{"id":28465,"date":"2016-04-08T11:43:55","date_gmt":"2016-04-08T18:43:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/?p=28465"},"modified":"2016-04-13T11:11:18","modified_gmt":"2016-04-13T18:11:18","slug":"make-simple-photos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2016\/04\/08\/make-simple-photos\/","title":{"rendered":"Make Simple Photos"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Hanoi,
Hanoi, 2014<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Dear friend,<\/p>\n

I think in today\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s world, we are always trying to make things more complicated than they need to be. We get more gadgets to \u00e2\u20ac\u0153optimize\u00e2\u20ac\u009d our lives, but it only adds more complication and frustration to our lives. We look for the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153perfect camera<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d \u00e2\u20ac\u201d but we find that the newer cameras have more<\/em> features, which makes our life more<\/em> complex. What I advocate instead is for us to make our lives simpler\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and make simpler photos as well.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Simplicity, a dirty word?<\/h2>\n
\"Hanoi,
Hanoi, 2014<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In America, we are told that to be \u00e2\u20ac\u0153simple-minded\u00e2\u20ac\u009d is to be dumb-witted, stupid, and narrow-minded. However it is the pros who know how to harness the power of simplicity.<\/p>\n

One of the sayings I love is \u00e2\u20ac\u0153K.I.S.S.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (keep it simple, stupid). It is a saying that can be applied to design, life, business, photography, or anything else.<\/p>\n

Why do we feel this need to add<\/em> complexity, rather than to remove<\/em> complexity\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and why can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t we embrace simplicity?<\/p>\n

The tyranny of \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcexperts\u00e2\u20ac\u2122<\/h2>\n
\"Saigon,
Saigon, 2014<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A lot of experts need to make a living. So they make things and the world much more complicated they need to be.<\/p>\n

For example, think of all those millions of consultants out there who try to tell you and your company all the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153defects\u00e2\u20ac\u009d you have, and they propose \u00e2\u20ac\u0153solutions\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (and charge a hefty sum for it). They use all this technological jargon which is made to confuse you, make you feel inferior, and to instill a sense of fear in you. And this is what causes us to sometimes blindly trust them.<\/p>\n

When it comes to the photography world, we start off as innocent and pure photographers\u00e2\u20ac\u201d interested in capturing the beauty of everyday life. We might start with simple cameras (compact cameras or smartphones), yet we are told by \u00e2\u20ac\u0153experts\u00e2\u20ac\u009d that we need to know technical settings. We become confused by apertures, shutter-speeds, ISO, focus, full-frame vs crop sensors, focal lengths, post-processing techniques, and editing \u00e2\u20ac\u0153workflows.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d All of this is meant for us to look and feel stupid\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and for the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153expert photographer\u00e2\u20ac\u009d or \u00e2\u20ac\u0153teacher\u00e2\u20ac\u009d to have a job.<\/p>\n

But I think in photography, it is often our child-like curiosity and our simple photos that make the most beautiful and memorable photos.<\/p>\n

For example, I think the most memorable photos tend to be the most simple\u00e2\u20ac\u201d to the point, without unnecessary ostentation.<\/p>\n

One of my favorite photographers is Josef Koudelka<\/strong><\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u201d who has shot his entire career black-and-white, and most of his photographs have a single strong subject. He doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have much clutter in his photographs, yet the simplicity and minimalism of his photos allow his images to breathe, and show emotion, form, and rigor.<\/p>\n

Henri Cartier-Bresson<\/strong><\/a> is also another photographer who tried to take the complexity of the streets and make it simple\u00e2\u20ac\u201d through compositional techniques and his 50mm frame.<\/p>\n

Single-subjects<\/h2>\n
\"Saigon,
Saigon, 2014<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What is currently in vogue in street photography is to add layers, complexity, and to \u00e2\u20ac\u0153fill the frame\u00e2\u20ac\u009d with as many subjects or elements as possible. While I do appreciate this type of photography, I think that it is just street photographers trying to show off their \u00e2\u20ac\u0153visual gymnastics.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d I think what we should do instead is stick to the simple\u00e2\u20ac\u201d to single-subject shots, and to show a single emotion or expression that sticks with the viewer.<\/p>\n

Going back to the idea of multiple subjects\u00e2\u20ac\u201d I still love this type of photography. Joel Meyerowitz<\/a>, Constantine Manos<\/a>, and Alex Webb<\/a> are some great photographers who have been able to make scenes less<\/em> chaotic, by creating multiple-subject shots without having subjects overlapped. And it adds more stories to the frame, which is always more interesting.<\/p>\n

So when it comes to multiple-subjects; ask yourself, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Am I trying to make photos that are more complex to add more emotion and soul to the image? Or am I trying to do multiple-subjects to show my viewers how clever of a photographer I am?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t seek to be a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153clever\u00e2\u20ac\u009d photographer\u00e2\u20ac\u201d seek to be a soulful and meaningful photographer.<\/p>\n

Simple books<\/h2>\n

\"DSCF9821\"<\/p>\n

Another trend I see in book-making is that the designs tend to be too complex and confusing. Certain images are big, certain images are small, and certain images are placed randomly on the pages. Some images are color, others black and white, and they are mixed with all different formats.<\/p>\n

I like the simple books\u00e2\u20ac\u201d where you just have one image per spread. For example, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153The Americans<\/strong><\/em><\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d by Robert Frank shows just one image per spread. The same goes for \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Exiles<\/strong><\/em><\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d by Josef Koudelka. Similarly\u00e2\u20ac\u201d even recent books (like Jason Eskenazi\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Wonderland<\/strong><\/em><\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d) show only full-spread landscape-photos.<\/p>\n

