Conceptual Photography #3

In The Color Photo Book, Andreas Feininger described a process similar to the one we were given in our class.  The context of this process was Feininger’s idea of the characteristics of a good photograph: [1] Stopping Power [2] Purpose and Meaning [3] Emotional Impact [4] Graphic Quality.

While Feininger’s process was described more fully and formally, the element of research remains the same. As Feininger puts it, to know what is essential about the subject; to know what is superfluous you need to do your research.

Feininger’s 5 Stages of making a photograph:

1. The Conception of the future picture:
   The selection of the subject generates the thoughts, ideas, images in the mind of the photographer and thus the purpose and meaning to be conveyed
2. Rough shaping of the future picture:
   Learn more about the subject (research); to understand the essence so the essential elements can be conveyed and the non-essential eliminated
3. Evaluation of the Subject:
   Knowledge and understanding of the subject provide the basis of a personal response and point of view. This in turn leads to an opinion on how to render the subject, how to translate the personal view into camera angles, etc.
4. Terms of nature into terms of photography:
   Translation of those elements of the subject that cannot be directly captured into an image and thus need to be represented through symbols
5. Technical execution of the picture:
   The physical execution, which involves the selection of the camera, lens, etc.