of
work you’re building. Thinking ahead helps
you act purposefully and constructively.
Right: I made this photo as part of

a personal project photographing
craftspeople at work. Fujifilm X-T1, 56mm, 1/180 @ f1.8, ISO 6400

Sometimes patience is about waiting for the right moment. The photo on
this page is a good example. I was at a temple in Hangzhou, China. I liked the
incense burner and found the composition on the right. I had worked out
that if I used a wide aperture (f5 in this case) then the background would be
pleasingly out of focus.
The only problem was that the temple was busy. There were several arms in
the frame as people leaned over to place burning incense sticks in the trough.
I had to be patient – and wait for a quieter moment when there was just one
arm visible. Waiting for this moment simplified the composition and made the
story of the photo clearer.

Creative Identify a way in which being patient will help you make
better photos. The ideas in this chapter are a great place to
exercise:
start. Then put the idea into action.
It may be difficult at first, because patience is more of a
take action
mindset than a practical skill. You may feel uncomfortable, for
example, waiting for something specific to happen, like I did
when I made the photo of the incense burner on this page.
This will pass as you get used to the process.
Afterwards, take some time to reflect about what patience

helped you achieve. Are your photos better or more
interesting because of it?

3. MASTER
NATUR AL
LIGHT
One of the most important skills you can learn in photography is how to harness
the potential of natural light. But given the popularity of flash, and the expertise
with which photographers like Joe McNally use it, you may be wondering why
natural light is so important.
The short answer is that natural light is beautiful. As you become more aware of
natural light, and how it works, of its characteristics and subtleties, you’ll become a
better photographer.
Let’s take a look at this idea in more depth.

Natural light is abundant and free
One advantage of natural light is that it’s freely available and abundant – at
least during the day.
If you are inside, even in low light, the high ISO capabilities of modern digital
cameras mean there is plenty of potential for making good images.
At dusk or at night it’s a different story. If you’re in a city or urbanized

environment you can use the ambient artificial light to great effect. If you’re
out in the country you have the option to shoot photos of the stars, or
landscapes lit by nothing but the light of the fading sun or the moon.
You don’t need any special equipment

The availability of natural light means that you don’t need any special
equipment to take advantage of it. Natural light is relatively simple. You don’t
need any portable flash units, cables, wireless triggers or lighting stands. One
camera, one lens and a reflector are enough.
This simplicity frees you up to concentrate on more important aspects of

making photos. If you are making portraits, for example, it gives you more
time to talk to your model and build rapport. It lets you concentrate on Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 85mm, 1/180 @ f2, ISO 1600
composition, and getting the best out of your subject, whatever it is.
The simple approach comes in useful when you are away from home. Above: I made this portrait by asking the model to stand in the doorway of a
Traveling light gives you the energy to explore more. Combine this with an disused concrete bunker. We made the photo in the early evening, when the
understanding and appreciation of natural light and you have the tools to light was soft. The background is darker because there was less light inside
create powerful images that capture the mood of the place you’re visiting. the bunker than outside. The more you shoot in natural light, the more you’ll
understand the subtleties of how it works.

Natural light is moody
Natural light is incredibly moody, if you catch it at the right time of day. Before we
think about this, lets define the word moody. My personal definition is this.
A moody photo is one where the light and composition combine with the
subject to create an image that generates an emotional response from the
viewer.
My dictionary says this.
Giving an impression of melancholy or mystery.
This is a very interesting definition. Melancholy and mystery are powerful,

emotional words.
So, how do you provoke an emotional response from the people who view your
photos? Or give an impression of melancholy or mystery?
The answer is that you need to use natural light, and be on location when the light
is at its most beautiful, evocative and moody.
If you want to create a moody landscape photo, you need to be there either early Above: The mood in this photo comes from the light. I made the photo
in the morning (at sunrise) or late in the afternoon (at sunset and dusk) to take at sunset on a cold winter’s afternoon. The setting sun lit up the sky with
advantage of the beautiful qualities of natural light at that time. beautiful golden colors. The soft, hazy light helped create a sense of depth in
the landscape.

Another way to create mood is make sure there are plenty of shadows in your
photos. They don’t need to be completely black – it’s often better to have at least a
little detail. Shadows are important because they give the imagination gaps to fill.
The popularity of HDR (high dynamic range) photography means some

photographers feel that you need to record lots of detail in all parts of the image.
The answer to that is no you don’t – shadows, created by light, are moody.
Natural light encourages you to explore

The result of getting on location when the light is beautiful encourages you to go
out and explore the world. Imagine you visit a beach at midday on a hot summer’s
day. The light is too intense to make good photos, it’s probably uncomfortably hot,
and there might be lots of people around.
But what happens if you go in the evening? The light is much softer and more
beautiful. There are less people. The smells are more intense. And it certainly won’t
be as hot. It’s a much more enjoyable experience.
I spent last summer exploring the mountains and beaches of northern Spain. One
day we visited one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever seen. We arrived around
5pm on a hot day and found a place to sit in the shade. Later, the sun dipped
towards the horizon and the tide was out. The heat of the sun had gone. We got up Above: I made this photo on a trip to Cornwall. We were staying in a holiday
and explored, and found some hidden rock formations revealed by the low tide. cottage on a farm. As the sun set, I took my camera outside and went for a
walk. I found this scene and made a photo. The last rays of the setting sun are
Most of the people had disappeared. The air smelt wonderful. It was an amazing hitting the bucket of the tractor and the farm buildings behind it. Light like
experience and a beautiful memory. But it was only made possible by being there this is incredibly moody and only lasts for a few minutes.
at sunset.

