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John Szarkowski theorizes that there are five key elements to a successful photograph:
1)the thing itself ~ to anticipate, recognize, clarify, and make permanent the best works & moments. also known as selecting a subject.
2) the detail ~ necessary to show symbolism, undiscovered meaning, and accurately tell a story.
3) the frame ~ deciding what to keep in and what to cut out gives special importance to what is seen.
4) time ~ be aware of the duration of the moment you're capturing. choose your 'decisive moment' with the intent to produce a visual climax.
Szarkowski on time, "photography alludes to the past and the future only in so far as they exist in the present".
5) vantage point ~ determines perspective from which the photo is viewed and affects perception of the content.
The most important element to me is undoubtedly the frame. I think deciding what to cut out of the frame is the most significant decision in producing a photograph because I believe it has the greatest impact on how the photo is viewed. It not only inadvertently decides the subject, but also where the focus lies. The frame is also a strong influence on the perception of the subject because it either provides or removes a particular amount of context.
My favorite time of day is night. Whether lit by starlight, moonlight, or man-made light, the world has always been the most visually appealing to me in the night. This may likely be for a number of reasons: first, this is the type of light most of us see least often, and therefore I think it holds a bit of mystery and intrigue. Additionally, depending upon location and time, the number and type of light sources vary considerably resulting in the continuous reinvention of everyday objects, transforming the familiar into the unknown. I'm particularly fond of moonlight because of the way it allows me to see in terms of negative space. I'm also interested by the extent to which nightfall can affect a building's interior and change the way I view light reflecting off of various surfaces.
The camera I'll be using for all my photo's, with the exception of this one, is a Nikon D40 that I've purchased just over a year ago. It is a 6 mega pixel, digital SLR and uses Secure Digital memory cards. There's a 512 MB card in it now, which holds about 325 pictures. I'm most fond of my camera's incredible battery life and manual control options (especially for the shutter speed).
