The Art of seeing in Photography

Photography is essentially about how we as individualsirrelevant areas both mentally and then with your
see things, and then being able to capture that momentcamera. For what you leave out of an image is just as
in time when we saw something, via the use of aimportant as what you include. Without this ability to
camera. Sure the technical know how of how tosee, no photographer or artist will be able to
operate the camera is important, but the mostconsistently observe and capture really interesting and
important thing in image capture is seeing the image incaptivating images. It really is what photography is all
the first place. There is a strong analogy in this regardabout. It is displaying to others how one sees the
with artists, who also need to "see" their subjectimpact and beauty in things. In a way it is displaying
matter before they can copy it onto canvas.one's soul and how you view the world.
Photography, and in particular landscape photographyThe ability to better see can be developed by
is so dependent upon the photographer's ability to seepracticing it. Don't just look, but study your surroundings,
and visualize the final result before he or she pressesreally observe what is before you, and look into it in
the shutter release button. This "seeing" is what reallydetail. Take time to look up into the trees, and to look
separates a point and shoot photographer from thedown at the ground. Turn around from where you
serious amateur or professional. Once all the technicalhave come from. Things usually look very different
aspects are taken out of the equation, the only realfrom the opposite vantage point. Life is a journey, not
difference between individual photographers is howjust getting older. Take time to really see the beauty
well they see their subject matter.along the way, and if you can, capture those magic
Seeing is the ability to look well beyond the clutter, andmoments with your camera to share with others.
be able to see the important from the unimportant. It isTo quote the Dali Lama, "many people look, but very
being able to look into a scene and crop out all thefew see", and it so true.