Natural light teaches you about the relationship between light and subject
Imagine making portraits at the end of the day when the sun’s low in the sky.
You can create beautiful portraits in these conditions. But go to the same place
in the middle of a sunny day and the light will be completely unsuitable. You’ll
be lucky to get a decent photo.
All this is teaching you about light and subject. With reference to portraiture, it
teaches you how to become aware of the differences between hard light and
soft light, and which suits your style of portrait photography best.
Now imagine that you have a 5-in-1 reflector with you on your portrait shoot,
and that you have time to experiment with its different surfaces. You’ll learn
which of these create a hard light (hint, gold and silver) and which ones a more
subtle, softer light (white).
Your portraits will get better as your understanding of light grows. This applies
to all subjects, not just portraiture.
Above: We made this photo on a bright, sunny spring day. The sun was strong so
we needed to find some shade for the model to stand in. As I stood in front of her
to make the portrait the sun shone on the landscape behind me. The light was so
intense it bounced off the sunlit area into the shade, creating a strong, soft light
that made the model’s skin glow. The landscape was acting like a giant reflector.
You become more aware of subtleties like this as your appreciation of natural light
grows.

Once you’ve mastered natural light you can learn to use flash
The final advantage of mastering natural light is that once you’ve
done so you can apply your knowledge to flash and other forms
of artificial lighting.
For example, if you’re working in a studio you probably want to

emulate the look of natural light. That’s why Annie Leibovitz uses
a large octagonal softbox to light her portraits. It produces an
ultra soft light that gently wraps around her models. It’s like the
light created by a sunset over the sea, after the sun has set, and
a warm glow reflected from the clouds and water illuminates the
landscape.
If you’re working on location you need to learn how to combine

flash with ambient light. The two go together. The light from the
flash works with the ambient light to create mood. The better
your understanding of natural light, the better you can use flash
to complement it.
Right: Combining portable flash with ambient light at dusk is

an interesting technique. I asked the model to hold her pose
Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 24mm, 2 seconds @ f11, ISO 200
for a two second exposure, during which the flash, fitted with
a softbox and a CTO (color temperature orange) warming gel,
also fired. The result is a balance between the cool blue colors
of dusk and the warm light from the flash.

4 . WORK THE
SUBJECT
Broadly speaking, there are two ways to approach taking photos. The first is to take
as many as you can in the hope some of them will be good. Some photographers
call this machine-gunning. It’s easier with digital cameras than film cameras, as you
aren’t limited by the number of frames on a roll of film. It seems difficult to imagine
now being limited to 36 photos (the number of exposures on a 35mm roll of film).
The second way is to take plenty of photos, but in a way that is more purposeful.
The idea is to think about what you are doing and spend your time exploring the
possibilities and potential of the subject. This is called working the subject.
The dividing line between the two method can be thin. An example of this may be
when you are trying a new technique like panning. Panning is a bit of a hit and miss
technique. If you’ve chosen a good subject you should create some interesting
photos, but you’re also going to get a lot of misses along the way.

The difference is that the photographer who is working the subject looks at the Working the subject and projects
photos they have taken already, evaluates what works and what doesn’t, and Themes and projects are an extension of the idea of working the subject. Let’s say
adjusts their technique and camera settings accordingly. This is where the instant that you know somebody who is a musician, and that you would like to make a
feedback of digital cameras is a useful tool for learning and improving. portrait of that person. Yes, you can go out one time and make some portraits. But
what happens if you do it several times, in different locations? If you take photos
Another way of looking at it is that they are using the earlier photos as stepping of the musician performing as well? You start to get more depth, and build a photo
stones to get to the more interesting images. A photographer who is machine- story. This is working the subject, but in a different way. But the basic principle is
gunning, on the other hand, doesn’t think a lot about what they are doing and the same. Returning to the same subject forces you to search harder for new ways
relies on serendipity rather than their own skill. to take photos, for new ideas to explore. But the reward is worth the effort as this is
often how you get better photos.
Working the subject and composition
There’s a link between working the subject and composition. Let’s look at the idea Let me give you a couple of examples, starting on the next page.
that composition is one of the skills that separates the best photographers from
the rest. Composition takes time to learn because it involves many visual design
principles. Good composition goes way beyond the application of simplistic rules
like the rule of thirds or the golden mean. It’s at least in part instinctive, as the
principles become internalized.
Working the subject helps you create better compositions, and therefore stronger
images. It’s really about having the discipline, and the patience, to spend some
time with your subject, exploring it from different viewpoints, perhaps with
different focal lengths, to find the strongest composition. Again, it’s a process that
may involve analyzing what you have already done and using those images as
stepping stones to get to something stronger.

