What Should You Think About When You Take a Photo?

Landscape photography is a difficult genre that combines a lot of technical ideas with nuanced artistry and detailed vision, making it a challenge to create a successful image. So, what should you be thinking about as you are standing behind the camera, readying your shutter finger? This excellent video explores that exact question.

Coming to you Photo Tom, this excellent video discusses the rather nuanced philosophical question of what we should be thinking about when we are standing behind the camera. It can be easy to think with your heart, so to speak, that is, to become so enamored with a scene that your only thought is to zoom out to the widest setting and capture it all, because you do not want to leave any of its beauty undocumented. But as beautiful as nature is, it behooves the photographer to take a moment to think rationally and to learn to consciously articulate what it is that creates such visceral feelings. By learning to do this, you can then take that information and make informed technical decisions that help you to create stronger, more focused (in terms of their storytelling) photos. Check out the video above for the full rundown. 

Alex Cooke's picture

Alex Cooke is a Cleveland-based portrait, events, and landscape photographer. He holds an M.S. in Applied Mathematics and a doctorate in Music Composition. He is also an avid equestrian.

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Excellent video that really explains a lot of what goes through you mind when you take a landscape photo.