What You See is NOT What You Get in Camera
Bear Lake, view from Utah, March 2013
Have you ever been to a place, you stand there and look, and feel completely awed by the view? You take a few pictures, and then when you look at the LCD on the camera, you just do not get the same impression? This was my first experience realizing that what I see and feel and is not what the camera sees, and there is a lot more to making awesome photos than just pointing and shooting.
Original Snap Shots
When we first came to the Vista Point overlooking the Bear Lake and the border of Utah and Idaho, I was absolutely amazed with the scenery. Seeing for miles and miles, and actually seeing a different state in the distance was incredible! So I took a bunch of snap shots in all directions, but when I was looking at the LCD, something was missing. I was just not getting the same impression from the photos I was taking. Here are some of the snap shots:
Thumbnail view from Lightroom
The snapshots above are just that, bunch of shutter-button presses. They are all captures of the scene, but they all miss the impression that I had there. This is when I first started to understand that making great photos is not as easy as just getting a nice camera and pressing the shutter button.
Final Thoughts
The physical impression the light ions make on the camera sensor and on our eyes might be similar, but to carry the emotional impression through a photograph is a lot more challenging. Being able to communicate visually and evoke a particular emotional impression is the challenge.
I believe that anyone can make the most awesome photos they can imagine! All they have to do is learn a few easy basics. I hope to inspire you to also pick up a camera and develop your own photographic vision.
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