A great pot does not necessarily make a great dinner: photography techniques to take your science communication to the next level.
Dylan Taillie ·Dylan Taillie
“Wow, what an awesome photo, did you take that on a Nikon D7000? Something better?”
“Wow, what a horrible photo, did you take that with your iPhone or a potato?”
These two fictional statements allude to the crux of a lengthy discussion that occurred during this week’s science visualization course. The thought that a high quality photo must be taken with a high quality camera and by an experienced photographer is a common misconception. Like the title of this blog suggests, it is the chef rather than the pot that orchestrates a delicious dish, and on the same note it is the photographer and their thoughtfulness rather than the camera that creates a quality photo.
This week’s class materials presented us with a plethora of information that included many photography techniques that when taken to heart can vastly improve ones images, regardless of their camera type and experience level.
Before diving into some of these photography techniques however, it is important to note the role that quality images play in improving science communication products. Great photos can be used to:
- Increase credibility (bad photos can greatly decrease credibility)
- Communicate across languages and cultures
- Evoke emotion and tell a story
- Provide context
- Visually draw readers in
As demonstrated using the above photo, there are some awesome online resources that can be used to find quality photos if one doesn’t have the time or means to go out in the field and take photos. Three things must be considered when using these online resources: time, cost, and usage rights. Flickr creative commons is a great resource for high quality images at no cost, however it is often a large time commitment to find the photo you are looking for. Stock photography websites on the other hand are expedient however each photo will cost you some money. These tradeoffs must be considered when deciding how to collect photo’s for a product.
The benefits of great images in science communication outlined above are undoubtedly more than enough reason to include them in a report. However, often times in order to build a personal story or explain a specific aspect of ones project (i.e. methods, site location, specific flora/fauna) quality photos cannot be found online and one will need to take their own photos in order to properly communicate a piece of their project.
When capturing photos themselves, “amateur” photographers often fall into what I call the “point and shoot fallacy”. That is, as long as I point my camera in the direction of my subject I will be successful. This is sometimes true, however often times if meaningful thought is not put into all aspects of taking a photo, it will be unclear what the purpose of the photo is and/or the photo will be aesthetically unpleasing. When capturing photos in the field and back in the lab it is paramount to put time and thought into aspects such as:
- Lighting
- Background
- Focus
- Intent of your photo
- Proximity to subject,
- Field of view/angle of photo
I believe that all of these aspects can be compiled into one overall tip for capturing good photos: be mindful and critical throughout the process of taking photos. This is the equivalent of attempting to develop “the eye”. “The eye” is loosely defined as the ability to envision and set up a great photograph by weighing all environmental factors as well as considering your intent when capturing a photograph.
When considering ones background, for example, it is important to ask yourself these questions: Do I want to show the scale of my subject? Is the background a similar color to the subject or does it include distracting lines? Does the background add depth to the photo or would it be better as a plain color?
Likewise, changing the point of view by stepping forward or sitting down and then taking a photo of the same subject that you were before can create a very different image.
There are truly too many aspects of photography to detail all techniques in this one blog. I do want to emphasize this: many people are under the impression that great photography is a genetic gift, akin to being over six feet tall or having luscious red hair. This idea must be dispelled. I honestly believe that anyone can become a great photographer (develop “the eye”), they just need to (at the very least):
- Take more photos
and - Be mindful of environmental factors and intent while setting up and capturing their photos.
Next Post > EcoHealth Matrix Songbook
Comments
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MbS 9 years ago
Thank you, D. for this wonderful and funny recap of our class. That photo of the person lying on the ground? That could have been me this week. None of the photos I provided for my assignment come from that effort. Yet, I have been lying on the ground with my iPhone all week, looking weird -- clearly -- from some of the looks of people on campus.
Interesting that I would muck about to get a soil sample or climb a steep hill to nab an epiphyte for pressing in a herbarium sheet...somehow the idea that I might lie down to snap a shot? Escaped me. Yet, not now.
:)
The things we learn.....
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Jane Hawkey 9 years ago
Great blog Dylan! You touched on so many key points of taking and using photographs. As Ansel Adams once said: "You don't TAKE a photograph, you MAKE it!".
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Ben Wahle 9 years ago
You really summed it up nicely, Dylan. I especially like your "point and shoot fallacy". Any time I've done fieldwork, I've never thought to myself "oh, let me stop to capture an aesthetically pleasing image of my research subject". My thoughts were more more along the lines of "oh shoot tides coming up gotta grab a few quick pics before I get soaked!"
