The left and right sides of the brain work together but each side has some specialized functions.

Left Hemisphere:

• Language: Primarily responsible for language processing, including speech production, comprehension, and reading.
• Logic and Analysis: Often associated with logical reasoning, analytical thinking, and mathematical skills.
• Sequential Processing: Tends to process information in a linear, step-by-step manner.

Right Hemisphere:

• Spatial Processing: Excellent at spatial awareness, visual-spatial skills (like recognizing faces), and navigation.
• Intuition and Creativity: Often linked to creativity, imagination, and intuitive thinking.
• Emotional Processing: Plays a significant role in emotional processing and recognition.
• Holistic Processing: Tends to process information in a more holistic and intuitive way, focusing on the “big picture.”

When we consider photography, it is most definitely a combination of science and art, and both sides of the brain are involved (well, that’s true with everything).

In terms of how we approach photography, growing our skills, and discovering our unique artistic expression, we should be mindful that we need to master both the art and science aspects.

It is pretty common to confront the technical aspects first. There is so much to learn, involving a bit of math, and numbers, f/stops, shutter speeds, ISO, depth of field, white balance, exposure modes, and so much more. But we are really missing out if we only approach photography from the technical side. You can take a perfectly exposed photograph, all the settings are correct, technically “perfect” yet lacks in much artistic value, certainly no emotional connection between the artist and the viewer of their art.

We must also approach photography from the aspect of its visual artistic expression. How does the photograph you created lead the viewer to experience certain emotions? How does the viewer feel about the photograph? How does the viewer relate to the subject matter? Is it a creative expression of a subject or concept? Does it spur the imagination of the viewer?

Delving into the artistic side of photography goes way beyond f/stops and shutter speeds, and actually is where photography becomes most interesting.

So, I just say all this to remind you that the artistic “side” of photography is every bit as important as the technical side. Strive to grow in both aspects. Pursue unlocking your own unique creativity.

As renowned academic, researcher, and storyteller, Brene Brown says,

“Let me sum up what I’ve learned about creativity from the world of Wholehearted living and loving: “I’m not very creative” doesn’t work. There’s no such thing as creative people and non-creative people. There are only people who use their creativity and people who don’t. Unused creativity doesn’t just disappear. It lives within us until it’s expressed, neglected to death, or suffocated by resentment and fear. The only unique contribution that we will ever make in this world will be born of our creativity. If we want to make meaning, we need to make art. 

Kevin Gourley

P.S. If you get a chance take this class I intermittently offer:

Photography: Finding Your Way – Creativity and Inspiration Workshop

Sometimes folks have asked why we describe the aperture value in “f/stops” and it seems like weird nomenclature that may not make sense. Actually it makes total sense once you know what it means.

Let’s say you want to know the size of an aperture. We answer with some f/stop number. But exactly how big IS the aperture diameter in millimeters? The f/stop is the answer. “f” is the “focal length”. The aperture size is the focal length divided by the number.

The aperture size (in millimeters) for f/4 is the focal length divided by 4. Let’s say you have a 100mm lens at f/4 What is the actual size of the aperture in millimeters? 100mm/4 = 25mm. How about a 100mm lens at f/2. What is its actual aperture diameter? 100mm/2 =50 mm.

That also explains why longer telephoto lenses that go to lower f/stop values are larger and more expensive. It’s because it takes a larger diameter glass to implement an f/2.8 lens vs an f/4 or f/5.6 lens. If you have a 400mm lens at f/2.8, its aperture diameter would have to be 142.9mm which is quite large (and expensive)! A 50mm lens at f/2.8 would only need to be 17.9mm in diameter.

Now, you know! 🙂

Here’s a piece of advice that may sound contradictory. Depending on the type of photography you are doing, your success will improve if you think fast and slow down.

Think Fast

What do I mean by this? What I really mean is to practice, practice, practice and get to where you just immediately know what settings to use for exposure, focusing, and a zillion other options. There’s a lot to think about, enough to be overwhelming if you are just learning to use your camera.

Once you have used your camera enough you’ll just immediately know what settings to use. You can “think fast” and be ready to capture that next great shot. For wildlife photography, you sometimes have to think fast because that photo opportunity might just be a fleeting moment.

But what about in portraiture? How does this apply? One could argue that you should think slowly, and think through the settings you are going to use. And that’s valid. But in another sense, if you are fully comfortable in adjusting camera settings you can “think fast” in terms of adjusting settings, and instead devote more of your time interacting with the person(s) you are photographing. Portraiture is more about the interaction between the photographer and the subject and the more you can minimize the time spent on distractions about camera settings, the better. Otherwise, the camera sort of “gets in the way” of the photographic process.

Slow Down

Here I was just talking about being fast, and now I am saying you should slow down. What’s with that?? Well, I am just thinking about the impact of digital photography on our ability to take a LOT of photographs in a short period of time. In wildlife photography, for example. I think we are probably all guilty of taking way too many photographs of that bird or animal, as if the real goal is quantity over quality. So, slow down and watch for those really optimal moments where “now” is the time to take that shot. It’s a matter of pacing and critical judgement of how many shots you are going to take.

