The Three L‘s and P‘s Of Photography

The Three L‘s and P‘s
Of Photography
StrangeTitle? What Does it Mean?
We all learned the3 "R"s in grade school. Readin, writin and ‘rithmatic.But what are the 3 L‘s and the 3 P‘s of photography? Taking a photograph withtoday‘s equipment is simplicity itself, but truly good photography is exceedinglydifficult to do well.
As photographers weneed to think about our art and craft as well as perform it. We shouldgive some analysis to why we do what we do. What are the drives thatmotivate us, and how can we be mentally best equipped for the challenges ofproducing high quality work?
Because we sometimeslearn and remember best through the use of mnemonics I have created (with thehelp of Chris Sanderson) the following mental touchstones. I hope theyprovide you with some food for thought.

TheThree P‘s of Photography

Clingmans Dome Sun. Great Smoky MountainsNP. September, 2000
Photographed with a Rollei 6008 and 300mm Schneiderlens on Provia 100F.
Planning
Greatphotographs don‘t just happen. Sling a camera over your shoulder and headout the door to take photographs and you‘ll likely best return with thenewspaper and a loaf of bread. You‘re not likely to stumble on a great imageon the way to the Mall.
Youneed to know what you‘re going to shoot, where and how.Not exactly, and not in every detail, but enough so that like a hunter,you‘ve identified your quarry, know where to find it and how you‘re goingto deal with it when you encounter it.
Naturally,you also need to have the necessary equipment, and the skill and experienceto use it.
Perception
Youneed to know how to "see" photographic images. I describephotography as the art of extraction. You have to identify those thingsin your field of view that contribute to the image, and those that don‘t.Learning to see is the hardest part of photography, and one thatcan‘t be easily taught. It can be learned though, and looking atimages — paintings, drawing and especially the great photography of othersis the best method.
Look— actually look at and study images that you admire, and try andfigure out why they work; why they appeal. This is the surest road to developingperception.
Perseverance
AnselAdams is said to have commented that if he got one good image a month he‘dbe happy. This is from a photographer who shot literally hundreds of thousandsof images during his lifetime.
Irecently published aMonograph ofmy work — my best images from a 5 year period. It has 26 plates. Just 26portfolio-grade images from a 60 month period. Less than one every two months.Yet during that time I shot more than 15,000 frames. This is a success rateof 0.002%. How much do you shoot, and what are your expectations of success?

TheThree L‘s of Photography

Big Horn Ram #1, Grand Canyon — May, 2000
Photographed with a Canon EOS 1V and 100~400mm IS lens on Provia 100F.
Light
Lightis everything. Without light there are no images. But it‘s the qualityof light that makes the difference between the mundane and the magical.Light has texture. Light has emotion. Become a student of light.
Location
Whateverspecialty of photography that you pursue, especially outdoor work like landscape,nature and wildlife photography, location is of paramount importance. Youknow the old aphorism — F/8 and be there. The F/8 part is part of Planning — you need to have the equipment and skillsnecessary. The "be there" part means that you haveto go where the shots — of the type that you want — are to be found.
Thebank robber Willy Sutton was asked why he robbed banks. His answerwas, "Because that‘s where the money is". You have to bewhere the images are, and they‘re usually not found in your den. Get outthere and find them!
Luck
Luckhas been described as "preparedness in the face of opportunity".Experienced photographers are often told by viewers, "Boy, you werereally lucky to get that one". Not! Almost every time,the great shot exists because the photographer had the right tools, theskill, was at the right place at the right time, and knew how to "see".