In Frame | Exploring the Process

The one aspect of my photography that I rarely discuss is how and why I make images the way I do. I love talking about history, gear, and the technical aspects of the craft but not about why I pick the subjects, the composition and why I mainly shoot in black & white (mostly with film). The primary reason is that these are all highly subjective, each individual has their thoughts and options. In this case, all the options are valid and personal. And no, this is not about a hot take or a controversial option; it’s only my thoughts on the creative process. Even my calling the idea of composition subjective could raise the hackles of a few; I will stick by my opinion on the matter. It all comes down to what you, the viewer, and the photographer see as a good image. I’m sure there are folks out there who don’t like my work, and that’s okay, but it drives me to be better. I created this post to workshop a YouTube video on the same subject, and while I won’t go into the same detail about the individual frames here, I’ll mainly be focused on how I compose, why I primarily photograph and display historical objects, and why I choose black & white as my primary medium in film stocks. For this post, I’ll work with my Mamiya m645 with my 35, 80, and 150mm lenses loaded with Fujifilm Neopan Acros 100 II developed in Flic Film Crawley’s FX-37. I’ll be working with the Revni Labs spot meter for the meter. I will also share eight of my favourite images from the roll, each with my creation process.

There are many options for composition, and there’s a good chance that if you’ve been walking around photography circles enough, you have heard of all of them. I’m talking about the Rule of Thirds, the Golden Ratio, filling the frame, leading lines, framing, and negative space. These are all good and make great guidelines for making images, but you don’t have to always rigidly conform to them. They offer plenty of chances to combine the guidelines, bend them a little or break them entirely and create compositions that are unique to you. Plus, the more you use these, the easier it will become, like walking. You don’t have to consult the rules of gravity or have a deep knowledge of physics to walk correctly; you have to keep practicing. That is what Edward Weston was getting at in his quote.

Now to consult the rules of composition before making a picture is a little like consulting the law of gravitation before going for a walk. Such rules and laws are deduced from the accomplished fact; they are the products of reflection – Edward Weston

Weston isn’t saying to totally ignore the rules. Still, instead, through practice, you’ll start to see the world in the ways of composition that become pleasing to you, and the more you do it, the more natural it becomes. I started to learn these rules by looking at photos and paying attention to ones that stood out to me, and it wasn’t only in still photography but in movies as well. I use a mixture of ideas and guidelines depending on my subject matter. I like flat compositions, filling the frame with the subject matter for architecture and cityscape. But also working with leading lines to draw the attention to a singular point on the horizon. I also like working with negative space and ultra-wide lenses, allowing the subject matter to stand out starkly and give context to the surroundings. For portrait work, I tend to use similar ideas but go for more filling the screen and a bit of negative space while adding elements framing and leading lines drawing the eyes towards the subject matter. Ultimately, it is all subjective; what looks pleasing in your eyes, be your biggest cheerleader for your work. Because then even those who want to pay you for your work will like it, not try to force you into producing work like another photographer whose work you aren’t too keen on.

I didn’t always shoot black & white film; when I first started, I shot a lot of colour, mainly because it was the only film I could purchase and get processed at the local mini-lab. Traditional black & white wasn’t even on my radar. However, I used chromogenic black & white films like Kodak and Ilford offerings. It wasn’t until I started listening to the Film Photography Podcast that I looked seriously into traditional black-and-white films. It also helped that I had gained access to adult money and a professional mail-in lab that could do slide film, colour negative and black & white. It started slow through 2006 and only gained traction through 2010; by 2013, it was almost exclusive. It isn’t that I dislike colour, colour is excellent but I don’t like colour. It is only that since I started being able to process black & white at home, it has been a lot more convenient. And I quickly grew to like the format better. Also, the digital cameras I used started improving, and I could get colour shots easier. These days, I find that black & white has more character. It can also be modified far more efficiently through filtration, light, exposure, and development. And, of course, the scanning and post-processing. It also looks good in almost any weather and light. And to those who see going with black & white as a cheap cop-out for not learning how to colour grade, balance, scan, and all the other steps, I appreciate the amount of work that goes into people’s colour work. But it isn’t for me, radically changing how the image looked in reality, which I can honestly do with black & white also. It has become my bread-and-butter in my photography. I see the world far more in black & white when I’m out with a camera, and it suits my subject matter, architecture, landscape, and, yes, people.

It isn’t that I don’t photograph people; I have done photoshoots with models and have done plenty of events and weddings where people are the central focus. I also, when I’m in the mood, do street photography. The trouble is that people can be difficult; everyone has this self-image that the camera may or may not capture to their liking. Also, there are tons of legal issues related to professional jobs. People can also be complicated. I’ve had many negative interactions that make me stray from that. I have also had many positive experiences and plenty of good portfolio work. However, in my work as a wedding photographer, there have been several occasions where the client has declined the release, which would allow me to post their images online. I gravitate towards buildings and other historical objects because I also like to tell stories about them, putting a historical context to the image where it fits in the broader narrative. Buildings have unique stories; an empty field today might have been a battlefield in the past. A bridge or channel might have been part of a major disaster or be an engineering feat. These hidden histories draw me into a place and add context to the image I appreciate. Others may not, but it might spark the viewer to dig into their local histories. It also helps to add to the local history and the narrative of the community because, in a year or a decade, that building may not be present or be altered.

Ultimately, the subject matter, composition, and exposure are all extremely personal. Unless someone pays you for your work, you are only beholden to yourself. And it is better if you actually like what you produce. While you don’t have to defend your choices to other people, it is always good to explain why you took the photo that way. And if I asked that question and someone returned with ‘it looked good to me’, I would be pleased with that answer. When I’m out, I do just that, I look through a viewfinder and go, ‘Yup, that works,’ and take the shot. Or I’ll go, ‘No, not today,’ and move on, hoping that that scene will reappear when I have the right kit with me. Ultimately, the more you practice your photography, the easier it will be for you to find those compositions, that exposure and subject matter. It will quickly become a gut instinct; you won’t always have to consult the rules, and in the end, you may find the ones to break, the ones to bend, and the ones to follow.