A Photographer's Eye

[Pea-n-Me]

How does yours influence your daily life?

Do you feel like you "see" things differently than most people do?

Does it cause you to act in a way that you wouldn't if you didn't have it?

Share your stories here.

 

[JoeDif]

I wouldn't say I see things differently than other people do but I must admit that I'm more aware now of how light affects what I'm seeing. I can be walking down the street and think..."wow look at how the light is striking those trees or geez....it so sunny...what terrible lighting.

Sometimes I see something and wonder which lens would best capture what I'm seeing.

 

[annnewjerz]

How does yours influence your daily life?

Do you feel like you "see" things differently than most people do?

Does it cause you to act in a way that you wouldn't if you didn't have it?

Share your stories here.

I don't know that I see any different than anyone else, but I do see differently than I used to. Before, things would usually be well centered in a photograph (i.e. the horizon line, the person in the frame, everything). Now, I try to look at things from a different perspective and try to find a way to make them more visually interesting, although I must admit---it doesn't always work.

I also find myself thinking much more often "hey---that would make a neat picture!" only to fumble around in the seat next to me and realize that I didn't bring my camera.

 

[zackiedawg]

Yes - I'd say I see differently than other people. I think all photographers (by that, I mean the enthusiasts who have an avid interest in photography, not just everyone with a camera) learn to see the world differently to some extent - observing the light and shadowplay, seeing the background and whether or not it compliments or interferes with the foreground, and observing small details that are missed by the common eye since we are attuned to look for them. And we do often think in terms of the photograph - a scene is often framed and composed in our mind, automatically considering how it would look in a photo, and how we might capture it.

I feel photography has enhanced my appreciation for the world; it's allowed me to see beauty and interest in ordinary things and places. It's allowed me to expand my concept of what makes a person interesting or attractive, finding photographic beauty in otherwise undesirable physical attributes...be they wrinkles, or freckles, or outsized noses, or various weights and heights. It's allowed me to appreciate travel more by capturing my vision of a place to share with others who may not otherwise see it. In short, I take the time to smell the flowers more because of photography.

 

[MICKEY88]

Yes - I'd say I see differently than other people. I think all photographers (by that, I mean the enthusiasts who have an avid interest in photography, not just everyone with a camera) learn to see the world differently to some extent - observing the light and shadowplay, seeing the background and whether or not it compliments or interferes with the foreground, and observing small details that are missed by the common eye since we are attuned to look for them. And we do often think in terms of the photograph - a scene is often framed and composed in our mind, automatically considering how it would look in a photo, and how we might capture it.

I feel photography has enhanced my appreciation for the world; it's allowed me to see beauty and interest in ordinary things and places. It's allowed me to expand my concept of what makes a person interesting or attractive, finding photographic beauty in otherwise undesirable physical attributes...be they wrinkles, or freckles, or outsized noses, or various weights and heights. It's allowed me to appreciate travel more by capturing my vision of a place to share with others who may not otherwise see it. In short, I take the time to smell the flowers more because of photography.

I'm willing to bet that after you smell the flowers you also photograph them..

 

[MICKEY88]

it definitely has changed the way I view the world.
In the past 2 years it has taken a strange twist though.

Since I've been shooting model portfolios I look at many things differently,
now I don't just notice pretty women, but pretty clothes.. also.

I will sometimes see a dress or outfit on someone and think, wow that would be great for a shoot with a certain model I know.

It has also changed my shopping habits. I picked up a wedding dress on craigslist for 20 dollars, for a vampire bride shoot..

when in new york city, I spotted a sidewalk sale of stylish dresses, and bought 10 for five dollars a piece, for model shoots..

and I pay attention to details... with a shoot in mind..

last month at universal city walk.. my daughter and I were walking behind a young lady in a very short clingy silver dress, I looked at my daughter and said, that is so wrong..she said yes it's a bit short... and I said,actually I was thinking..the gold shoes don't look good with the silver dress....LOL

 

[Pea-n-Me]

LOL

Beautifully said, Justin. I feel similarly.

I guess I've noticed it IRL in that most of my friends and family aren't into photography like I am, so I notice the differences in how we view things a lot. For instance, if we all go to a fair and are walking around smelling food cooking, most are looking at what they want to eat, and while I'm wondering about that, too, I'm first pondering how I'm going to photograph it. They're used to me "catching up" with them later.

I don't see it as a bad thing, just different (although it probably does have the potential to annoy people). Here, I know people understand it.

