I wonder if when people first get into photography, the first thing they think about is how to "play well" with photography. Few people consider that if they don't have a thorough understanding of photography, it's easy to fall into the trap of being "played by photography." Although this may sound like a joke, it points out an extremely important issue in photography: is it the photographer who is mastering photography, or is the photographer being led by the nose by photography? This is an unavoidable question for beginners. If one is unclear about this, it will create significant obstacles for their subsequent photography learning. So this article will discuss this topic with you.
We know that the essence of photography is the expression of the photographer's ideas, a tool for the photographer to observe the world and convey emotions. However, many people gradually lose their direction in shooting and fall into the misunderstandings of showing off equipment, stacking parameters, and imitating popular styles, forgetting that the core of photography is "expression." Specifically, these problems manifest as follows:
When the shooting effect is not good, they blame their equipment, believing in the myth that "good equipment = good photos." In fact, those who understand photography know that shooting equipment is only an auxiliary tool, not the decisive factor in the quality of a photo. Someone who understands composition and light control can take great photos even with a mobile phone; conversely, no matter how good the equipment is, if the photo is messy, the result will still be a useless photo. It is important to understand that the essence of photography lies in "seeing" and understanding the frame, not in mechanically stacking camera parameters.
Never considering their own shooting ideas and style, becoming addicted to imitation and losing their individuality. When a certain style becomes popular online, they immediately follow the trend, such as high-saturation travel photos, low-contrast portrait street shots, HDR landscape photos, etc. Imitation itself is not a problem; it is the starting point of learning. However, if one stays in the stage of imitation for a long time, without thinking or digesting, they will lose their shooting direction and eventually become more and more confused as they shoot. Many people also take photos not to record or express their thoughts and feelings, but to pursue exposure and likes. This mechanism of "short-term stimulation" can indeed bring a sense of satisfaction and achievement, but over time, it will make people more and more impetuous, losing the ability to accurately grasp the content of the frame, turning photography into a "performance."
To truly get out of these traps of being "played by photography," one must not only look at the surface but also deeply understand the causes. Avoid the equipment-only mindset, follow your own shooting needs, do not excessively pursue others' approval, and maintain your own shooting rhythm. The core of not being "played by photography" is to return to the essence of photography: the expression of ideas.
Specifically, learn to establish shooting themes. For example, photographing the changes of the same tree throughout the four seasons, the flow of people at a certain time on a street, or the daily portraits of family members. Such shooting not only makes the photos more consistent but also helps the photographer calm down to observe life, transforming daily shooting from scattered fragments into a systematic body of work.
Control the desire to frequently change equipment, because the quality of the camera is not equal to the quality of the photos. Before your abilities match, there is no need to rush to update your shooting equipment. The real bottleneck in photography is mostly the photographer's lack of observation skills and understanding of the frame. For most people, a crop-sensor camera plus a standard zoom lens is sufficient to complete 90% of shooting tasks.
Focus on basic practice rather than playing with shooting techniques. Learn more about photography composition, light, and color; look at and analyze excellent photography works more often. Always remember that shooting techniques serve the realization of shooting ideas, not the purpose of shooting itself.
Learn to tell stories with photos, moving from "shooting clearly" and "cool post-processing" to "expressing emotions" and "conveying content." For example, a photo of parents cooking a meal is far more warm than an HDR sunset. The ultimate goal of photography is to connect people and convey emotional value, not to be judged by others.
Set long-term shooting goals, because real photography cannot be mastered in a few days or months; it requires long-term accumulation. You can set one major theme every year and one small goal every month. After finishing a set of photos, summarize: Did the shooting clearly express the idea? Can it be improved further?
In summary, photography should not be a show or a social tool. It should be a way for the photographer to perceive the world and express emotions. When the photographer understands that photography serves themselves, not to grab attention; when they shift from imitation to expression, from stacking techniques to storytelling; when they no longer feel anxious about equipment or obsessed with others' praise, but feel relaxed and comfortable when picking up the camera—that is when they are truly playing with photography, not being played by it.
Related Tags： Experience in using cameras