Creativity – it matters what is behind the camera

Cameras can' t walk

Ordinary and creative photo in contrast

Moving a few steps creates a completely different picture | Very basic things are the same in these two pictures - they were taken from the same subject with the same camera and practically at the same time within a minute. The difference lies in a different position: first further to the left with an oblique view of the decaying house and then further to the right, directly in front of the door that can only be seen in a small way in the left picture. There was a hedge there, which I found disturbing at first. But it turned out to be favourable to give the subject something enchanted with branches running through the picture out of focus. The slightly distorted view fits the subject and is more interesting than the one over the fence in the left photo.

And the camera? Doesn't matter much, the pictures could have been taken with any camera that can zoom in a little between wide-angle and normal focal length. Mastering the camera operation, on the other hand, was more important, because the automatic camera wanted to focus on the branches in the foreground and an intervention was necessary to get the door in the background in focus.

The camera is the tool of the trade for taking photographs; those who have mastered it are better able to exploit and realise their ideas for pictures. But the alternative viewpoint is more important, all the technical tricks of camera settings cannot change the left picture as much as changing the perspective.

About cameras and cooking pots

When the famous photographer Helmut Newton was in a restaurant, the chef approached him: ”I admire your photos, you must have a very good camera.“ After the meal, Newton replied to the chef: ”The food was excellent, you must have great pots.“ This was well parried and ironically wonderfully to the point – it all depends on what you do with the camera or the cooking pots.

The creative aspect at digital-photography.com

Be there when the creative part of digital-photography.com continues to grow.

From the beginning of 2022, more articles on image composition will appear and gradually become the main focus. You can sign up now to receive an email when new articles appear.

For now the choice is:


Comments or questions? Type in & send!

Our privacy policy applies.

-