Expanding your Default

Through a recent conversation with my new friend Aurelia, a few thoughts came through my head that is in correlation with ABS theory, and Testing, thus creating this post.

Your "Default" is what you shoot, what you default to when you're under the pressure to perform. It's your natural "go to" when you're in the moment, and maybe things aren't going completely right, or things you were expecting didn't come through. Your default is your muscle memory, and the result of how you've conditioned yourself to the maximum capacity of your creative capabilities. This default is WHAT you show in your portfolio. I've heard it said many times, you are only as good as your WORST image. Your portfolio is who you are in the game of photography. It shows what you shoot, how you shoot it, and how good you are while you're shooting. When Art Buyers, Art Directors, and Photo Editors look at your book, they can see everything about you. They see the production value of your work, the elements you choose which conveys your tastes, they see how you direct and interact with your subjects, etc. They can read everything by looking at the images in your book.

The more you are shooting (ABS theory) and pushing yourself on your own time, the more you are expanding your creative default. The more you expand your capability to see while you're in the moment. SEEING is what photography is all about. I am constantly pushing myself to see more, and that seeing more comes through starting in the production stages. How can I choose better elements to infuse into my images? Locations? Props? Models? Styling? How can I refine my taste to convey a better quality image?

Expanding your default can also translate into the realm of WHAT you shoot while still living under your creative vision and style. That is something that I am working on in my own vision. How can I diversify the content of what I'm shooting, or the style of lighting, while staying under the umbrella of MY style? How am I pushing myself to see better and more unique compositions, and better direct my subjects to add to my default? These are all things that become innate and subconscious. It's like exercising your muscle memory to better help you problem solve and perform under the pressure of a real job without having to stress about them.

This is why art is a process, a process of learning to see. That's why as much as we look through magazines and think "oh I could have shot that", more than likely unless our portfolios contain that level of imagery that we are "think we could have shot", we can't. I remember so many times thinking that over the last few years, and now looking back I laugh because at that stage in my creative potential/default there's no way I could have. In the same respect I look at certain images now and think the same thing, but in reality until I actually do it, I'm not there yet.

All this said, what are you doing to push your creative capabilities and expand your default?

Comments

[Kurt Strecker]

"All this said, what are you doing to push your creative capabilities and expand your default?"

I've been learning to draw. It's helped focus vision on tiny details. It's helped me be more critical of compositional choices (it's got to be a damn good composition if you're going to spend an hour or more sketching it). It's given me another creative outlet for times when I'm not at liberty to shoot, long plane/car rides. It's increased my sense of design and graphic vocabulary.

Having been shooting and my concern for shading and light has given me an edge in this quest so it's a really natural transition. Mostly it's been training the muscles of the hand to do what the eye and brain tell it to do. It's also sparked the imagination and upped the creative voltage in my life overall.

And, learning a new drawing medium is much cheaper than acquiring new photo equipment.

[stikman]

All that artistic talent you have AND great insightful mind....this blows.
Oh and you get to hang out with cute chicks all the time.
Does life offer refunds? ;)
hahahaa

xlnt post Nick.

[cbp]

great post!
your previous posts and this one here from chase jarvis are a great lecture: http://blog.chasejarvis.com/blog/2008/06/inspired-bychallenged-by-creative-gap.html

[Gary Allard]

Nick

Great post and very timely. I was just having a conversation about this last night. I think we're all guilty of the "Default" no matter what level of success we attain. Mine has been annoyingly apparent lately.

One thing I've been doing is asking non-photogs for ideas. Anyone really. You'd be surprised at some of the things people come up with. Even though it makes me uncomfortable (my art director background kicking in) and my first impression is to resist or tell them it's not done like that, the fact is I'm challenged to see something in a different way. Never a bad thing.