FOCUSED

FIND YOUR PASSION, DEVELOP DEPTH, EDIT TIGHTLY

What kind of photographs do you make? “Oh, I try a little of this, and a little of that.” That is the most common answer I’ve heard when teaching over the past forty years. The seductive power of the camera is evident in student work since most of us are naturally pulled toward many subjects. The class portfolios most often indicate these diverse interests, but show little focus or thematic continuity. Certainly, the world is full of wonders to photograph, but how many of us have the time to take every branch in the road? The hectic pace of our lives and the expediency of clicking the shutter conspire to distract us.

However, many photographers would benefit from a more focused approach to their image making. If you are a landscape photographer, and you see something of yourself mentioned above, consider what subject matter really attracts you. The subject can be broad or narrow, such as forests or aspens, deserts or Death Valley. The important thing is to focus on a theme, and photograph with the idea of creating a portfolio. The portfolio can take many forms: an actual portfolio box of fine prints, a book, or simply an online web gallery. The idea is to make photographs, and then edit them, with the intention of putting your best images on the subject in one place.

There are two main requirements for your portfolio. First, as I said before, there must be a coherent theme that moves you and motivates you. Let’s say you have picked a theme of landscapes with some aspect of water involved. Possible images could include waterfalls, rivers, lakes, or the ocean.

The second criterion is that there should be no single image that is of lesser quality than another. In any situation where you show your work, great images are diluted by the average images you might use to “fill out” your presentation, and the overall impression of your photography is reduced. The editing process is not given enough priority by many aspiring photographers.

The next step is to go through your files to find your very best “water landscapes.” If you adhere to my second premise, you will find the editing process to be difficult. Being self-critical is critical! Don’t be surprised if you find only a few images that are of equally high quality. The ultimate editor is you, the artist, but you may find it valuable to have your work evaluated by other, more experienced photographers, such as a workshop instructor. This “second opinion” approach will either confirm or force you to reconsider the level of your imagery.

You should now have the foundation for your portfolio, be it two or twenty images, and a baseline from which to measure your progress. When you continue to photograph for the portfolio, your planning, exploring, and image making can be concentrated on the theme. New images are compared to your standard of excellence and can be added to the portfolio if they measure up. Over time, some new images might replace the original images as the overall quality of the portfolio is elevated. The images that endure, those that still excite you, remain in the portfolio. By evaluating this collection of premier images often, you can see and are rewarded by your progress.

This project could last just a few months or for a lifetime. Like many nature photographers, I love to photograph trees, and I have an ongoing tree portfolio. Several years ago, my images were chosen for a book project to illustrate novelist John Fowles’s essay entitled The Tree (The Nature Company, 1994). The book provided an opportunity for my images to complement a classic piece of environmental writing with a strong message about the human need for wilderness, but it was not my ideal tree portfolio. The problem with doing books is that sometimes the photographer is not the editor.

The photograph shown here, Trees Growing on Moss-Covered Boulders, has assumed a position among my select tree photographs. As is often the case for me, the process of creating this image began with discovery and a sense of wonder. The roots of these trees thoroughly amazed me with their grace and determination. My judgment of the image rests on three main things: the overall technical quality, that I feel the image is as good as my best tree photographs, and that the image emotionally reconnects me with the experience of being there.

To compose the image, I had to maneuver my tripod onto a nearly vertical, muddy slope and use a 90mm wide-angle lens on my 4x5 equivalent to 24mm in 35mm. This slope limited my options and forced me to compose tightly, as I was using the widest-angle lens I have. The viewer’s attention is centered on the two roots coming down the rock. The boulder is not shown in its entirety, but its large size is implied. A sense of the surrounding forest is conveyed by small sections of trunks visible across the top of the frame. The previous night’s rainstorm had knocked down an abundance of leaves, which added an extra dimension to the wonder of the scene. The rainfall and the softness of the lighting conditions allowed the film to record rich, saturated colors.

Once you have explored a theme in depth, and hopefully you have seen your own vision of the subject grow and coalesce, you will probably find other themes in your work to cultivate into new portfolios. As I write these words, I contemplate themes in my own body of work to develop. Creative thinking along these lines may lead you to themes, evolving from your own personal passions, that are yet unexplored by other photographers. The potential for rewards in terms of personal satisfaction, the refinement of your presentation, and for marketing your work are increased. The first level of creativity comes with the image making, but the next phase comes with the editing and organization of images in ways that reflect your unique style and perspective.

Find your passion, develop depth, edit tightly—or more simply put: focus.

Striated Wall of an Ice Cave | Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada | 1995