THE WAY OF THE PHOTOGRAPHER

For Jackson. All photography and information © Jon Davison 2023. Keep refreshing your browser as more tutorials are being added all the time.

I have created this collection of web pages to get your head around the craft of photography, to help you start thinking like a photographer.
It ultimately means that you won’t end up shooting multiple frames hoping for one that works!.

There are three main aspects that I will cover;
1. The how (the mechanical bit) - the camera and all the elements that will help create a technically good image.
2. The why (the fun bit) - what you point your camera at and for what reason.
3. Post Production - making the most of what you have captured.

Photography offers a powerful means of communication, but to be able to communicate, you need to find your ‘photographers eye’. Once you have this your attitude to what you see around you will change and as you evolve as a photographer, so too will your art. So changing how you think is at the core of how to master this craft. As you digest the methodology, it gets added bit by bit to your intuitive processes. So eventually when you see a scene in front of you, you ‘just know’ intuitively when it is right. These tutorials can help you get to this point. Use these insights as you wish, add to them, make them your own and your work will bear your unique stamp.

A lot of blood, sweat and tears has gone into gaining this knowledge over the last 50 years! Google was not around when I started and I mostly had to figure it out for myself, so it’s been a very personal journey. The insights I offer here are not really about how to shoot different subject matter - the inside of churches, cars, houses or babies for instance - although I will touch on some of these subjects as part of the process of seeing. It is really designed to get you thinking and communicating as a photographer.

Post production is now an essential part of the image making process. It affects how you perceive a subject and subsequently knowing how you are going to treat it. So all tutorials the here will reflect this. I personally choose to use Adobe Photoshop in conjunction with Adobe Bridge as my work flow and editing environment.

If after digesting all this information and you find that you are getting passionate about photography, then don’t be surprised if it starts to dominate your thinking. Like me, you may find that it governs pretty much everything you do and everywhere you go, to the point that your camera becomes a part of you. Soon you can’t do without it as it’s how you see. don’t worry, this is good, it’s where you want to be. Don’t ignore it or think it will pass, it probably won’t, in fact the affliction just gets worse. So welcome to the world of photography, it’s an amazing ride!

I would really value your feedback so please email me with your results!

A big thank you to David Cassard and Maddie Thornhill for taking the time to go through this first draft.
Jon Davison , Cordes-sur-Ciel, France 2023.

1. THE HOW - how your camera captures images

1. LIGHTING - setting the mood

2. THE WHY - what you point your camera at and why

2. GETTING CLEVER - useful techniques

3. POST PRODUCTION - getting to grips with Photoshop

3. PHOTOSHOP COMPOSITING & COOL EFFECTS - getting involved, creating scenarios

2. TECHNIQUES & SUBJECTS - more useful techniques

All images and text information © Jon Davison 2023