What does a photographer do?
If you ask your friends and acquaintances: “What does a photographer do?”, you will get the answer in case of doubt: They will take pictures of my application photo and my wedding. Well, the profession of photographer is much more diverse. We are surrounded by images every day. News pictures are needed everywhere in the traditional print works with daily publication, the daily newspapers or in the news channels on the Internet or television. This is where the photojournalist comes into play. A photographer is also needed to illustrate advertisements and brochures. In science, a photographer is needed who can document and accompany research and development. For the family picture, the photographer often works in the classic shop, who also takes the application photos and accompanies private celebrations. Many photographers also deal with the decorative and artistic pictures that we might hang in our living rooms or offices as decorations. As a photographer, you must of course be able to use your technology (camera and light(, correctly. You should always be curious about new things. Always try something new. In fact, everything has been photographed before. Virtually all events have happened in one form or another. Nevertheless, there are further developments.
Whether it’s new imagery, new skills or new technology, everything is in flux and lifelong learning is required. In addition, other requirements are also made of a photographer. Regardless of whether you are employed, a freelancer or a self-employed business person – your creative streak is also required for image composition, lighting design and set construction. A certain level of craftsmanship is also an advantage here. A set needs to be built, a wall painted, curtains and fabrics draped properly, the iron used. Lots of manipulations have to be done. Before the job and at the end of a job there is also business administration. An offer should be prepared beforehand, with all the necessary details, and at the end there is a transparent invoice that the customer can understand. Your task is not only to know and comply with the regulations, but also to calculate correctly so that you end up earning something from the job! Even as a freelance photographer or artist who takes his or her pictures without a commission and only wants to sell the pictures afterwards, you cannot ignore the financial framework. Advisors can help here, but you cannot avoid basic knowledge.
Street photography, as the name suggests, is photography that takes place on the street. It is the candid depiction of what is happening on the street. It shows the irretrievable moment, but not necessarily the uniqueness of the situation. Street photography mainly shows the people and vehicles moving in this scenery, but also everyday events that take place there. Street photography is one of the most challenging styles of photography. But sometimes it can bring you very good results. Photographing people as they go about their daily lives is not an easy task at all. For this you need patience, hard work and sometimes courage. Currently, social networks are full of mediocre street photos. Just pointing a camera lens at someone standing on the street does not make you a street photographer. As with all styles of photography, framing can make the difference between a good photo and an average one. Try to tell a story with your photos. You need to create photos that engage the audience and make them ask themselves questions about the photo. But sometimes street photography can be annoying or unpleasant for the subjects. This is one of the problems of street photography. If you do street photography in the right way, you will rarely encounter various obstacles. First of all, you should be sure of what you are doing and if someone asks you what you are doing, give him a proper answer.
I took the photo above in downtown „Amsterdam” in front of “Madame Tussauds”. In the city of “Amsterdam”, especially in the city center, you can take beautiful street photos. This city is full of pure and beautiful subjects for photography. A large number of tourists with different cultures in this city has created a suitable situation for photographers. For street photography, the less equipment you bring, the better. You need to be invisible on the street, so it is better to use a small camera. Of course, this does not mean that you cannot do street photography with a DSLR camera. But this may expose you. Prime lenses are better for street photography. These lenses are smaller than zoom lenses. Additionally, by consistently using a focal length, you can frame the image before you even raise the camera. In the street, things happen very fast, so you have to react very quickly. In addition to the camera, the things you should bring are extra batteries, business cards, mobile phones, and ID cards. Comfortable shoes are just as important as equipment. For street photography, you may walk 10 to 15 kilometers in a day, so you should have comfortable shoes. Dressing is also important and you should wear clothes that do not draw extra attention to yourself.
Documentary photography, as one of the first and most important branches of photography, has been one of the main drivers of social change for more than a century. Documentary photography is a term used to describe the art of photographing people, places, and events that are historically, politically, or socially significant. Documentary photography has the power to tell and value important stories in an authentic way. There are many genres of photography, but documentary photography is one of the most honest forms of this art form. The ultimate goal of a documentary photographer is to capture a precise and real moment to tell a story. Documentary photography also has different types. Such as social documentary photography, environmental photography, war photography, wedding documentary photography, street documentary photography and news photography. It should be noted that documentary photography is different from street photography. The main purpose of street photography is to portray people and not to cover an event. In fact, this branch of photography is a mirror in front of people, which sometimes conveys political or social messages with humor or a sarcastic tone, which in such a situation is close to documentary photography. Street photography is not reportage. There is no duty for a street photographer to document a specific subject. But by using documentary photography, we can create documentary street photography and depict the process of an event. Street photographers like „Henri Cartier-Bresson” popularized this style. “Cartier-Bresson” helped start documentary street photography. His book “The Decisive Moment” forever changed the style of documentary photography. He took pictures of everyday life on the street that were not usually seen. The same principles apply to documentary photography in different situations. Whether you’re capturing moments of combat in a war-torn foreign country or just the everyday details of your family life, the rules of good framing and proper exposure must be applied. Finding the subject, research, communication with the subject and creativity are also among the things that you should pay special attention to. Preparing a shot list of the places and people you want to photograph will also help you in creating a high quality documentary photography. Regardless of the type of documentary photography, the essence of a documentary photo is storytelling. Whether it is the story of everyday life, historical events or the surrounding environment. This type of photography plays a vital role in capturing the society and telling the story of those who may not be able to speak to the public. If you want to enter a meaningful field of photography, documentary photography may be right for you. Because it gives you the opportunity to make meaningful changes in the world.
