SEEING AS THE CAMERA SEES | Photography by Anthony Paladino

• Let's first look at why we do photography.All to often we go about photographing looking for those great iconic shots , ever notice those roadside overlooks or climb to a mountain summit only finding that you have to jockey for position at sunset.So what happens after you take your photographs that you can't wait to upload and share; well,ever stop to think everyone there got the same shoot, and this goes on every night. Lets stop and look at the basic fundamentals so you'll shoot apart from the crowd.The camera is only looking for light and shadows,and how it converts to pixels.You as a photographer is to work with the camera to find interesting photos,not just some subject. The world is full of subjects,but you need to find interesting images to show your viewers. Getting back to the camera weather it be a DSLR or an old film camera it doesn't matter. The camera is just a light tight box with an opening at one end for light to enter (Lens) and a photosensitive material (film) or digital sensor at the other end.Now a-days all cameras,even the point and shoot all have a { reflective light meter }. The light meters job is one and only and that is to expose everything at 18% gray { zone V }. Your job is to figure out where and what to meter off from ( that's another teaching),for now let's be concerned with the basics. The camera has one eye (the lens ) you have two lenses ( your eyes) and they are about equal to a 50mm prime lens. You see from dark to light with 15 exposure values (EV's) the camera at best only sees 7 EV's . The light meter I mentioned earlier is based upon 5 Ev's with zone V in the middle (18%) gray,and 2 1/2 EV's to the left is unde exposed.2 1/2 EV's to the right is over exposed. Therefore , the camera can never photograph what you see. Lets go deeper;you see in three dimensions - camera two dimensions. Getting back to your eyes that are at 50mm perspective,who shots these days with a 50mm lens only. Last, you see in color , and as mentioned the camera only sees in tonal values of 18% gray.Once you realize the camera can't replicate what you see you'll to step aside from the crowd and you'll want to Learn to shoot creatively. This is the art of photography , and , of equal importance;much like a painter that begins with a blank canvas and decides what to include;you start with with a full canvas and need to decide what to eliminate. Face it the landscape around you is full of chaos , and if you photograph a chaotic landscape you now have a chaotic image. I hope this helps and please add you input or ask questions.
  
  
  
  
  
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