Shoshone Falls
I like using different formats for my photographs. I know some photographers believe that one should always shoot “full frame,” but not me. Why should I let a camera manufacturer dictate the aspect ratio that my photographs should be? I feel that the photographer should be in control of the entire process, including final cropping. When a particular image would be best as a square, then make it square, if rectangle is best, then do that, and sometimes a panoramic format work best. I have shot with a 4×5 view camera quite a bit, but I really don’t like that format full frame. I often will crop the top and bottom 3/4 inch off to make it closer to 3×5. I find that a much more appealing format. I have been photographing that way off and on now for 25 years and I still like it.
One thing that I do believe in is to determine the crop before making the exposure. Previsualization is key. A great photographer will know at the time of exposure what he/she wants the finished piece to look like and knows how to get it. This applies not only to the cropping, but to the final look and feel of the image as well.
Digital photography has changed how I capture images, but it has not changed my vision much. I have had to learn new techniques, but only to the extent of enhancing my vision. The concept of previsualization is a hard one for many of my student to catch on to. With digital cameras offering instant feedback, the new philosophy is to shoot a thousand images and when then when editing, we are sure to find a good one. This thought process destroys the ability to make truly thoughtful art. It is not about creating meaningful images anymore, just pretty pictures. This way of thinking and creating is definitely not for me.
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