05/16/2021
I wanted to share a wonderful conversation I had earlier. I was asked what seemed initially to be an easy question. A potential client asked me:
“What do you think makes a picture special?” And “What makes you take one picture and not another?”
I laughed at first a little... To be honest. I thought; “Well that’s easy!!! I just shoot what I see.” But then I realized the depth that I would have to go to in order for me as the photographer and as an artist to honestly answer it.
After a short moment of silence, my reply was this...
Well. Let me give you an example.
When I was a kid, it was the time when an instant photo came from a Polaroid camera or even a Kodak. With those cameras and the film they used, most of the pictures would look very two dimensional. Sometimes you could get a great three dimensional picture, but it was usually by accident. Rarely you would get the perfect fourth dimensional look. What we refer to now as “HD”. The point is, I have always felt that the fourth dimensional pictures only came from times when everything was in the right place at the right time. In other words, lighting, textures, focus, distance, angle and maybe even a bit of an off frame flare to add a bit of drama and mystery depending on your subject was. But the one thing that was most important about those rare HD pictures that all the other types of pictures didn’t have was feeling. A picture can only express feelings if there were feelings involved when it was taken.
Do you see what I mean?
It was quite for a second and then their reply was...
“So what you’re saying is that if it doesn’t inspire the photographer then it won’t be able to inspire others?
Me: Yes. Exactly! That’s how I take pictures. If the picture in my frame doesn’t move me, I don’t hit the button.
Does that answer your questions?
Them: Mr. Fizia....... That has made me think of two other things I might want you to shoot for me! If it’s ok with you, I’ll touch base with you early next week to let you know what my availability is and we can nail down a time to get started. Sound good?
Me: Sounds perfect. I’ll talk to you then. Have a great rest of the week.
