Shutter Scouts

The Photographic Pyramid

Often, the things people think are important in photography, are not; and the things which are important are often forgotten or ignored. However, understanding the relative importance of different aspects of photography is essential to your development as a photographer (and your wallet!). I'm almost 100% sure that this hierarchy (or some variation) is a well-known concept but I can't seem to find a reference online (do let me know if you find one!). Here's my take on it:

Camera and Lens
Obviously, without a camera we can't take a picture so that's the first thing that most people think of when you mention photography. It's also the first piece of equipment that a photographer has to buy. The next item we encounter is the lens: It's through this that we focus and frame our image, control depth-of-field and so on. Since many people use an SLR, the ability to change lenses has encouraged a habit of collecting one of every conceivable variation of type, quality, focal length and aperture. For some photographers, cameras and lenses are what photography is about (particularly those coming to photography as just another gadget-collecting hobby). They're happy to spend huge amounts of money to buy the best lenses and update their cameras to the latest models.

Subject
Now we come to the tricky stuff. What you choose to photograph, makes an enormous contribution to the impact of your image. I strongly believe that photography is about showing the viewer an image they haven't seen before. Sometimes you can show a mundane subject in a new way, but the easiest path is to show a rarely seen subject: The flooded green fields of Ireland might amaze an African whilst images of Big Cats are sure to delight those not used to seeing them. "Subject" lies in the middle of the pyramid because although you can't acquire them as easily as other equipment, it is possible to buy access to them (perhaps a ticket to the zoo or an expensive holiday). Likewise, good subjects can also be found close to home if you take the time to look and think about it (perhaps there's a photogenic relative or small patch of woodland).

Light
Without light there wouldn't be a photograph to take; so there might be justification for placing light at the bottom of the pyramid, but we live in a universe filled with light so I don't feel this is terribly realistic. There's always some light available. More often, we talk about light in terms of its quality, colour, temperature, direction and intensity. I'm more of a natural light sort of guy, so mastering light is especially difficult when you're not is control! Landscape photographers have the challenge of predicting and waiting for (or getting up for!) the perfect light. However, portrait photographers will often create their own light and the infinite variations in how this is setup provides its own challenges (if, perhaps, more sociable hours).

Skill
Skill (and experience, effort, determination and commitment etc) trumps everything else. A great photographer with the worst equipment and most mundane subject is still going to trump the clueless wannabe with the latest-and-greatest camera. Skill is the hardest thing to talk about, it's the hardest thing to sell and it's impossible to buy (no matter what those courses tell you!). It takes time and dedication. It's the hard slog. It's also the best thing you can do for your images!

Discussion
Here are the important things to note about our pyramid:

• The attributes at the bottom of the pyramid are your foundation: They are what the rest of your image is built upon.
  
• The equipment at the top is the easiest to acquire and most expensive -- but the least important.
  
• The stuff at the bottom is the hardest to get... it requires enormous time, energy and commitment to improve these areas... and reaps the biggest rewards.
• The things that are furthest from your eye are the most important (using a bit of poetic license regarding "skill" being a more ethereal thing). That expensive black camera and white lens is not as important as your subject, light or skill.
  

Some fallout from these rules:

• Not buying gear is ok! Concentrate on the bottom of the pyramid to really improve your photography and grow your gear collection in lockstep with your mastership of the skills, use of light and interesting subjects.
• Buying gear is the "cheap" thrill... and it avoid the real work/benefits. You don't get to be a better photographer just by buying more equipment. You also need to focus on mastering the rest of the stack.
• Some publications focus on reviews and comparison of the superficial stuff at the top. Naturally, pay some attention to this but also aim to broaden your skills, consider the light and seek out new subjects. Even something seemingly unrelated (like learning to rock climb) can improve your photography by opening up new subjects to explore (not just the scenery but the people and equipment).

I've been improving my skill by engaging in projects that make me get out there and take photographs: a daily photoblog, a SoFoBoMo book, a few ongoing themed projects and the occasional photowalk. Practice hasn't made my photos perfect but it's heading in the right direction. To help with the bottom half of the stack, I'm building Shutter Scouts as a tool for outdoor photographers to organise their ideas for subjects and predict the desired light.