WM-556: Portraying Raw Emotion in Photography: A Lesson from Helen Levitt

In this day and age, digital photography is by far more popular than film. I must admit that I prefer digital photography for most of my work, too. However, that doesn't mean that film is without its advantages. I believe that every photographer should try film at least once. Here are the reasons why! Podcast Notes: https://www.moneymakerphotography.com/7-reasons-experiment-film-photography/ Photography Clips Podcast: https://www.moneymakerphotography.com/podcast/ Music From the Doctor's Office: https://www.moneymakerphotography.com/music-from-the-doctors-office/

When you look around at photography, whether it is printed or digital, your work or someone else's, you'll see that most prints are one of the common standard sizes or aspect ratios, and nearly all of them are rectangular, either horizontal or vertical. Those certainly aren't shapes that we are limited to, so why is it that prints nearly always come in these sizes? Let's examine some of the reasons, starting with a brief lesson on how some of the most common print sizes or aspect ratios came to be... Podcast Notes: https://www.moneymakerphotography.com/must-photos-always-rectangular/ Photography Clips Podcast: https://www.moneymakerphotography.com/podcast/ Music From the Doctor's Office: https://www.moneymakerphotography.com/music-from-the-doctors-office/

As a photographer, you'll never stop learning. However, finding new places or people to learn from is sometimes challenging. That is doubly true if you're unsure where to find quality photographs. The Internet is filled with websites and galleries open to everyone – Flickr.com is one example. Because anyone can post images, you'll soon find it difficult to sift the snapshots and amateur images from the works of art. So, where do you turn to advance your knowledge of fine art photography? I'll show you a few of my favorite places! Podcast Notes: https://www.moneymakerphotography.com/learning-masters-look-fine-art-photographs/ Photography Clips Podcast: https://www.moneymakerphotography.com/podcast/ Music From the Doctor's Office: https://www.moneymakerphotography.com/music-from-the-doctors-office/

Last time, I talked about the idea that another revolution in photography is coming. This thought is based on my observations across the history of photography. Every few decades—sometimes sooner—some new thing comes out that completely revolutionizes the way we do things—everything from 35mm cameras to color film to the advent of digital photography. There's no doubt we've seen a lot of these shakeups, and that's why I think we're due for another... So what will it be? Podcast Notes: https://www.moneymakerphotography.com/what-is-the-next-revolution/ Photography Clips Podcast: https://www.moneymakerphotography.com/podcast/ Music From the Doctor's Office: https://www.moneymakerphotography.com/music-from-the-doctors-office/

Photography is due for another revolution—and most likely, sooner rather than later. In fact, it may already be underway, and we don't quite see it yet. Why do I think that a revolution is coming? Well, the short answer is because history repeats itself. You see, if you look back over history, photography has gone through several very definitive growth stages. The first camera obscuras were made millennia ago, with the earliest historical mention of them dating to China around 500 BC. Leonardo da Vinci improved on the technology with designs for lenses. Early film creation began in the 17th century, and it was again revolutionized when Niepce created the first photograph using sheet metal and photographic chemicals in 1827... Podcast Notes: https://www.moneymakerphotography.com/when-is-the-next-revolution/ Photography Clips Podcast: https://www.moneymakerphotography.com/podcast/ Music From the Doctor's Office: https://www.moneymakerphotography.com/music-from-the-doctors-office/

In the beginning, photography was very scientific. Photographers and scientists came together, experimenting with light and chemistry in ways never before imagined. However, over time, creative thinkers adopted this new method of capturing light and turned it into one of history's greatest artistic media. There is no one photographer who is directly responsible for taking this science and turning it into an art form. There are, however, a few historical photographers whose work embodies the way photography evolved from a science to an art... Podcast Notes: https://www.moneymakerphotography.com/science-becomes-art-three-historic-photographers-show-photography-evolved/ Photography Clips Podcast: https://www.moneymakerphotography.com/podcast/ Music From the Doctor's Office: https://www.moneymakerphotography.com/music-from-the-doctors-office/

How does one define the abstract? That's a question that artists have struggled with for centuries. In its purest form, an abstract photograph's subject is often unrecognizable. The beauty derives not from the subject itself, but from its shapes, textures or colors. The work of Henry Holmes Smith is a great example of this – many of his images are mysterious studies in light. Others – like this image on the right – focus purely on lines, shapes, and patterns rather than portraying a subject as a whole... Podcast Notes: https://www.moneymakerphotography.com/beauty-abstract-photography/ Photography Clips Podcast: https://www.moneymakerphotography.com/podcast/ Music From the Doctor's Office: https://www.moneymakerphotography.com/music-from-the-doctors-office/

Helen Levitt is one of my favorite street photographers. As a pioneer in photography, she had a natural propensity for capturing the essence of her subjects. Wonder, grace, joy, anguish, hope, and love are inscribed on the faces of her subjects, as clearly as if penned on paper. This raw emotion is the inspiration that transforms a photograph from a mere snapshot to a work of art, and this is the lesson that every photographer should take from Levitt... Podcast Notes: https://www.moneymakerphotography.com/portraying-raw-emotion-photography-lesson-helen-levitt/ Photography Clips Podcast: https://www.moneymakerphotography.com/podcast/ Music From the Doctor's Office: https://www.moneymakerphotography.com/music-from-the-doctors-office/

Why is it that we are driven to create art? Of course, there are hundreds, thousands, probably millions of reasons to create art – anything from personal motivations to causes that the artist supports or statements that need to be made. But there is one broad umbrella that most, if not all art falls under, I think. At its heart, art is made so that it can be enjoyed by others. Now, there is a problem with that, the enjoyment of others. And that problem is that we don't always make that connection with our audience at large. We work and we work until we have created things that we are personally proud of but when we show it to the world, it falls flat. Not an uncommon experience among photographers or artists of any kind – we all face rejection! Podcast Notes: https://www.moneymakerphotography.com/differences-photographic-public-perception/ Photography Clips Podcast: https://www.moneymakerphotography.com/podcast/ Music From the Doctor's Office: https://www.moneymakerphotography.com/music-from-the-doctors-office/

When you think of creativity, it feels like it should be something random and spontaneous, something that is born out of a moment's inspiration. And, there are times when random creativity leads to groundbreaking art. I would argue, however, that the majority of creativity comes not from spontaneity, but from structure. You see, a lack of structure leads to things like uncertainty, wasted time and other issues that are detrimental to productivity. Here's a brief list of the problems and questions that arise when you have not structured your art... Podcast Notes: https://www.moneymakerphotography.com/structure-necessary-creativity/ Photography Clips Podcast: https://www.moneymakerphotography.com/podcast/ Music From the Doctor's Office: https://www.moneymakerphotography.com/music-from-the-doctors-office/