I think as photographers, we need to consider what we are trying to do with our photos. Are we making photos and publishing them to show how clever we are as designers? Or are we trying to make photographs that are emotional, meaningful, and stick in the mind of the viewer?<\/p>\n

Stick to the simple<\/h2>\n
\"Saigon,
Saigon, 2014<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It is very complex to be simple in photography<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

To be able to strip the scene of superfluous elements and focus on the essential takes a lot of work and consideration. This is one quote I like from Jony Ive,<\/p>\n

\n \u00e2\u20ac\u0153True simplicity is derived from so much more than just the absences of clutter or ornamentation. It’s about bringing order to complexity.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

So when it comes to shooting or selecting your best photos, you need to always ask yourself\u00e2\u20ac\u201d \u00e2\u20ac\u0153How can I bring order to the complexity of this scene?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d This is our job as a photographer\u00e2\u20ac\u201d we decide what to frame and what not<\/em> to frame in a scene. And what we decide not<\/em> to include in a frame is more important than we decide to include in a frame.<\/p>\n

For example if you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re out shooting in the streets and you see an interesting character or a subject, seek how you can eliminate distractions<\/em> from the background. This might mean asking your subject for permission, and asking him\/her to stand against a simple white wall.<\/p>\n

If you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re shooting candid street photos, think of how you can crouch, move left, move right, or adjust your positioning to not<\/em> have distracting poles, cars, or white paper bags in the background that might take away from your main subject.<\/p>\n

Cut the fat<\/h2>\n
\"Hanoi,
Hanoi, 2014<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Another analogy I can think of when it comes to making simpler photos is cut the fat.<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you like nice juicy steaks, you are probably told that you need to remove that white stuff around the edges of the steak (the delicious, juicy fat). Of course, I personally eat the fat\u00e2\u20ac\u201d but you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re told to cut<\/em> the fat.<\/p>\n

Consider your photographs as well. Think about the edges<\/em> of your frame\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and what kind of fat<\/em> you have on the edges of the frame. You want to cut the fat.<\/p>\n

Sometimes what we do is just crop the photos. Honestly, I think this process is fine\u00e2\u20ac\u201d but if we are overly-reliant on cropping, we never learn how to frame a scene properly. Personally, I try my best not<\/em> to crop my photos\u00e2\u20ac\u201d because it gives me more discipline and focus when I am shooting on the streets. And with cropping, as a general guideline\u00e2\u20ac\u201d I recommend not cropping more than 5-10% of the frame. Any photograph that needs to be cropped more than that doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t work.<\/p>\n

So when I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m shooting photographs, I try to avoid being tunnel-visioned by focusing on what is on the center of the frame. Instead, I focus on the background and the edges of the frame<\/strong>. This will help you create simpler photos with fewer distractions and clutter.<\/p>\n

Signal-to-noise ratio<\/h2>\n
\"Saigon,
Saigon, 2014<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re an engineer or scientific-thinking person, another analogy is thinking of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153signal-to-noise\u00e2\u20ac\u009d ratio. Signal is what is important; noise is just distraction.<\/p>\n

For example, in the news, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153signal\u00e2\u20ac\u009d is the news that is really important\u00e2\u20ac\u201d things that actually affect your daily life. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Noise\u00e2\u20ac\u009d is the rest of the 99.9% of garbage that newspapers pump out to simply appease advertisers.<\/p>\n

In street photography, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153signal\u00e2\u20ac\u009d is your main subject, or what is interesting in a photograph. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Noise\u00e2\u20ac\u009d is the distracting elements\u00e2\u20ac\u201d you want to cut out noise as much as possible.<\/p>\n

If you are drowning in a sea of noise; how can you hear the signal?<\/p>\n

Simpler, but better<\/h2>\n
\"Bien
Bien Hoa, 2014<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To end this letter, I want to just re-iterate: make simple photos<\/strong>. I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t mean for you to \u00e2\u20ac\u0153dumb-down\u00e2\u20ac\u009d your photos\u00e2\u20ac\u201d but instead, include fewer<\/em> elements or distractions in your frame, and add more<\/em> emotion and soul to your images.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, know that creating simple photos is a lot more complex than you might think. To make simple photos is to really think deeply about the essence of an image\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and to eliminate anything that might distract. This requires constant consideration, constant practice, and constantly hacking away at the inessential<\/a>.<\/p>\n

To end this, I will say: K.I.S.S. (Keep it simple, streettogs) \u00e2\u20ac\u201d haha sorry, that is so cheesy.<\/p>\n

Always,
\nEric<\/p>\n

April 8, 2016 @ Philz Coffee in Berkeley<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Articles on minimalist photography<\/h2>\n
    \n
  1. Why Less is More in Street Photography (and Life)<\/a><\/li>\n
  2. Why You Should Shoot with One Camera and One Lens<\/a><\/li>\n
  3. 5 Essentialist Tips in Street Photography<\/a><\/li>\n
  4. 10 Principles of Good Street Photography<\/a><\/li>\n
  5. Zen in the Art of Street Photography<\/a><\/li>\n
  6. Deep Focus<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Dear friend, I think in today\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s world, we are always trying to make things more complicated than they need to be. We get more gadgets to \u00e2\u20ac\u0153optimize\u00e2\u20ac\u009d our lives, but it only adds more complication and frustration to our lives. We look for the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153perfect camera\u00e2\u20ac\u009d \u00e2\u20ac\u201d but we find that the newer cameras have […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28465","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-posts"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28465","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28465"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28465\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28465"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28465"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28465"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}