Example 1: Photographing
an old car
Working the subject doesn’t always
mean that you have to take lots of
photos.
A few years ago I bought a new camera

and took it out one evening at dusk. I
wanted to shoot at high ISO in low light
to see how it performed. As I walked
around my neighborhood I noticed an
interesting car parked by the street.
Intrigued, not to mention wondering
how a Lada ended up in New Zealand, I
took the photo you see on the right.
It’s not a great photo, but I knew there

was a better picture to be had. I kept
looking and realized that what had
really caught my eye was the way the
light from the street lamp reflected off
the roof of the car. I moved in closer and
created the images you see on the next
page. They all contain the reflection of
the street lamp and just part of the car
rather than all of it. Then I took another
photo of the rear of the car.
Fujifilm X-Pro 1, 35mm, 1/60 @ f1.4, ISO 6400

Fujifilm X-Pro 1, 35mm, 1/60 @ f1.4, ISO 6400 Fujifilm X-Pro 1, 35mm, 1/60 @ f1.4, ISO 6400

Fujifilm X-Pro1, 35mm, 1/60 @ f1.4 ISO 6400 Fujifilm X-Pro 1, 35mm, 1/60 @ f1.4, ISO 6400
Analysis of the shoot
I only made five photos, but I was still working the subject. When I break it down
and think about what happened the process went something like this.
I saw something interesting and took a photo. That was just my first impression. My
gut feeling told me that there was a better photo to be had.
I looked closely until I realized that the real subject, the thing that really interested
me, was the way the street light was reflected in the car’s paintwork. So, I moved in
close and made several photos.
Lastly, I moved away from the car and took another photo, which was okay but not
as good as the others. I understood that I had got what I wanted and decided to
move on to look for another subject.
The last point is crucial because one of the differences between working the
subject and machine-gunning is that the photographer who is working the subject
knows when to stop.
Example 2: Working the subject in Cornwall

Here’s another set of images made in a historic property in Cornwall. As I walked
around the property I realized the interior was surprisingly photogenic. I made a
number of photos in different rooms as I passed through.
It was a rainy day, not suitable for outside photography. I returned another evening
in better light and took some photos from the outside. These give the interior
photos context. You can see both the house as it looks from outside and some of
the things on the inside.

I developed the photos in Lightroom in a way that is sympathetic with the historic
nature of the building. I applied the same treatment to all the photos that I chose
to develop, so that they are linked by style as well as theme.
I took a lot of photos, but there were lots of times that I looked at a scene through
the viewfinder and it wasn’t quite right, so I didn’t press the shutter.
One benefit of this method is that you don’t have as many photos to sort through
and edit. But it also shows discipline and an awareness of the subject. A machine-
gunning photographer would take photos of everything, without thinking about it
much. The result is that the editing process, that is deciding which photos are the
best and should be developed in Lightroom, takes much longer.
The photographer who is working the subject, and being more purposeful, is
thinking about how to make each photo better than the one before.
They may also be thinking about how the images are going to work together, or
whether they should use a different technique, a different lens, or find a different
point of view to add variety to the sequence of photos. This is crucial, because as
the shoot goes on you want to create variety and start thinking about how the
photos are going to work together.
It’s also helpful to think about the medium in which they are going to be ultimate
displayed.
For example, if you are thinking about creating large prints you are more likely to
want strong images that stand alone.

If you are going to publish the photos on a blog, then the photos need to work well
as a set. You may want the majority of the photos to be in the landscape format as
these look better on websites.
If you are going to publish the photos in a photo book then you need a variety of
photos in both landscape and portrait format that can be laid out in an attractive
way.
If the images are destined for a magazine article you want a good selection of
strong, portrait format images that can be used to fill a single page.
Experienced photographers think about these things, perhaps even do them

instinctively, as they work the subject.
You can get the idea about how this works by looking at magazine articles.
Magazines featuring stories about local people and places are often great
examples. The standard of photography and storytelling tends to be high.

These three photos, and the one on the next page, show how
I worked the subject when photographing the front of the
building. I searched for different angles and tried to create a
variety of photos. I visited the building in the evening, when
the light was softer and more beautiful than it would have
been during the day.
Fujifilm X-T 1, 14mm, 1/180 @ f3.2, ISO 400

Fujifilm X-T 1, 14mm, 1/125 @ f5, ISO 800 Fujifilm X-T 1, 14mm, 1/125 @ f5.6, ISO 800
Fujifilm X-T1, 35mm, 1/60 @ f1.4, ISO 6400 Fujifilm X-T1, 35mm, 1/125 @ f1.4, ISO 6400
Creative Set yourself the brief of shooting an editorial story for a
magazine, as I did with the photos from the historic building
exercise:
in Cornwall.
Imagine that you have been given an assignment to create a
Give yourself
set of images that can be laid out on a magazine page.
You can get inspiration for this from magazines. Note how
an editorial
editorial stories range from simple, such as showing how
to cook a recipe, to complex photo essays made by top
professional photographers.
brief Here are some questions to ask yourself afterwards.
How was working to a set brief different from working

without a specific aim?
Are you photos better, more interesting and more varied

because of it?
What future assignments can you give yourself to take your

photography up to the next level?

5. Create
PROJECTS
Setting yourself photo projects is the best way to improve your photography skills.
Projects give you focus and help you build a cohesive body of work. A photo
project can last for years, and set a theme that helps you find new people and
subjects to photograph.
Professional photographers set themselves projects to learn new skills, make

new contacts and give themselves something creative and positive to do in quiet
times. But you don’t have to be a pro to benefit. Projects help you become a better
photographer, no matter what your level.
You may be wondering what sort of project you could set yourself that would
achieve these aims. A project can be simple, like photographing flowers in your
back yard, or it can be more complex, such as traveling to a foreign country and
photographing the people you find there.

