It is pretty common to hear photographers chat about the technical vs creative aspects of photography. And sometimes you may hear someone say they are either a ‘technical photographer’ or more of a ‘creative photographer.’ Some say they are quite technical and don’t feel they are especially creative. Others feel they are creative but don’t concern themselves as much with the technical aspects.
I can understand where both sides are coming from and certainly can’t argue with anyone else’s personal approach. From my perspective, I see the technical and creative as forming a strong partnership in photography, as well as in many other arts or endeavors in life.
A little background…before I was a mom, (and a photographer) I was a freelance harpist. I spent several days a week performing for the afternoon tea at the Drake Hotel in Chicago and playing for weddings, cocktail hours and other events. It took a long time to develop my skills and a portfolio of music that allowed me to perform with confidence. I spent hours and hours on my technique and practicing each piece countless times before it was added to my repertoire.
When my twins were born 11 years ago and I had 4 kids age 5 and under, my time to play the harp at home and to gig outside the home became all but nonexistent. This was the point I finally took the step to start learning photography in a serious way.
Over the years, as photography took over my creative and professional life, I have played the harp on occasion but not regularly like I did when I was freelancing. At Christmas time this past year, I made time to sit down and play. In many ways, my fingers took to the strings like they always have but there are songs that I used to know well that are no longer ‘in my fingers’ at all. Other pieces I can play but not with the same expression and musicality that I once did.
So one night I lay in bed thinking about the parallels between playing the harp, or any other musical instrument, and photography and how the technical aspects are intertwined with the creative. The way that practice, understanding and mastery of technical skills creates a fluidity that makes way for creative expression.
I recall many hours practicing exercises on the harp simply to master finger positioning and agility. I learned music theory and counted out loud, with and without playing notes, and practiced individual lines and measures of pieces over and over again to the point my husband would request I play the full songs when he was around! These many hours of diligent practice and repetition are what allowed me to add expression into the songs that I learned. I could relax and feel the music as I played rather than focusing on the specific notes, rhythm and finger technique.
As an athlete, I see this in sports as well. Perhaps the parallel isn’t quite as obvious in sports as another artistic endeavor. But take basketball for example. One may watch basketball and simply see speed, strength, and technical skill of a player being able to nail that 3 point shot or gently put the ball up for a lay up after deftly moving past several defenders. But the ability to read the court takes creative strategy and quick thinking. The moves you see require repetitive practicing of ball handling skills to avoid looking at the ball, building up strength and agility in both the dominant and non-dominant hand, not to mention the soft touch on the lay up.
When it comes to photography, I also believe a solid mastery of the technicals opens us up to focus on our creative expression. If we are uncertain of what settings we should choose or where a button is on our camera menu, we can get bogged down in figuring this out while the light disappears in front of us. Sometimes a creative vision may not involve a lot of technical knowledge. But if the vision involves capturing the movement of water with a slow shutter speed and you have no idea how to use a neutral density filter, the process could be quite frustrating and unsuccessful. If you want details in the shadows of a high dynamic range scene but you fumble about trying to expose properly for both the shadows and highlights, you could find that the pieces just don’t come together when you get back to your computer.
Practicing and understanding the technical aspects may be more fun for some than others but I believe the time and effort rewards you with expanded creativity. If you are one who avoids the technicals, I would encourage you to reconsider putting the time in to learn them. When the technical becomes second nature, the mind is freed to focus on expression and vision. Being a ‘technical’ photographer does have to mean you aren’t also a ‘creative’ one. It just might open you up to increased creativity and flow.
Kristen Ryan is an award winning and published landscape photographer and educator residing in the Midwest suburbs of Chicago. All images are available for purchase in the Fine Art Store or by request. Kristen leads ladies landscape photography retreats in the Tetons, Glacier NP, Hilton Head, Chicago, and the Canadian Rockies, offers private mentoring . New online educational materials are coming soon!