The most (and least) important decision

Apart from the obvious "what to photograph" what is the most

important decision the photographer makes. I've found myself about

the post "the most important decision you make is ...." on a couple

of occasions, and I'm curious what others think.

Some decisions we've passed to the camera (good or bad), and other

descisions we make matter very little - are there any you think

totally unimportant ?

<a href="http://www.keithlaban.co.uk">Keith Laban Photography</a><p><i>"Apart from the obvious "what to photograph" what is the most important decision the photographer makes"</i><p><b>Why</b> is arguably more important than <b>what</b>.

Hi, sometimes it makes no difference when the shutter is pressed, but I like to think that the moment of capture has importance, perhaps not the most importance. 'Unimportant decisions' are not really 'decisions' in my mind, however it is the simple things which matter.

As Keith says, the most important question is 'why?'. As a teacher of photography I soon sense those students who are going to become photographers and those who will 'fall by the wayside'. One has to 'find one's subject', that is, whatever 'moves' you. Many of my students have bought a camera in the past, put three films through it and then put it away in a cupboard and forgotten about it. Some years later they rediscover it and decide they 'want to become a photographer'. Some cotton on to my endless ramblings about 'finding one's subject' and go on to greater things. But many do not because they have nothing to say photographically. The only question that then remains is 'how' to photograph the subject matter.

"Some decisions we've passed to the camera (good or bad), and other descisions we make matter very little - are there any you think totally unimportant?"

 

I'm not quite sure what you're asking as myself, I don't think about it. Why? Because the process of a capture is a sort of Zen behavior as I become one with the image I see. To me it's all a part of the chain of events which leads to the final printed image.

 

When I decide to make a capture, everything around me becomes quite. I lose touch with reality. The technicals become automatic as I scan the viewfinder for technical flaws (triage.) Some I correct with camera settings by evaluating the brightness range or the square of the horizon and other visible flaws are intuitively shunted over to the Photoshop process but there's what I would call little thought.

 

I make the capture and then come back into the reality of my surroundings.

 

So in response, my apologies as I don't know "...what is the most important decision the photographer makes" other then to make the decision to pickup the camera up go make the few captures which are in my head.

None that I can think of that are unimportant either as again, all steps are a part of the chain (process.) There's no important, nor unimportant as it's all about the final print.

<I>Apart from the obvious "what to photograph" what is the most important decision the photographer makes.</I><P>

IMO, the most important decision, is the one in which one decides to get off of one's tail end and go make a photograph.

<I>Why is arguably more important than what.</I>

<p>

At an elementary level this is accurate. Yet as one achieves increased experience and perspicacity one discovers that the 'what' is equally if not more significant than the 'why'. Initially photographers much like painters grapple to come to terms with the 'why' and why they elect to choose the 'what'. When one embraces the fact that the 'why' is inconsequential inasmuch as of the certainty that it is truly a 'prerequisite' then they possess the capability to concentrate on the 'what'. One who 'must' or has no alternative but too shoot has a unfettered mind than one who is occupied contemplating on 'why' one shoots. In all cases the 'what' is the same and is each own individuals interpretive view of their own personal life experiences and on the final day judgement shall be passed.

<p>

<I>IMO, the most important decision, is the one in which one decides to get off of one's tail end and go make a photograph.</I>

<p>

Agreed.

For many it's chrome or black.

Nature Photography Specific - I'd say exposure is most critical for nature photographers. You can dream about a shot, plan for it and compose it all day long - heck some folks can even do those things from home. But if you don't come back with a good exposure, or one that makes you happy, you have to reshoot or compromise. Often in nature photography, there's no chance to reshoot.

Ugh ... I should just include a signature with all my posts that says 'this is not true for digital photographers!' Nice how the criticalness of that whole dynamic goes away simply because of camera type. Just delete try again! Very cool stuff.

The "what" will vary depending on the "why." The two can't be separated, and

one is not necessarily more essential than the other. Without a "why," the

"what" is aimless, and without a "what," the "why" fails.

The two can and are disassociated. As suggested previously, the 'why' is impertinent amongst important, proficient and proven photographers. Do you earnestly believe or perceive that HCB, Robert Frank, Diane Arbus, Robert Doisneau, Josef Koudelka, Sebastiao Salgado amongst several others question themselves as to 'why' they shoot? More presumably than not they acknowledge the fact that 'shooting' is a necessity in as much as eating and breathing is. Thus permitting their attention to focus on the 'what'.