Getting ideas for a photo project
You’ll find lots of inspiration at websites like Feature Shoot that regularly publish So, once you’ve decided on a project, how do you make it a success? These ideas
photo projects. will help.
I’m going to give you some advice on tackling a project by giving you some 1. Shoot a variety of images
examples from projects I have undertaken to photograph craftspeople, musicians This is important because it adds interest and variety to the photos you get from
and artists. I have learned a number of things from this project. the shoot. But I’d like to add a proviso, because I think in general there are two ways
to approach a project shoot.
Here are some of the most important.
The first is to concentrate all your resources on getting one great photo.
Meeting new people and learning about their music is interesting. I like
meeting and talking to new people and learning about their lives. The brief The second is to create a set of varied photos that collectively give a better
window I have during the shoot is a chance to connect and talk about art and interpretation and tell a story.
creativity, as well as the work of the craftspeople. Some of those people have
become friends. This project has rewarded me on a personal level as well as on a My suggestion is to combine these two approaches. Aim to create a variety of
photographic one. photos, but give each photo your best effort. In other words, when you see the
possibility of an image, give it your full attention and make it as good as you can
Projects help you find something interesting to photograph. For example, I before you move on to the next.
have made some of my favorite portraits using musicians as models.
Here are two suggestions for creating variety.
The project grows by itself. I send photos to the people I photograph, then
ask them if they know of anybody else who may be interested. These personal Vary your viewpoint. Get closer to your subject, or farther away. Take photos
introductions and recommendations help me find people to photograph. from below, or from above. The best viewpoint depends on factors like the subject
of your project, the light, and the lenses you are using. The key is to always be
Projects improve your photography skills. Practice makes perfect, and every thinking about how you can add variety by moving around and taking photos from
shoot means I get a little better at this documentary style of portraiture. different angles.

Take scene setting shots and close-ups. You could start with a scene-setting
photo that captures everything, then move on and create a variety of photos from
closer viewpoints showing details.
This works well for projects like mine, where you can take a photo of a craftsperson
at work, with tighter images and close-ups that show interesting details.
This also applies to more static subjects like landscapes. If you have a landscape
related project, you can create variety with photos that show the entire scene,
mixed with some that show close-ups of details that you noticed within the scene.
2. Tell a story
It’s often hard to a story with a single image, but it’s much easier with a sequence of
photos because you can show different aspects of the same story in each one.
For example, with my photos of craftspeople I like to show a set of images that
show the process they use to create their products.
3. Find commonalities that link the photos

While photo stories need variety amongst the images to create interest, it is helpful
if the photos are also linked in some way. For example, you could process all the
photos from a shoot in black and white. Or they could be processed in a similar
style, perhaps by using the same Lightroom Develop Preset as the basis for the
processing.

Or, if you have a project that involves portraits, you could use light to link the
photos. Using the same lighting setup for each portrait is one way to do that.
4. Show genuine interest in people

If your project involves people it is important to be genuinely interested in them
and what they are doing. Let’s say, for example, you undertake a project taking
portraits of surfers. You’ll get the best results if you are genuinely interested in
surfing and enjoy talking with surfers.
It’s all about authenticity. If you’re genuinely interested in people, you will have
plenty in common and find it easy to talk with them. But, if you’re not, then you
won’t make the connection that is essential for good portraiture.
5. Give it time
Give your projects time to evolve and mature. For example, if you have a project
photographing your local landscape, giving it time lets you create a series of
photos that show the variation created by weather and seasons. Showing the
changes that happen over a period of time is also another way of telling a story.

6. Compare and evolve
The reason why projects are such a good learning experience is because they give
you the opportunity to compare your current work with your earlier photos. You Above: This photo, and all the others you see in this chapter, are a result of my
will see how your ideas and techniques have evolved over time. You’ll also benefit ongoing project to photograph craftspeople. I come back to this project every
by building a body of work and learning to edit a portfolio by selecting the strong now and again when I meet somebody who would be an interesting subject.
images that work together.

Project ideas
Here are some ideas for projects. Don’t forget to check out the Feature Shoot
website for lots of project ideas that go much further than these suggestions. The
photography section of Bored Panda is also a great place to look for ideas.
1. Photographing artists and craftsmen. I’ve been doing this for a little over two
years. I’ve made new friends, gained insights into the creative processes of other
people, and improved my photography skills.
2. Making portraits of circus performers. This started because I saw a photo

of a fire performer posing with lit fans. It was a beautiful image and I wanted to
take one just like it. A couple of years later I saw someone mention someone who
did this on Facebook. I didn’t know her but I sent her a message to ask if she was
interested. She was – and knew other people that did similar things.
3. Portraits of people with dreadlocks. This followed on from the previous idea,
as many circus performers have dreadlocks.
4. Peace in 10000 hands. New Zealand photographer Stu Robertson has a project
where he photographs a white rose, a symbol of peace, in the hands of people
around the world. The project has taken off in a big way and subjects include
celebrities like Ricky Gervais, Danny DeVito and the Dalai Lama. This is another
simple, yet powerful project idea.
5. 365 project. A photo a day, for an entire year. This has become a classic – take
a photo a day for a year, publishing the best photo from the day or your blog or
Flickr photostream. The idea is that the discipline of taking a new photo every day

pushes you to explore new subjects and encourages you to take your camera out
with you to find things to take photos of. Your photography skills should improve
immensely over the year.
These are just a few ideas, and you will find many more imaginative and inspiring
concepts if you go look at the websites I mentioned earlier. Now, it’s over to you.
What project concepts do these ideas inspire?

Creative Make a list of ten project ideas you could start in the next
month.
exercise: Then pick two of those projects and take action to get started.
FIND A
For example, I made the photos in this chapter after
contacting the people who worked in a blacksmiths forge and
a glass blowing studio close to where I live. I explained that
PROJECT
I’m working on a project photographing local people at work
and asked if they would be interested in taking part.