Being a photographer with a lot of years of experience (a kinder way of saying I am “old”), I started out shooting with film cameras. Back then, with film cameras, you really had no choice but to slow down and make your shot count. There would be NO way, you would shoot 500 photos of an animal with film, so this required us to shoot sparingly. But with digital photography, we could easily come away from a day’s work of shooting wildlife with a thousand or more shots. Remember, we want quality, not quantity. Later on, when going through your 1000+ shots, you’ll pay the price of having the tedious task of picking out the best shot.

Similarly, with portraiture, you are usually looking to create that perfect shot, not a few hundred photos of your subject. S-l-o-w down. Don’t just shoot a bunch of photos. Interact with your subject. Don’t hide behind your camera messing with settings. Be fully “present” in your interaction with person. Do what you can to bring out the best in them, reflecting a bit about their personality, and a genuine smile.

The Blue Heron

I remember back to a time, many years ago where I was leading a workshop and we noticed a blue heron perched on a log on a shoreline of a river. Several in the group were taking picture after picture of the heron as it just sat there, not moving. So they definitely would have won a prize for the greatest quantity of photographs of that heron.

I encouraged them to wait and eventually it would take off, and THAT would be the shot to get. I urged them to have all their settings on the camera ready to go, and especially make sure they have their focusing set where they’d get a sharp shot of the bird, and have an adequate shutter speed to freeze movement of its wings and adequate depth of field through their aperture choice.

I had prefocused on the bird (actually in manual focus mode, so I was ready to go). [This was before the days of the more advanced focusing modes of today.] Anyway, we were all standing there waiting for the heron to take flight, and talking, but I encouraged them all to watch and be ready. Some were tired of keeping the camera pointed at the heron so they had their cameras by their sides. Then, in a sudden burst of movement, the heron raised its wings and took off. In that brief moment, I swung my camera up and fired. All my camera settings were ready. In that sudden moment of activity, I was ready and I got the shot, while everyone else was scrambling to get their cameras pointed at the bird and focusing and making adjustments where there was NO opportunity to make adjustments. The thinking had to all be done prior to the bird taking flight. So this is just an example of thinking fast and then getting the shot. I didn’t need a hundred shots of that heron just sitting on the log. I slowed down and just waited for the ONE shot I wanted.

Practice

If you are new to photography, I encourage you to know your camera and practice using it in various settings. Even practice the process of quickly changing your camera settings. You will find there are moments where your speed in making setting changes will mean the difference of “getting the shot” or “missing the shot.”

Most Important Component of a Camera

That great photographer, Ansel Adams, once said “The single most important component of a camera is the twelve inches behind it!” That is so VERY true. We are tempted to think if we just bought a more expensive camera, all our photographs will be better. What is more important is YOU and how well you know your camera. Improve your skills, and your photographs will improve.

I Can Help

I offer all kinds of classes to help you with your photography, plus I have a lot of students choosing to go with my private instruction where we can focus our discussion on your specific needs at timeframes that best fit your schedule.

Happy Picture Taking!
Kevin Gourley

I was just thinking about some of the many lessons I’ve learned in my years as a photographer. One thing I have learned is to be particularly careful in making sure I am asking the right questions.

We always see tons of ads by all the various companies who make cameras, and lenses, and other gear. Of course, the photos used in the ads are usually amazing, and the implication is that if you buy their camera or lens or whatever, your photos will suddenly be wonderful. Or, you might get the feeling “if I just had more megapixels, my photos would be so much better.” Or, if you just purchased this brand of lighting, all your portraits will be as good as this shot of this gorgeous professional model.

We all can fall into this trap. I have noticed on so many social media posts or photography blogs or forums, someone will post this amazing photo, and people will immediately ask “what camera did you use?” or “what lens did you use?” Or maybe they’ll ask what shutter speed, aperture, and ISO was used.

All of this may be somewhat relevant, but often we end up asking the wrong questions, and that my friends, is part of the lesson to learn. The real key to improving our photography is to ask the right questions. If you do that, and get helpful answers, your photography will improve way more than buying that one specific camera or lens or brand of lights.

Here are some example questions, that often serve to be “the right questions” to ask: (but not limited to these)

• What inspired you to take that shot?
• How did you capture that beautiful smile?
• The lighting is beautiful. How did you get that highlight on their hair so perfectly?
• That was very clever. What moved you to place the camera on the ground for that shot?
• There is something that feels a bit mystical in that shot. How did you do that?
• How did you capture that animal leaping at just the right moment?
• You shot that photo at noon on a sunny day, but the lighting on that portrait is beautiful! How did you do that?
• That’s a gorgeous shot you created in your studio. Where did you place the lights, and how did you combine the lighting so perfectly?
• Did you have to wait long for that special moment to occur? You captured that so beautifully.
• What was your thought process in composing that shot?
• How did you get all those kids to be smiling all at the same time?
• That photo of the bird is so perfectly focused on the bird, in spite of all the branches that were in front. How did you do that?
• How did you entice him to do something so silly? It is a bizarre photo, yet I love it!

While the conversation might include a mentioning of what camera or lens was used, but it’s these other questions that matter much more.

Ask lots of questions. Try things. Make mistakes. Learn from your mistakes. Keep at it.

Just remember to ask the right questions or you might waste your time upgrading your camera when that might not have been the problem. 😉

P.S. You might consider taking some of my classes, especially my Finding Your Way class.