“The term visualization refers to the entire emotional-mental process of creating a photograph, and as such, it is one of the most important concepts in photography” Ansel Adams – The Camera

Snowy Path

So what exactly is visualization in photography and how can we hope to achieve it?

Perhaps we take a look at photography in it’s purest form.  An image, taken from the mind of one individual, captured with technological prowess, then presented to another individual for consideration.

Every time we hold that camera up to our eye we tap into the essence of our visual experience.  What do we see?  How do we feel?  What are we trying to portray with this photograph?

The more we think about those questions as we use the photographic process, the more likely it is that our photographs will come out with success.  Think about composition, framing, light, etc.  That’s the technical part.  Then there is mood, tone, and other emotional aspects that bleed into this art form.

The ability to anticipate a finished image before making exposure is the very thing that makes this craft a constant balance of technical form and visual art.  We see the image with the creative mind and are then asked to tap into our technical brain to facilitate the mechanical gestures required to capture what we see, feel, and think.

We can all learn the technical aspects of photography; lighting, exposure, framing, etc.  But the creative “eye” that is required to produce images worthy of being looked upon requires the journey of personal vision and insight.  This journey must be made in an effort to learn what cannot be taught, only recognized and encouraged.

Many would argue that this journey can be made without the technical tools but I argue that those tools, the basics of photography and the camera, are essential as foundational elements for which an individual may utilize in the field to capture his/her vision.  A painter cannot hope to create a masterpiece without knowing how to properly hold a brush, mix paints, and blend elements of style, color, texture and more.  The sculptor, the designer, and the musician all have a large array of tools and techniques that can be utilized to create work.

Our process, our tools, begin with the camera, the lens, the shutter system, light, and vision.  Some of our process as photographers ends with computers.  Whether those tools require the use of Photoshop or some other pixel pushing program the end result is what matters.  Were you able to visualize the end?  Did it come to fruition?

Remember that we learn from our mistakes more than our successes, but only if we can look back at the process and know what we did wrong.  This journey of discovery requires constant critiquing of our creative process and our technical precision.

The camera sees what we point it at, but not in the same sense that it sees what our eyes see.  As a photographer it is important to recognize the limitations of dynamic range that a camera can capture. Our eyes constantly scan a scene and adjust to lightness and darkness giving a “real time” auto exposure that humans can barely recognize.  Cameras simply cannot do this.  They are only able to record the scene in a fixed manor.

This next year, consider that the journey of photography and visualization will last a lifetime.  Each time we take our camera out we have the opportunity to do two things; shoot as well as we did yesterday or come closer to being able to truly capture, with a camera, the images that we visualize.

Photograph Snowy Path by sterk1

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