6. LEARN POST-
PROCESSING
INSIDE OUT
The rise of digital photography and use of software to develop our digital images
has given us unprecedented levels of control over our photos. It also means there
are two distinct steps to creating a good photo.
The first is to take the photo, using craft skill to create a well-composed, optimally
exposed photo of an interesting subject.
The second is to develop it in Lightroom (or your post-processing software of

choice).
The developing (or post-processing) stage is as important as the taking stage. This

is where you take the Raw file and apply an artistic interpretation. It’s a rare photo
that can’t be improved in Lightroom.
That means you need to invest some time to learn how to develop your photos.
How to master your software

Here are some tips to help you master your software.
Pick one application and learn to use it well. Lightroom is the natural choice for
many photographers because of its combination of digital asset management tools
(found in the Library module) and powerful Raw processor (the Develop module).
Some photographers prefer Photoshop, or software made by other companies

such as Capture One. It may be worth experimenting with trial versions to see
which suits you best. But once you’ve made up your mind learn to use it properly.
Read tutorials and watch videos. There are lots of good quality articles and video
tutorials online. You can also buy books, ebooks and video tutorials for more in-
depth instruction.
Buy or download presets for your chosen software. Programs like Lightroom
and Photoshop are complex but nobody becomes an expert overnight. If you Above: A portrait developed in Lightroom. One of the benefits of Lightroom
download good quality presets made by other photographers you can look at the is that it’s very easy to create multiple interpretations of the same Raw file.
settings they have used. This is a good way to learn more about how your software Raw files, just like a musical score, are open to various interpretations. The
works. Once you understand the presets you can apply the techniques you have more you practice using your software, the more options you have. Your
learned to your own photos. developing style will evolve along with your understanding of the tools at
your disposal. There are four more interpretations of the same portrait, all
made in Lightroom, on the next page.

Look at other photographers’ work analytically. When you find the work of a
photographer you like, have a look at their photos with an analytical eye to see if
you can figure out what they have done in developing. You can take screenshots of
their work and save them in an ideas folder on your computer, or create a Pinterest
board. As you get more proficient with your software, you can look at other
photographers’ work for inspiration.
For example, if you’re into landscape photography, do you prefer the stylized look
of a photographer who uses HDR techniques, or the more natural look that some
photographers achieve? Once you have decided you have a goal to work towards.
Experiment with plugins. Once you have gained proficiency in your software it’s
time to look at plugins and see if any of them could be useful to you. It’s wise to
wait until you know your software well. Then you can see whether the plugins have
any advantages or new tools that your software doesn’t.
You can download a trial version of the plugin. This should give you enough time to
test it out before buying.
Right: I also developed this portrait in Lightroom. On the next page are three
further interpretations of this portrait, all made in plugins. None of these
would have been possible in Lightroom alone. Plugins, used wisely, extend
the range of tools you have at your disposal for developing and interpreting
your Raw files.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 85mm, 1/350 @ f4, ISO 1600
Some plugins are quite complex. The same advice applies. Buy one plugin to start
with and learn to use it properly before buying others.
These are some plugins I recommend.
Google’s Nik Collection. Google bought Nik Software a few years ago and recently
announced that they are not going to update the Nik Collection plugins. But they
are still very good plugins. They are free, so you may as well take advantage. Silver
Efex Pro 2 in particular is very good for black and white photography.
Alien Skin Exposure. This software is very good and each version gets better.
Topaz Black & White Effects. An excellent black and white plugin, especially if you
like to emulate obscure vintage processing techniques.
Luminar. Another excellent plugin with many tools that Lightroom lacks. At the
time of writing this is Mac only, but a Windows version is coming soon.
Right: Your developing style can evolve. It changes as you learn your tools
better, and also as your eye for what can be done in your chosen software
improves. On the right you can see a portrait I made several years ago and
developed in Lightroom, using the high-contrast style I favored at the time.

Post-processing, style and technique
As your developing skills improve so will the level of your photography. That’s
because you can visualize how your photos will come out after they have been
developed. You’ll start to see the act of creating a photo as a continuous process
that starts with the camera and finishes in your chosen software.
You may develop a post-processing style that informs your photography. For
example, if you like dramatic portraits you might decide learn to use off-camera
flash in order to create dramatic light to light your photos. On the other hand, if you
like to create softer, more natural portraits, you may prefer to shoot in natural light.
Style is a hard concept to pin down. For me, it’s a mixture of post-processing and
photography techniques, combined with the aesthetic and world view of the
photographer. Style tends to be a natural consequence of the combination of these
elements.
Don’t mistake post-processing technique for style. Style is a combination of the

factors mentioned above.
Right: This interpretation of the same portrait shows how my developing style
has evolved. The most important difference is that the model’s skin tones are
darker, and her skin has more texture. There’s also less contrast.

Let’s compare the work of two photographers on Flickr to see what we can learn
about style.
Julia Davila-Lampe (click the link to see her work on Flickr)
Julia’s photos are bright, colorful and airy. She makes good use of atmospheric
lighting conditions, and isn’t afraid to shoot in low light. She uses bold colors and
simple compositions.
If you like elements of Julia’s style then you can start thinking about how you can
achieve them with your software. How can you achieve the same striking use of
color, the mood and the light airy quality of her photos? Her style comes from a
mixture of camera technique, developing and choice of subject matter.
Alexandra Cameron (click the link to see her work on Flickr)
Now have a look at Alexandra’s photos and see how they differ from Julia’s. The use
of color is more subtle and her photos have a lot of pastel colors. She uses tonal
Right: This interpretation shows a different approach. I’ve added some blue
to the shadows to give the portrait a different color treatment. Hopefully you
can see from these examples that my developing style has become a lot more
subtle.

