Make it Clear

"Handy Color" Bahamas, Ruins of the lighthouse out building on Great Stirrup Cay.
(C) Jim Austin Jimages, 2013.

 

Clarity

In photography, clarity is a vital element. Clear subject matter outlasts stylistic trends. Today, to be given a second glance in the flood of millions uploaded daily, a photograph would do well to have contrast and focus. This clarity requires good focusing and enough definition of the subject that viewers can see and recall it. With the passing of decades, clearly subject matter defines memorable photographs. Rarely do we remember images with subject matter we can not decipher.

Chance Favors Only The Prepared Mind

It began with a bet, that a galloping horse would not have all 4 hooves off the ground. What we remember, 150 years later, is a classic photo of a horse with all four hooves in the air. We may have forgotten Edward Muybridge, whose many hours of preparation and innovative lenses let his camera catch a split second view of the horse (see Time Stands Still: Muybridge and the Instantaneous Photography Movement).

At its basic level, photography is about the subject. We know that all horses can get all 4 hooves off the ground in the same instant, thanks to Muybridge's photographs. His well-planned photography proved it with clarity and detail. Years after it was taken, we recall the subject of the image, not how it was done or by whom. 

As photographers we sometimes hear viewers say: "Well that was a lucky shot." Only partly true, for there are varieties of luck, because "Chance favors only the prepared mind." (Louis Pasteur). So, to become better at photography, clarity of mind can help. 

 

Bahamas "Lighthouse Stairs" , Great Stirrup Cay, (C) Jim Austin Jimages. 2013.