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Digital Photography has transformed the way we shoot, edit, share, and print photos. In contrast to traditional photography where the cost of taking a large number of shots of the same image can be prohibitive, digital photography has enabled us to take multiple shots of the same image and simply delete the ones we don't want. In addition, photo editing programs like Adobe Photoshop help us fix up photos before we print, send or store them by, for example, enabling us to crop, make color and light adjustments, remove blemishes and red eyes. In fact, digital photography has become so affordable and accessible that it is affecting photographers trying to make a living from the trade. Pictures and videos shot by amateurs are posted to social media websites only minutes after a newsworthy event has occurred. As a result, photo agencies, like Gamma, have had to change their business models, reducing the focus on photojournalism.
However, most of us will never be able to produce photos of the quality of photographers like Annie Leibovitz, Ansel Adams, and Dorothea Lange but we can look to these photographers for inspiration and ideas. Ansel Adams was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the US highest civilian honor; not only for his photographic art, but also for the efforts made to promote the expansion of the National Park system. Mountain Ansel Adams marks the boundary between the Yosemite National Park and the Ansel Adams Wilderness, where Adams spent a lot of time taking his stunning pictures. Dorothea Lange, a photographer from the same era, documented the tragic effect of the Great Depression on American families. She went on to document the plight of poverty-stricken people in rural areas, photos that are now considered icons of American photography.
There is a large number of amazing photographers you can draw inspiration from; attend exhibitions, and buy or borrow books to look at picture composition, light and colors. Your local library can be a good place to start. If you want to accelerate your learning, you can look for online courses or offline courses in your local area. A great source of inspiration is photo festivals where you can learn from the elite in photography. While festivals like the International Photojournalism Festival of Perpignan is aimed at professionals, there are now a number of photography festivals that cater for both professional and amateur photographers. An example is the annual Nordic Light Festival of Photography which has a broad focus, including theatre, film, and stage interviews with sports stars, philosophers, film directors, and music teachers. The philosophy behind the festival is according to Morten Krogvold, the Creative Director of Nordic Light, that photography is underpinned by inspirations and ideas provided by various forms of artistic expression and the ability to see the world through new eyes. The main focus of the festival is, however, on the fundamentals of photography and the festival offers a large number of exhibitions, lectures, and photo workshops where you can learn from some of the world's best photographers. The festival has previously had photographers like Matt Mahurin, James Nachtwey, and William Klein on the program.
Below, you can see the opening of Alex Webb's exhibition in the festival's inaugural year.