contrast well, a lot of her portraits have dark backgrounds. She tends to
shoot in flat light and use low light.
Tom Hoops (click the link to see his work on Flickr)
Tom’s work is an interesting comparison. He uses black and white a

lot and some of his photos have high contrast. When he uses color it’s
desaturated, nearly monochromatic.
An interesting aspect of Tom’s work is that both his subject matter (the
people in his portraits) and his processing style are gritty and edgy. The
two go together.
There are similarities between the three photographer’s work, but also
differences, especially in the use of color.
Hopefully this helps you see how style, and by extension the work you
do in post-processing, is an important part of the photographic process.
Vintage portrait presets

By the way, I developed most of the photos in this book using my
Vintage Portrait Presets for Lightroom. Using the presets helped me Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 40mm, 1/250 @ f2.8, ISO 800
achieve a continuity of style throughout the book. You can click on the
link below to learn more, or buy them from my website. Above: Here’s another portrait that I made several years ago. This is how I
developed it in Lightroom at the time. You can see my latest version of it on
www.creative-photographer.com/vintage-portrait-presets- the next page. Making new interpretations of your best photos is an excellent
lightroom/ way to get more proficient in your chosen post-processing software.

This is an old photo taken with my first digital
SLR, the Canon EOS Rebel XT. For some reason
I overlooked this image when I first developed
the photos from this shoot. But recently I
found it again and developed it using some
new presets I created for myself and have
been using mostly for developing portraits.
As you learn new skills in your chosen
software, it’s an interesting exercise to go
back over old photos and see if they have any
potential once you apply your new skills.

Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT, 28mm, 1/80 @ f5, ISO 800
Creative For this exercise I’d like you to find some photos taken by a
photographer whose work you like.
exercise: Your homework is to copy their developing style, so make sure

your pick some photos that provide an interesting challenge.
Copy Then see if you can develop some of your own photos in a
similar style, in the software of your choice.
somebody What new post-processing skills do you learn as a result?
else’s style

7. Embr ace
Simplicity
Digital photography is a complex subject. There’s a lot to learn, lots of resources

to learn from, and lots to shoot. Sometimes all this complexity becomes
overwhelming. You may even suffer from what investors call analysis paralysis.
That’s where you spend so much time reading and absorbing information that you
never take the next step of taking action. When that happens, it’s time to embrace
simplicity.
Simplicity and gear

Every year the excitement that surrounds the launch of new cameras with
improved specifications and new features persuade many photographers to
upgrade their cameras and buy the latest model.
Sometimes, you need to upgrade. My belief is that you should buy the best camera
and lenses you can afford, but without getting caught up in the pressure to
upgrade to the latest model.

For example, a friend of mine who is a professional sports photographer recently Here are some questions to ask yourself about gear.
decided to upgrade to newer cameras with better autofocus. Now he’s much more
confident about getting important photos – the money shots – in focus. The new Do you have too many cameras? Unused camera bodies take up valuable storage
cameras are essential for his job and it made sense to upgrade. space. Why not sell them or give them away? You might not get much money for
them but you’ll get less if you wait longer. Another option is to convert an unused
Autofocus performance is critical for sports photography. But most of us aren’t so body to infrared. This let’s you try out another new technique and can bring new
demanding. We don’t need the latest cameras to create beautiful photos. life to older cameras.
The trend towards a simpler approach to gear shows in other areas. Do you have too many lenses? I you have any lenses that you don’t use then
consider selling them. Lenses hold their value better than camera bodies and you
Some photographers use film cameras. It’s not for everybody, but it helps you might as well have the money.
get back to basics by concentrating on light, composition and subject rather than
camera menus and settings. Do you have too many accessories? I used to own a Canon 580EX II Speedlite
that I rarely used. The flash unit itself wasn’t cheap, but I had also spent money on
Smartphone cameras are getting better and more popular. The image quality softboxes and a light stand that took up space in the wardrobe. I sold them all.
from the best smartphone cameras is now very good, especially now you can
use the Raw format on so many models. Again, the simplicity of use is part of the
appeal.
The rise in popularity of Micro Four-Thirds and APS-C mirrorless cameras.

Cameras with smaller sensors are capable of creating images good enough for
professional use. The convenience of smaller cameras and lenses makes up for any
perceived loss of image quality that would be gained by using a camera with a full-
frame sensor.
You can buy fixed lens cameras like the Fuji X100F. There’s a market for simple
cameras with a fixed focal length lens.

An accidental experiment with simplicity
I decided it was time to go digital in 2006. To start, I bought a

cheap Olympus digital compact camera. I was so pleased with
the results I never used film again.
When I look back at photos made with that camera it occurs to

me that they are actually good. Not in a technical sense – they
don’t match the quality of photos taken with modern digital
SLRs or mirrorless cameras. But aesthetically, yes.
I deliberately chose a camera with a fixed focal length lens, the

equivalent of a 35mm lens on a full-frame camera. Prime lenses
give great image quality. I didn’t miss the zoom. If I wasn’t close
enough to something, I just moved closer.
The Olympus compact was incredibly easy to use. I just pointed it

at my subject, pressed the shutter button half-way to lock focus
and exposure, recomposed, then pressed the shutter button all
the way to take a photo. No worrying about exposure modes or
histograms. Just point, measure, recompose and shoot.
Stripping away the technical decisions let me concentrate on

Olympus D435, 6.1mm, 1/80 @ f2.8, ISO 50
light, subject and composition. It gave me freedom. I took the
camera everywhere and just enjoyed taking photos. I wasn’t
trying to make art, or do anything special. I simply took photos Above: The strength of this photo, made with the Olympus
of what I saw around me. compact camera, lies in the simplicity of the composition.

