Seeing Photographs

by Tom Hicks

The text in this tip consists of quotes from "How I Photograph Wildlife and Nature" (ISBN 0-393-01907-1, Copyright 1984), by Leonard Lee Rue III. In this book, you can find very helpful info, and wonderful images taken by the most published wildlife photgrapher of all time.

I've chosen my own photographs to illustrate his points.

Tom

A most important aspect of photography is the ability to "see" a photograph. Not everything that we see makes a good photograph, but even the most commonplace subject can be depicted advantageously by one who has the eye of an artist. And good photography is art.

What is a good photograph? Anything that pleases the eye of the beholder. What is a good salable photograph? any subject that is correctly exposed, composed, and focused and that the beholder, or photographic editor, wants or needs.

Although a known photographer's work will be looked at more readily than that of an unknown, the beginner's work will sell if it is exactly what is wanted and or needed. This crass commercial fact keeps the doors to photographic sales open to everyone.

I am primarily an animal portraitist. I attempt to capture a creature at its best because I love all creatures.

I try to photograph wildlife when it is most attentive , when it is most alert. I try to capture the highlight in the eyes to make the subject look "alive."

I try to get the creature in its most characteristic pose when it is "doing its own thing."

I try to capture tension, or tenseness in the body position and limb placement because implied action enhances the photograph. I try to be at the creature's own level , eyeball to eyeball; I want it to be seen as others of its kind would see it.

Or I might get slightly below.

If possible, I try to silhouette it against a clear blue sky to simplify the background and strengthen the subject.

This is my style, a style that is recognized by people, even before they see the credit line.

I hope you have learned from this commentary , and enjoyed my photos that I have put in as a representative of the points that Mr. Rue was tring to get across.

Tom Hicks