THE EYE OF A PHOTOGRAPHER

The eye of a photographer

The world looks different to a photographer than it does to everyone else. Why can a photographer capture flat images and turn them into art? The eye of a photographer sees light, details, shadows, highlights, shapes and how they interact with each other.

The world looks different if you see it with both eyes compared to how you see it with only one eye. Close an eye and look at an object, do you see what I mean? Well, by doing so, before taking a shot, you will have a pretty good idea of what you can expect from your image.

Photographers explore the light and texture. Light is probably their most important tool. Photographers are intrigued by the way the nature of light affects the way things are seen. Intensity, direction and type of light offer the photographer a potential for visual exploration. Photographers have mastered how to use the rules of composition and know when to break them. Photography is a process.

Our eyes work similar to a camera. Here are some facts that you might even find amusing: Our eyes have a resolution of around 560 megapixels, they can differentiate around 10M shades of colors. The ISO of an eye is not great, it can be measured at around 800 and in low light they cannot see color. The equivalent of the aperture would be f/3.5 with a focal length of 20mm. The great thing about our eye is that it has auto white balance an auto ISO and it has a very high dynamic range.

Some photographers have the eye probably since they were born but most develop it after practice and training it can take several years to begin to notice things in a different way. A photographer does not have to have all kinds of expensive equipment to take great photos. The best camera gear in the world is not going to help a photographer see or be aware of its surroundings. It’s all about the art of seeing. With a photographer’s eye you are going to see things differently and you are going to cause an impression on the people viewing your images.

A photographer thinks in photography concepts and sees in terms of photography. If you enjoy taking pictures you attitude will show up in the final image. Everything has the potential to be captured. It’s all about picturing an image in your head and making it happen. The more it gets done the better you get at it.