I didn’t realize until later that I
was having fun and learning to
see at the same time.
You can try something similar

yourself, and you don’t need a
compact camera to do it.
If you have an SLR, put it into

Program mode and use a prime
lens. If you don’t have a prime,
use a piece of masking tape on a
zoom to fix the focal length. Enjoy
the process of taking photos
without thinking about the
settings.
You can also use a smartphone

camera. I made the photos on the
next two pages with an iPhone SE.
Right: A photo of a street artist’s

work that I made with my
Olympus compact camera.
66 | The Creative Photographer Olympus D435, 6.1mm, 1/125 @ f2.8, ISO 50

Creative The aim of this exercise is to forget about the settings and
concentrate on seeing and taking good photos. Focus on observing
exercise:
the subject and the light, and making the best possible images. It’s
okay to use exposure compensation or change ISO to suit the light
levels.
SET IT AND Using a single focal length forces you to move closer to or further
from your subject to change its size in the frame. You’ll learn more
FORGET IT
about the optical characteristics of your chosen focal length as you
use it. You’ll also find new and more creative ways of composing
with it.
If you set a single aperture or shutter speed and don’t change the
setting, you will learn about the characteristics of that setting. If you
This exercise will help you simplify your approach to photography. use a single aperture (say f4) you’ll learn what effect it has on the
subject, and how depth of field is affected as you get closer to your
Take one camera, and just one lens. Use a prime lens, or a zoom set subject.
to one focal length (hold the zoom ring in place with masking tape).
Creativity thrives within restraints. When you limit your options
Select an exposure mode. Program is a good choice. So are Aperture your mind will start seeing ways to make images within the
Priority and Shutter Priority modes. If it’s one of the latter two, set boundaries that you have set. It’s surprising how much variety you
a single aperture or shutter speed, lock it in and let the camera take can achieve with a single focal length.
care of exposure.
You can also try this exercise with a simple camera like a compact or
Use the Raw format to give you full freedom when developing your a smartphone.
photos. Set the color profile and White Balance according to your
preference, but don’t change the settings afterwards. I made the photos on the next four pages with an iPhone SE.

iPhone SE, 4.15mm, 1/500 @ f2.2, ISO 25

iPhone SE, 4.15mm, 1/250 @ f2.2, ISO 25

iPhone SE, 4.15mm, 1/100 @ f2.2, ISO 25

iPhone SE, 4.15mm, 1/190 @ f2.2, ISO 25

Simplicity and learning More time for photography. It’s fun, and interesting to read about photography.
The same digital technology that gives us our high tech cameras has fueled an But it’s even more enjoyable to do it.
explosion of information and educational content. Before the internet, if you
wanted to learn about photography your information sources were much more You can develop a more focused approach to learning. Rather than move
limited. There were fewer good quality magazines and books. There was virtually around between different resources, focus on a particular subject or theme and
no free information outside of libraries. learn about it in depth.
Can you imagine a world without photography websites or Google? I can’t either. How to make better use of resources
Thankfully, a good deal of the free information about photography you find online There are so many interesting photography blogs and websites that it’s easy to flit
is good quality. The learning process is much easier and quicker than it ever was between them without getting into any in any real depth. The same goes for other
before. It’s one of the reasons some talented photographers emerge at a very learning resources like books, ebooks, podcasts and magazines.
young age.
It’s better to concentrate on a few sources, but exploring each in depth.
Another change is that it’s much easier to view the work of other photographers.
Exposure to high levels of quality lifts everybody’s standard. The advantage of reading one blog is that it gives you genuine insight into the
way that photographer thinks and works. It’s a chance to get inside their head and
Access to all this information and inspiration is a wonderful tool. But it also leads to understand their approach to photography. What drives them? What lessons have
other problems – how do you manage your educational resources? It’s easy to be they learned? How would you describe their artistic vision?
overwhelmed by too much advice. Or confused by differing points of view (which
are always going to occur). When you have learned what you can from a particular blog, you can move onto
another one that will help you.
Let’s look at some ideas for doing that. But first, what are the benefits of managing
information overload? I can think of several. The same principle applies to books and ebooks. Concentrate on getting the most
out of a single title. Go back and reread the bits that resonated with you most.
Clarity of thought. Too much conflicting information creates confusion. Doing is Make notes. Put some of the suggestions into practice. You’ll learn more and gain a
one of the best ways of learning. There’s a time when you need to stop reading and greater appreciation of the concepts it explores. Then look for other books, articles
take action. or podcasts created by the same author.

Tim Ferriss refers to this as the low information diet in The 4-Hour Work Week.
Tim recommends reading as little as possible. Mostly, he is talking about avoiding

news, as it places a massive drain on your time and attention. But you can apply the
same idea to your photography education. Identify what you want to learn about,
and go deep.
In his book 6 Months To 6 Figures Peter Voogd writes about mature learners.
Immature learners, he says, read as widely on one topic as they can. Mature
learners identify what they need to know and focus. It’s fundamentally the same
concept, but expressed a different way.
Learn about the simple approach to life

Simplicity doesn’t just apply to photography. You can apply the principles to all
aspects of your life, including relationships, finance and work. You can learn more
about these interesting ideas at these websites.
Zen Habits
Think Simple Now
Becoming Minimalist

Simplicity and composition
You can greatly increase the

effectiveness of the composition of
your photos by keeping the design
as simple as possible. The main
benefit of applying the principles of
simplicity to composition is that it
helps you create uncluttered photos
with a clear subject.
Right: Steamed pork buns for sale

in a Shanghai neighborhood. I
kept the composition simple and
made a photo of the buns in the
steamer. The way the daylight
came in through the open shop
window illuminated the steamer
and the buns, yet made the back
of the shop dark. The result is a
study of texture and tone.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 50mm, 1/90 @ f8, ISO 800
Right: Another simplified
composition. The lotus candle,
and the way it was still wrapped
in plastic, caught my eye. The
two candle holders either side
created a group of three (groups
of odd numbers of items seem to
work well). I composed the photo
so that the ledge supporting the
candle and candle holders ran
at a diagonal across the frame,
making a natural line for the eye
to follow.