"More presumably than not they acknowledge the fact that 'shooting' is a necessity in as much as eating and breathing is."

 

Well. I went out and made the capture that was haunting my brain.

 

Now what?

 

That's to me is what's more important then the why; the continuum of the "what's next to come." But even though I don't know, that what will happen is that the next image will find me and I'll honor it by making it's capture.

"How to photograph" is a very important decision. "How do I compose this subject? How do I light this subject? How can I convey what I am attempting to express?" Then to go through this process again using different angles.

at the outset - excuse my English, it's very far from my native or even the first foreign language I learned :)

about decisions - I might be wrong, but I think about photography as means for documentation and communication, and my decisions stem from what would be the primary goal of a particular picture - to document an event, a feeling, an emotion, or to provoke one. so for me the most important decision would be "why", and then "how". I don't think there are unimportant decisions, but there are those we do not realise we make.

KK

Well, speaking purely philosophically (and that's what we do here, right?), the most important decision is neither what, why, how, or when, but "who." Once you know who YOU are, the answers to all the others will come.

 

And K.K., there is nothing in your English that would indicate it isn't your native tongue, so no need to apologize for it.

The "who" you are will also answer the "why" regarding your photography. Some

aspects of behavior may be below the level of consciousness, but they form the

foundation for the conscious decisions ("what" we choose to look at through a

viewfinder).

Hello, I'm back.

Recently I had a short conversation on this very topic, which to me is a question of supression of morality. Is it more important to consider the subject of a newsworthy photo and their feelings or needs, or those of future viewers who may have no other vehicle to really understand what happened in that instant. For instance the now famous Japanese photographer who was present after the nuclear bomb was dropped, who came upon a trolley car full of charred bodies. He recounted that he held the TLR to his eye and focused the shot, but when the 'decisive moment' came he couldn't bring himself to take the photograph, so all we have is his word to relate what he saw. I feel his decision was wrong, and he owed it to us (the people of the future) to take that photograph.

One of the most important decisions is the decision to take the photograph in spite of your weakness in the face of difficult subject matter.<div></div>

For me it is Composition.<div></div>

So much depends on what sort of photography you're doing. For a photojournalist, it might be "how does this tell the story" or "does this tell the story the best way"? For someone doing advertising, it might be, yep, that sells the product in a unique way. For someone doing fine art, it might be "what does this say to me, to a viewer" or "how does this fit with my style"?

 

For me, a lot of the decision is a matter of feel. How does this "feel"? Does it reach inside me? That might be it trips my trigger aesthetically or elicits an emotional response. Sometimes it's simply of feeling "right" or "yes" and I'm compelled to make a photograph. It's a tremendously satisfying sensation. More and more, however, I'm beginning to question whether that's enough, whether that sort of instinctual approach short-circuits going deeper into the subject, or whether, like the zen archer who releases the arrow without thinking about it, the moment is the message.

I think this question is really in 2 parts: important for the

<u>photographer</u> and important for the

<u>viewer</u>.<p>For the photographer I am firmly in the "Why?"

camp as this question determines the answers to all the "how?"

issues - of these the most important is the link question: how do

I best achieve the set aim(s). Coupled with this is the possibly

more objective question of how wide a repertior of techniques

does the photographer have to choose from - this may well be

the deciding factor between the excellent and the mediocre, the

smaller the range the less likely that the chosen method will be

ideally suited to the concept of the picture.<p>For the viewer, the

most important decision by the photographer is the choice of

target viewer and the technique most suited to communicating

the idea to that viewer. So if I as a viewer have been successfully

targeted the image will immediately "ring a bell" with me and link

to my inner psychic world in some positive (but not necessarily

comfortable) way. <p>All these decisions and choices and

preparations and understanding of others take time and effort so

IMHO the key bottom-line decision is "I am going to <i>make the

effort</i> to create the best goddamn photograph possible".

I think the most important question is, "how do I present this subject?", the second most important one is "how many shots can I get before my wife gets really fed up?". The least important is dow we go to the Dew Drop, the Red Lion or the Crown when I've finished.

 

P

As with so many things, the most important part of the decision to shoot is very often unconscious.