The camera only records what is in front of it, but the photograph begins before that. It begins when something makes me stop.

Sometimes it is a certain kind of light. Sometimes it is a face in a crowd. Sometimes it is a shadow falling across a wall, making an ordinary place look different for a moment. Other times, it is something quiet that most people would walk past without giving it much thought.

That is usually where photography starts for me. Not with the camera. Not with the settings. Not with trying to make something impressive. It starts with noticing.

I have taken enough photographs to know that the first thing I see is not always the best photograph. Sometimes it is only the thing that gets my attention. The real photograph may be off to the side. It may be in the background. It may be in the light, the shape, the shadow, or the space around the subject rather than the subject itself. That is why I try not to rush. When something makes me stop, I want to give myself enough time to understand why.

A strong photograph does not usually come from simply pointing the camera at something interesting. There needs to be a reason behind it. Sometimes that reason is clear right away. The sky looks heavy before a storm. A street has a lonely feeling. A person's expression says more than words could. A small object catches the light in a way that makes it seem more important than it did a minute earlier.

Other times, I may not fully understand why something has my attention. I know there is something there. That is when I slow down and start working the scene. I look at it from one angle, then another. I ask myself what is really pulling me in. Is it the light? Is it the shape? Is it the mood? Is it the way everything seems ordinary, but still worth remembering?

Podcast Notes: https://www.moneymakerphotography.com/thought-process-behind-every-photograph/

Photography Clips Podcast: https://www.moneymakerphotography.com/podcast/

Music From the Doctor's Office: https://www.moneymakerphotography.com/music-from-the-doctors-office/