Pre-Visualization In Photography

Learning to See as a Photographer

It is not at all uncommon to hear photographers talk about “seeing” a photograph. This can be somewhat confusing to those who are on the outside looking in and are not familiar with the concept. Sure, we physically use our eyes to see an object or a person or a landscape but that’s not exactly what we’re talking about here. A photographer’s sense of sight goes well beyond looking with their eyes. Often times, a photographer will observe a scene and see not what it is but rather what it will become. This is “pre-visualization.” It is the process by which a photographer constructs a final version of an image in their mind. This complete and processed mental print is developed BEFORE they ever press the shutter button.

Pre-visualization might sound a little odd at first but it can do so much to improve your photography. When you begin to pre-visualize you will become a more expressive photographer. Your images will develop a style more unique to your own creativeness. You will also become a much more efficient shooter by being able to shoot less and produce more.

Now, let’s talk a little more about the concept of previsualization and how you can learn to see as a photographer.

Learning to See

Pre-visualizing a photograph is not easy. Let’s just get that out of the way on the
front end. Quite paradoxically, developing the ability to see a finished photograph in your mind’s eye is a skill which cannot be expressly taught...only learned. When we see a photograph before it is made we are in effect reverse engineering everything that we will do. We learn to understand how our camera position and angle will affect the viewer's perception. We know how the focal length of our lens, aperture, and exposure time will make the image appear and even what post processing edits to apply. Pre-visualizing involves all those elements and more. It will take time and effort to cultivate the skill set.

Insert image "Through Stone" please

Practice, practice, practice! That’s the key. Don’t get discouraged. Teaching yourself to pre-visualize your photographs can only come through consistently making photographs and gradually learning how each small nuance will play a role in your final product. Being able to see the finished photo will not be much help to you if you don’t understand the steps required to make it a reality. In fact, your skills as a photographer and your ability to pre-visualize will likely go hand in hand. As you learn more about the technical aspects of producing a photo you will find it becomes much more easy to construct the image mentally before you make the exposure. Just be patient.

Beware of Preconceiving

This brings us to an interesting point. So far, we have looked at what it means to pre-visualize a photograph and how it can make you stronger photo maker. To that end, there is also a distinction that must be drawn. A blurry and at times confusingly thin boundary exists between pre-visualizing a photo and pre-conceiving a photo. Pre-visualizing means that we know all the techniques, processes, and efforts that will be needed to make a certain photograph while still remaining open to the organic nature of the creative process. In contrast, pre-conceiving a photo means that we have one photograph in mind and one photograph only. It also means we have incepted an idea and closed ourselves off artistically to any other possibilities. Simply put, preconception is detrimental because it doesn’t allow for flexibility when the scene changes.

And now for something completely different....

Dynamic Previsualization

The power of pre-visualization comes from the adaptability of being able to look upon a given scene and realize any photographic potential it might possess. As we work and think about the composition, there is sometimes a cascade effect of creative alternatives. Sometimes one pre-visualized image leads to another and then another. This is an event I call “Dynamic Previsualization.” It is the complete mirror opposite of preconception and it is totally freeing. Once we learn to see a finished photograph in our minds we are then able to respond more creatively to any changes in our surrounding environment and become more adaptive with our shooting.

Insert image "Red Stairs" please

For a detailed example, let’s say we are photographing a huge oak tree in the late evening sun. There is a photograph already set in our mind based on how the light dances off the branches and casts interesting shadows on the grass below. Suddenly the wind shifts and clouds move in shrouding the sun and we lose that great golden light. Our pre-visualized photo is now ruined.. Instead of packing up and heading home, we work the problem using dynamic pre-visualization and study the scene. The light has softened and the mood has changed. Shifting our position places the tree between the camera and the cloud-covered sun thus creating a brooding backlight and a powerful image. The opportunity presented itself to make an photograph completely different than the original previsualzation. Dynamic previsualzation leaves our creative minds receptive to great opportunities that might otherwise be overlooked.

Previsualization allows us to couple creative thinking with technical know-how and produce a photo that matches what was once seen only in the mind.
The concept of previsualization takes time to understand and requires patience to use. It’s not something that is ever truly mastered. Yet, it is a skill that can you can refine through repetition, trial and error, and a healthy amount of determination. As you learn to see your photographs before you make them be sure you do not shut yourself off from the process. See the photograph but don’t let that be the only photograph. Look for new compositions within the scene as it evolves and changes Think
dynamically.

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In time, you will be able to share with others what was once only pictured within your own imagination. That, my fellow friends and photographers, is art.