Right: You can also simplify through color. Red is an important color in
Chinese culture. During my last trip there I kept an eye out for interesting red
subjects. I tried to compose each in a way that red was the dominant color in
the photo. You can see some of the results on the right and the next page.

Fujifilm X-T1, 35mm, 1/250 @ f11, ISO 800 Fujifilm X-T1, 35mm, 1/180 @ f5.6, ISO 800
Simplicity and black & white
Black and white is another form of

simplification that you can practice
either at the post-processing stage or
in the field. If you use Live View or a
camera with an electronic viewfinder
and set your camera’s color profile
to Monochrome you’ll see the scene
in black and white. Working in black
and white removes any distractions
caused by color and emphasizes
texture and tonal contrast.
Right: Incense sticks laying on

the side of a burner in a Buddhist
temple in China. In black and
white the photo is a study of line
and color.

iPhone SE, 4.15mm, 1/850 @ f2.2, ISO 25
CONCLUSION
The reason this book has seven chapters is because seven ideas are much easier to
put into practice than ten or twenty. Some of these concepts are quite deep. If they
are new to you you’ll need time to absorb and understand them.
Some of the creative projects take a bit of time and effort to put into action.
Creating projects is one of those. It may take you many months or years to realize
the benefits. Patience is required.
Which brings me to another point. That is, none of these concepts work in isolation.
They go together. One reinforces the others.
Starting a project that will help you grow as a photographer involves setting
yourself new challenges. You’ll need patience to get good results, and to work the
subject to create variety.

You’ll get better results if you master natural light. Embracing simplicity helps
prevent things getting over-complex or time consuming. The better you are at
post-processing, the better your results will be.
In the same way that a professional sportsperson works on separate, but related
skills to become a master of their chosen sport, these creative ideas will come
together to make you a better photographer.
In the introduction I wrote about mindset. Attitude is an important part of the

learning process. Relax, and have fun with it. But above all, believe in yourself and
your ability.
I’ll leave you with this quote, commonly attributed to Henry Ford.
If you think you can or think you can’t, you’re probably right.
I hope this book has helped you on your photographic journey. If you have any
questions or feedback about the content then please get in touch. My email
address is andrewsgibsonwriter@gmail.com.
Happy shooting,
Andrew S. Gibson
www.creative-photographer.com

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THE

1. Set Yourself Challenges 6

The Creative Photographer | 3

4 | The Creative Photographer

Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 85mm, 1/350 @ f1.8, ISO 800

5 | The Creative Photographer

The Creative Photographer | 6

1. Learn new photography techniques.

Macro and close-up photography. Photographing the world in miniature

7 | The Creative Photographer

2. Set yourself new challenges in a genre you know well.

8 | The Creative Photographer

4. Get out of your comfort zone by traveling

9 | The Creative Photographer

In The Candid Portrait I interviewed Barbara Asboth, a

Creating and meeting challenges are a natural part of

Fujifilm X-T1, 35mm, 1/250 @ f6.4, ISO 800

10 | The Creative Photographer

11 | The Creative Photographer

The Creative Photographer | 12

Time alone gives you time to be patient.

13 | The Creative Photographer

14 | The Creative Photographer

4. Patience helps you create memorable portraits

It helps if you are genuinely curious about people. An interesting conversation or a

Right: A long exposure landscape photo made with a shutter speed of 90

15 | The Creative Photographer

Patience is also required for documentary work. I think of portraiture as

The other type of portraiture is character based. It’s a more documentary

These types of project require patience. It takes time to get to know

5. Patience helps you build a body of work over time

16 | The Creative Photographer

The long-term view

If, for example, you decide that you would

Patience is required, but so is the ability to

Right: I made this photo as part of

17 | The Creative Photographer

18 | The Creative Photographer

It may be difficult at first, because patience is more of a

This will pass as you get used to the process.

Afterwards, take some time to reflect about what patience

19 | The Creative Photographer

Let’s take a look at this idea in more depth.

The Creative Photographer | 20

At dusk or at night it’s a different story. If you’re in a city or urbanized

You don’t need any special equipment

This simplicity frees you up to concentrate on more important aspects of

21 | The Creative Photographer

My dictionary says this.

Giving an impression of melancholy or mystery.

This is a very interesting definition. Melancholy and mystery are powerful,

22 | The Creative Photographer

The popularity of HDR (high dynamic range) photography means some

Natural light encourages you to explore

23 | The Creative Photographer

Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 40mm, 1/180 @ f2.8, ISO 200

24 | The Creative Photographer

For example, if you’re working in a studio you probably want to

If you’re working on location you need to learn how to combine

Right: Combining portable flash with ambient light at dusk is

25 | The Creative Photographer

The Creative Photographer | 26

27 | The Creative Photographer