 

[annnewjerz]

I said,actually I was thinking..the gold shoes don't look good with the silver dress....LOL

 

[pisco]

Recently two women in my office were discussing paint colors for a bathroom. They were talking about how much they liked the idea of painting their bathrooms red. I chimed in a told them that red would be a bad choice because it would add an odd color cast to their skin and might mess them up when they were putting on their makeup.

They both went off on me (in a joking way), calling me a metrosexual and wondering how I knew some much about makeup and color. I explained that it came from my experience with photography and color temperature of light but I haven't lived it down yet.

 

[jann1033]

i am not sure if it's "photography" or art in general or just general quirkiness but i know i look at things differently. it seems when i take photographs people always walk past me, look in the general direction of where i am shooting, shrug their shoulders and walk on unless they have a camera, then they might take a photo of whatever they think i'm taking a photo of before they shrug their shoulders i do think i'm more attracted to light as well although i can't say i always capture it as i see it. and i think am refining my "view" somewhat. I've been going over photos from when i first got my digital camera( ) and the backgrounds stink a lot of times. i think when i used film i was more conscious due to not being able to afford to take 40 shots of the same thing but digital was such a difference to me i think i was more concerned just getting the camera to work and kind of forgot everything but that

 

[Pea-n-Me]

it definitely has changed the way I view the world.
In the past 2 years it has taken a strange twist though.

Since I've been shooting model portfolios I look at many things differently,
now I don't just notice pretty women, but pretty clothes.. also.

I will sometimes see a dress or outfit on someone and think, wow that would be great for a shoot with a certain model I know.

It has also changed my shopping habits. I picked up a wedding dress on craigslist for 20 dollars, for a vampire bride shoot..

when in new york city, I spotted a sidewalk sale of stylish dresses, and bought 10 for five dollars a piece, for model shoots..

and I pay attention to details... with a shoot in mind..

last month at universal city walk.. my daughter and I were walking behind a young lady in a very short clingy silver dress, I looked at my daughter and said, that is so wrong..she said yes it's a bit short... and I said,actually I was thinking..the gold shoes don't look good with the silver dress....LOL

Ha! Things we never knew about Mickey88.

(LOL j/k )

 

[MICKEY88]

Ha! Things we never knew about Mickey88.

(LOL j/k )

that's OK, all of my male friends make fun of me for buying such things, but they all but beg me to be my assistant when I do a model shoot...and always want to know when they'll get to see pictures...

 

[matthew_hull]

How does yours influence your daily life?

Now I can peruse those catalogs/advertisements with all of those gorgeous models and say "I'm studying the lighting". And sadly, it's the truth, but somehow no one ever believes me.

 

[ilovehuhu]

I'd say I see differently than other people.

 

[NLD]

I don't know, I'd say I always saw the world a little bit differently and that is WHY photography attracted me. Was always interested in art, but in elementary school it was usually drawing, in highschool and college moved into painting and collage more, and now it's photography.

I always noticed the details, the little things, and the way light moved amongst blowing tree leaves, or the way the sun streaked through clouds in the midst of an October storm. Always noticed colors, too.

So none of that has really changed.

In a sense, because I'm a newbie to photography, I sometimes feel like I've LOST a little of that. Just because I'm so busy now trying to figure out the technical details of how to best capture a shot. So in a sense I feel like I now spend more time worrying about technicalities rather than noticing the beauty of ordinary life. Hopefully as I learn and get better with my camera, some of that will go away. LOL.

What HAS changed is the way I watch movies and television. The other day dh and I were watching a show and out of my mouth slipped "The white balance is all wrong in this scene." He argued with me, "Well it's a small space they are shooting in, it's probably hard to get it right." Couldn't convince him the size of the space wasn't the issue. Then the next day we were watching a movie and he said, "How's the white balance here?" And I said, "Well it's not 'correct' but they're doing it on purpose to create a mood, and it's working, so it's fine."

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Now I can peruse those catalogs/advertisements with all of those gorgeous models and say "I'm studying the lighting".

 

[MICKEY88]

Now I can peruse those catalogs/advertisements with all of those gorgeous models and say "I'm studying the lighting". And sadly, it's the truth, but somehow no one ever believes me.

you might as well go one step farther,

join Model Mayhem and One Model Place and photograph models..

 

[jrc-elpaso]

I think I do look at things a bit differently than people who don't take their camera everywhere they go. I tend to notice small details in my surroundings and light and shadows too. My DH usually lets me walk slightly ahead of him - that way he knows when I stop to take a picture instead of me having to yell at him to wait a minute.