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| The Creative Photographer |
August 2005 |
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Associated Builders
Contractors of American Die Technology |
The Creative
Photographer We often talk about being
either an amateur photographer or a professional photographer. What is the difference between these
two? The professional earns a living
with their camera. The workshops or seminars
for most professionals frequently talk about how we as professionals must
remain always an amateur. Two of the
three definitions in the dictionary refer to somebody who does or takes part
in something for pleasure or is greatly interested in the subject. Only one of the definitions differentiates
the amateur from the professional as more than just pay, but somebody who has
only limited skill.
While there are many amateur
and professional photographers, I believe the one thing distinguishing most
seasoned professional photographers from those who fall by the wayside is
creativity. The Creative Photographer
is by nature always trying to see the world in new ways.
The Creative Photographer is
rarely a generalist—yet can often handle most assignments. The Creative Photographer usually
specializes and often is considered an expert in a subject outside of their
photography knowledge. I have an uncle who also was
a photographer. What was one of his
specialties was wildlife. He was
called on to write a column for a magazine where he often helped the reader
to know more about a wild animal. For me I have specialized
through the years in different areas which typically involve people in a
unique location. My major specialties
have developed into four areas of interest:
Science/Technology; Religion; Sports and Human Interest.
While still in my crib my
parents tell me of how I would take the screws out of the crib. I wanted to take things apart and know how
they work. This grew through the years
to me enjoying sound systems, cars, computers and anything which your typical
geek may be interested. Growing up in a preacher’s
family I was surrounded by faith. This
interest is still there today and after not only being active in my own
church I went to seminary and earned my masters. Today I work as the web master for Faith And The City which works
with all faiths in metro |
When I show up on a photo
shoot for any of these areas, I am not just thinking about setting the camera
or lights. I am thinking about what is
going on and how a geek, theologian or athlete would be interested in the
subject. While my studies as a social
worker helped me to watch body language and capture a peak moment, it is my
interest in science, faith or sports which help me to know what to include
and how much to inform the reader.
There have been times
through my career where I struggled on how to capture the moment to
communicate clearly an idea. It was
then I would gain new skills with photography to inform the reader better. However, most of my life I have been just curious
to want to know more about these subjects.
You will find books, magazines and if I had kept all my pages from
surfing the web you could see even here I was wanting more about:
science/technology, faith or sports.
Beaver The Creative Photographer is
one who is curious most of the time and a problem solver when it comes to
knowing how to communicate in a way to hook the reader and inform them about
the world in which they live. Give me a call so I can
learn something new about your area and help you to communicate to your
audience. Everyone wants those who
work on their projects to add creativity and make your project better.
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