[brofkand]

I listen to the Photofocus podcast and read the website. Normally the host, Scott Bourne, is basically bragging on how he owns pretty much every lens ever made by Nikon or Canon, he can have some good tips between the boasting.

One post in particular has captured my attention for the past few days. Here's a link: Practice Photography Like The Concert Pianist Practices Piano Photofocus . In essence, he says to become the best photographers in the world, we should practice like musicians practice. I've known some musicians, and they practice their instruments HOURS a day; not just a few hours a week (or month) like I do.

What do you think about that? Does the metaphor follow?

[pacerr]

Presumably those are the ones making a living with music so I'd segregate that category. What do they do for fun? Take pictures?

I suppose you could "play air guitar", . . . uhh, air camera? . . . anytime you wished without a camera in hand. I've done that by mentally selecting a lens, composing and setting exposure. Hopefully no one around me was the wiser.

H2

[dadipentak]

Oh, I think there's a lot of truth in that. Sometimes I'll get really obsessive about a specific subject (eg a flower or bird and shoot it over and over I sometimes this of that as practicing scales.

Also I've sometimes talked about photographers "who play their cameras like musical instruments" by which I mean they make setting adjustments accessing a broad range of functionality quickly and intuitively, in many cases without taking their eye off the view finder. That ain't me for sure but I know they're out there.

[wlachan]

Photography is a creating process which requires more brainstorming than practicing the gears, I think?

[CWyatt]

It's a valid post but I don't think it is any revelation?

Mastering something takes dedication. Goes for pretty much anything - top sports people, artists, writers, musicians...

[jimr-pdx]

It won't give your creative vision much of a boost, I'd think, but assuredly you would know the effect of every feature on your camera if you became more experienced with each setting and its impact on the final image. Like our brains, many of use use perhaps 10-20% of our camera's capabilities. I've heard quotes all over the map for how much of our brains we use, I fear 10-20% would be on the high side for me most days

[brofkand]

It won't give your creative vision much of a boost, I'd think, but assuredly you would know the effect of every feature on your camera if you became more experienced with each setting and its impact on the final image. Like our brains, many of use use perhaps 10-20% of our camera's capabilities. I've heard quotes all over the map for how much of our brains we use, I fear 10-20% would be on the high side for me most days

And this is why I started this thread. My feeling is going outside and pressing the shutter won't help your ability to create compelling images much, if at all. It will help you learn your camera, lenses, exposure, etc, as you stated jim. That's important too, but Scott Bourne in his post says practice improves creative vision, and I disagree with his statement.

The biggest ways to improve creative vision in my mind are to study the past masters and ask questions of their work, and to have your work critiqued by others.

[CWyatt]

Scott Bourne in his post says practice improves creative vision

Where abouts?

[Ash]

Although we don't NEED to use 100% of the camera's capabilities in order to get the best result we can from any particular scene. We might need something as simple as Av mode, setting it to 5.6, EV to +0.5 and wait for the right moment, and a prize winner is captured.

Remember photography is the recording of light, and it's LIGHT that is of vital importance in creating the effect, the style, the flair that is unique to the artist. So it goes beyond the camera. This ties in reasonably well to the original assertion. Practice makes perfect. No qualms about that one...

[brofkand]

Where abouts?

The part in the fourth paragraph where he says he wonders what would happen if photographers practiced like concert pianists do.

[CWyatt]

The part in the fourth paragraph where he says he wonders what would happen if photographers practiced like concert pianists do.

I still don't see how that part of the post relates specifically to 'creative vision'.

[alohadave]

I still don't see how that part of the post relates specifically to 'creative vision'.

Practicing scales doesn't help with creative musical vision, but it does get you intimately familiar with the instrument, and keeps your technique and skills fresh.

Same thing applies to photography (or any discipline really).

This blog post goes into more detail (from a swimmer's perspective): The Visual Science Lab / Kirk Tuck: What does it take to succeed in photography? I'd say discipline is near the top of the list.

[CWyatt]

The post says:

I often wonder what would happen if photographers would practice their craft hours and hours and hours a day like the concert pianists do.

I didn't take it as him saying sit at home and fiddle with your camera for hours, I take it as saying spending the same kind of time and using the same determination to take great photos. He doesn't mention creative vision anywhere.

[opfor]

Anyone have the thought that it was just someone trying to fill some space on a blog.
Think of some of the stuff photo mags pump out. Maybe someone suggested he "push the boundaries" to get more clicks?...:-)

[brofkand]

I am guessing that if photographers were to apply themselves the way that concert pianists do, we’d see an amazing amount of killer photography.

What do you take that sentence to mean, then?