Especially these days with the high quality cameras in almost ever phone, I think the only real reason no one seems to take a good picture is because they don't take the time to do so. I definitely noticed the difference in quality between my pictures I submitted last week vs the ones from this week. This week I actually took the time to select a good place to take a shot, steadied and leveled the camera, and took multiple shots of the subject to make sure I got a good one. Thanks for incorporating all of those tips into your blog!
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Christina Goethel 9 years ago
I really enjoyed reading this recap/thoughtful post about last week’s class, as this particular topic really interests me. The thing that struck me from class and that you briefly mention in the beginning of your blog is the ability to use photography to communicate across language and cultures. I brought up in class about homestays I have participated in where we were required to pack a photo album of our family, friends, and life at home to share with the family. While this was a powerful tool in places like England (my first homestay) where they speak English, the true capacity of it struck me in places like China (third homestay), where English was not generally spoken. They may not have known exactly who each person was in the picture but they communicated our close relationship, as in many of the photos we were hugging or laughing. This power of a photograph also presented itself to me in China in sort of a flipped way. Standing in Tiananmen Square, a few of us found multiple people asking to take our photo, in fact one woman asked me to hold her young toddler so she could take a picture of us together. All three of us that were asked this all had blonde hair and blue eyes, the characteristics that weren’t commonly seen in small villages in rural China. I believe this was alluded to in our discussion as well when we go places; we often want to take photos of cultures and people that are unique from our own. So not only can photos transcend these cultural boundaries and tell a story, but the universality also extends to why we often want to take the picture in the first place: the story and intrigue of the new and unknown.
This brings me to the second point that I really liked that you brought up in your blog: we have to be mindful of the environment as we set up or take the picture. We don’t want to traipse all over a wetland to get that perfect shot showing a perfect wetland, because now we have ruined the very environment and story we sought out to tell. We discussed that in class as well in regards to the cultural boundaries. We have to ask and talk and communicate back and forth to capture that image. I have an image that I cherish and often look back on of two girls in small Greenland village holding a golden retriever puppy. The image struck me because of just how similar it was to seeing two young American girls in a neighborhood walking a new puppy. They did not speak English, nor did their guardian. I pointed to my camera and pointed to them and they smiled largely. The guardian also smiled and nodded her head. The only thing they asked for in return was to see the image. So as soon as I took the picture, they ran over to me eager to see the photo. That was one of the most memorable parts of that trip and I can look back at that photo and remember the joy in their faces at seeing their image on a screen, and the experience that I got with interacting with these girls who were only about five years younger than I was.
I sometimes find it easier to think about photos in relation to these cultural boundaries, but you did a nice job tying in some of those same principles in regards to taking photos for scientific communication, particularly this idea of being mindful and telling a story. I think often times it can be easier (although now always) to be mindful of people rather than a place. We can talk to the people and exchange hand gestures, but we don’t always do that with our surroundings. -
Noelle O. 9 years ago
I agree-love the cooking analogy! I think people are often intimidated by the idea of taking photos, so your blog is a nice introduction for those skeptics. Your last two pieces of advice are simple but I think are the most important! I also agree with Juliet, Guy's advice of taking many many photos but only sharing the best was my favorite takeaway from last week's class.
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Juliet Nagel 9 years ago
Great blog Dylan! I love the cooking analogy. While having good quality tools can help you create a better product, it certainly doesn't ensure a good outcome! As you explained, a lot more thought must go into taking a picture than simply point and shoot. Either that, or you need a lot of luck! We also learned that some things can be fixed after the photo has been taken, by cropping for example, but there is only so much you can do with editing.
Something that struck me during our class was this advice from Guy Stephens: Take a lot of pictures, and only use the very best ones. That is one great benefit of digital technology, it costs nothing (other than a bit of storage space) to press the shutter many times, trying slightly different angles, distances, etc. The more you take, the more likely one of them is going to be just right.
Not only is this a good idea for work and research photos, but it can work well with every day life. Imagine you go on a vacation. You can take 100 pictures, then make your friends sit and look at every one. Or, you can take 1000 pictures, pull out the best 10 or so, and share those. Your friends will be amazed at what a good photographer you are!
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Jay Hoque 8 years ago
Great post. With the advancement of photographic technology, and how they are marketed, it's easy for most people to start believing that it's the tools that create the image. Hence the never ending "need" to buy the latest bit of gear.
Your ending statement is spot on, with enough practice, "...anyone can become a great photographer.."
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Kathleen Gillespie 9 years ago
Thanks, Dylan for the clever synopsis of what it takes to "get the shot". I have not really appreciated the effort it takes or the patience you must have. A 100, 1000, or 10,000 shots indeed! Thankfully the digital technology has allowed for this eventually. I would also suggest that learning which aspects of the camera should be exploited to their best advantage to the subject. Especially if it is nocturnal, flies quickly, or ,in my case, swims behind glass!