The Power of Limitation in Photography:

Embracing the No-Sky Challenge

In the vast realm of photography, it might seem strange to intentionally impose creative restrictions. However, sometimes limitations can be a catalyst for unleashing boundless artistic expression and pushing your creative boundaries. A perfect example of this is the practice of excluding the sky from landscape photographs. By willingly embracing this restriction, you can tap into a range of unique benefits and create captivating visuals that leave a lasting impression. In this blog post, we'll delve into the positives and advantages of restricting yourself in photography, using the example of shooting a roll of film without including the sky.

Fostering Creativity:

Limiting yourself in photography compels you to explore beyond the obvious and discover new ways to capture a scene. When I chose to exclude the sky from my landscape compositions in the below images, I was challenged to shift focus to other elements like foreground details, textures, or the interplay of light and shadows. This limitation encouraged experimentation with different perspectives, compositions, and techniques, leading to fresh and innovative outcomes.

By deliberately leaving out the sky, you create an intimate and focused atmosphere within the landscape. The absence of the sky draws the viewer deeper into the scene, directing their attention to the remaining elements. This intensifies the emotional impact, establishing a stronger connection between the audience and the subject matter, while highlighting the inherent beauty of the land itself.

Restricting my photographs from including the sky encouraged simplicity in the compositions. By removing a vast expanse of potentially featureless space, I was left with a more concentrated and distilled image. This simplification enhances the visual impact, emphasizing the essential elements and creating a sense of visual harmony.

Restricting yourself in photography, like excluding the sky from landscape compositions, may initially seem counterintuitive, but it holds tremendous creative potential. Embracing limitations allows you to foster creativity, create visually impactful images, and simplify and distil your compositions. So, challenge yourself, embrace restrictions, and explore the incredible possibilities waiting to be discovered within the art of limitation in photography. Remember, sometimes less truly is more.

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Self-Promotion. It’s not for me….

I'm a photographer who loves taking pictures, but I hate talking about myself.**

I know. It's kind of a weird contradiction. I love creating art with my camera, but I get really uncomfortable when I have to talk about my work. I feel like I'm bragging, or like I'm coming across as arrogant.

But I also know that self-promotion is important for any photographer/artist who wants their work to be seen by a larger audience.

So I'm trying to find ways to promote myself without feeling like I'm saying “me, me ,me”. Here are a few things I have identified as self-promotion without the cringe factor of talking about myself.

Sharing on social media is the most obvious and the most distant. I'm conscious of not writing too much blurb as social media is such a quick fix for images that no one really pauses to read a paragraph long description of the thoughts and feelings behind every photo. The technical side and the planning of the photo can be covered through my YouTube videos. This seems to be more natural and informative and less promoting.

This.. Writing about photography on my blog. When I share my thoughts on different photography techniques, trends, and challenges. I feel like I'm opening up about my thoughts on photography. Not just mine but other photographers as well.

One thing I have not done but see the benefit in is spending time with other photographers. Maybe doing some group get togethers like a photo-walk where you can get to know other photographers, learning from them and making friends.

I know I’m not the best at self-promotion, but I'm getting better at it and I'm learning to be more comfortable talking about my work. Using these above options to promote myself feels more natural and authentic to me.

If you're a photographer who hates self-promotion, I know how you feel. But I tell myself that self-promotion is not about bragging. It's about sharing your work with the world and letting people know what you have to offer. So don't be afraid to put yourself out there!

Mixing things up

A change in approach and hopefully, a change in the outcome.

As a photographer, I have often found myself disillusioned with my work and the current photo trends found everywhere on social media. It seems that every other photographer out there is following the same formula, churning out the same types of images and saturating the market with clichéd concepts and styles. It's easy to get lost in this sea of sameness, but I believe that there is still room for artistic photography that is different from the norm.

To create artistic photography that stands out is to break away from the mould. Not being afraid to experiment with new techniques, styles, and concepts. I will try shooting in unconventional ways, using unusual angles or lighting to create unique images. Not being afraid to push the boundaries of what is considered "normal" in photography.

Another important aspect of creating artistic photography is to focus on storytelling. I do struggle with this. Simply because when I see a photo/image/artwork I like, it is because I like what I see and have no interest in the story the art or/and artist is trying to convey. I don't gravitate to the story so for me to base my photography around storytelling will be a real challenge. I will try to think about what message or emotion I want to convey, a narrative thread that ties images together.

What I am reminding myself to look at is the details. Instead of capturing the entire scene, zoom in on small details that might be missed by others. This can create a sense of intimacy and intrigue in an image. Following this is the abstract approach to photography. I want to draw the viewer in and make them feel like they are discovering something new.

Finally, I will ignore, and push back on 'photography rules' and not be afraid to break the rules. Photography has long been governed by certain rules and guidelines. I use to be a member of a local photography club which entered into competitions with other clubs. The judging of the photographs was very systematic and rule-based, creating and very obvious group of winners at every competition. To me, sometimes the most powerful images are the ones that break those rules.

In conclusion, creating artistic photography that is different from the norm requires a willingness to break away from the mould, try to focus on storytelling, pay attention to details, and take risks. By doing so, creating images that are truly unique and thought-provoking, and that stand out in an overcrowded market will naturally happen.

(Some) Films also have impressive dynamic range.

Having a choice of cameras/formats has its positives and negatives (No pun intended). I returned to my Zentit 11 35mm recently and was puzzled by what the ISO (film sensitivity to light) was set at. When checking the light meter reading I noticed that the ISO was set at 125. I wracked my brain trying to think of what film I had in the camera. Was it a random Ilford black and white film? Anyway, I plodded on with the camera set to ISO 125.

A couple of weeks later, back out with the Zenit 11, and with 6 shots left of the ISO 125 film I noticed the ISO was now set at 50 ISO. I remembered the fact that this was set at ISO 125 when I last used the camera so this setting must have changed when the camera was in my backpack... Not great, as this could also have happened before, moving to ISO 125 which I was sure was not a film speed in my stock of film.

The Zenit doesn't have a little holder to put a label from the film box which identifies the speed of the film whereas other cameras do. The Mamiya medium format camera has a slot for this info and the ISO selector is not the easiest dial to move, which is a good thing. Anyway, I got to the end of the roll and was really quite curious and anxious to find out the film speed. I wound in the film and opened up the back.... The film I had been shooting with and thought was an ISO 125 black and white was actually Kodak Portra 400.... Oops!

What does this mean? Well, if I'm shooting a film that is ISO 400 at 125 I'm adjusting the setting to a film that is less sensitive to light - The higher the ISO the more sensitive the film is to light. Fundamentally I have been over-exposing every shot by over a stop. This added to the fact that I usually overexpose film by 0.5 to 1 stop anyway means that I have been allowing a lot of/too much light to hit the film.

I am writing this blog with the undeveloped film in my bag. Kodak Portra does have a wide dynamic range and is very forgivable so it will be interesting to see how the images come out.

Here are some of the shots from the over-exposed film. As you can see there are no issues with the exposures of these shots. Obviously, some films are more forgiving than others - Kodak’s Portra being one of them. To prevent this from happening again I have made the most of the flash shoe and used this to hold the film info card.