Cover photo by yayoi shobu
※ cizucu-certified writer masa contributed to this magazine.
When you start using a camera and develop your photography skills, you’ll likely discover the joy of manually adjusting various settings during shooting.
By controlling aperture, ISO sensitivity, and shutter speed to express exposure and image quality to your liking, you’ll deepen your appreciation for the charm of photography.
On the other hand, as you delve deeper into manual operations and learn about shooting settings, you might find yourself constrained by various theories, losing the ability to shoot in your own unique style. This time, let’s explore the meaning of breaking away from such theories in photography.
Like Your First Prime Lens
When shooting landscapes, you might stop down to F8 or higher, or reduce vignetting by stopping down one step. The more you learn about photography theory, the less likely you may be to shoot wide open.
However, if you forget those theories for a moment and attach a low-aperture prime lens, shooting everything wide open, you might find yourself captivated by its dreamy rendering.
Photo by masa
Just like when you first used a prime lens and were fascinated by the unique bokeh of an interchangeable lens camera, there’s no need to fear shooting wide open.
Creating Space with Blown Highlights
When you want to shoot at a wide-open aperture, depending on the camera and weather conditions, you might not be able to achieve proper exposure. This is what we call blown highlights.
Photo by RYUURI
While blown highlights are often considered undesirable, intentionally allowing them can reveal an abstract world that isn’t visible to the naked eye.
The areas of blown highlights, where no image information exists, create space. This space enhances the subjects in the photo and allows viewers to imagine the reality behind the image.
Capturing Freely
In photography, there are several classic compositions that create a sense of balance, such as the rule of thirds or the centered composition. By keeping these classic compositions in mind, you can take well-organized photos.
With digital cameras, you can even enable grid lines on the shooting screen to make it easier to follow these classic compositions. However, focusing too much on these theories might turn photography into an act of merely placing subjects on grid lines.
Photo by masa
Sometimes, it’s okay to forget about composition and casually shoot without using the viewfinder. In such moments, even if the composition is chaotic, you might capture irreplaceable moments.
