As the new Star Wars series, “The Acolyte,” and the latest Doctor Who film hit our TV screens, there are important photography lessons we can learn from them as well. Our other favorites.
To boldly go to a galaxy far, far away
When I was a child, I loved watching Star Trek. One thing that often gets overlooked when it comes to being celebrated is the cinematography. If you watch the original series now, Gerald Perry Finnerman’s photography direction is fantastic. He also composed other classic works such as “Moonlighting”, “Kojak” and “From Here to Eternity”. The composition of each scene worked and complemented the bold colors of the set design and costumes.
Then what impressed me was the cinematography of the original Star Wars movie. I saw its initial release when it was called Star Wars, not Episode IV – A New Hope, which wasn’t added until subsequent releases. The visual spectacle of it filled me with dread.
Although it has evolved, the influence of Gil Taylor’s work is still evident in subsequent Star Wars films and television series. He also worked on “Flash Gordon” (Queen’s version with the wonderful soundtrack), the 1979 version of “Dracula” with Frank Langella and Lawrence Olivier, “The Omen,” “Dr. Strangelove” and “Ice Cold in Alex.”
Robert Krasker is another classic photography director whose work I love. It includes “The Third Man,” “Brief Encounter,” “El Cid,” “Heroes of Telemark” and Lawrence Olivier’s version of “Henry V.”
Lean on the giants by watching it twice
Whatever your taste in film or television, I highly recommend exploring the work of great film artists. We photographers can learn a lot from watching carefully crafted movies and TV shows. These are experts at the top of their game. I often watch a good movie many times. The first time is just to immerse yourself in the story and subsequent viewings to analyze how certain photos were taken and how they fit the mood of the moment.
I try my best not to notice it when watching something for the first time, but sometimes it’s just too good and distracts from the other elements that make up the film. To prevent that, the story, characters, soundtrack and dialogue must be of the same standard as the cinematography and subsequent editing. All of these elements must fit together to create a unified whole.
Deal with criticism
There is a movie that I enjoyed with my young son when it was first released. It was widely criticized for being marred by its filming style. Critics have argued that overusing the documentary style of filming with a constantly moving camera results in footage that is too unstable. They also said the film had too many close-up shots. As a result, what should have been an exciting adventure turns out to be confusing and nauseating.
However, I thought it was a fun escape adventure and the unusual cinematography didn’t bother me. I’ve since reviewed it and still don’t see any problems.
There is always subjectivity when deciding what you like and don’t like.
Despite the criticism Tom Stern has received – he was the film’s director of photography – he has an admirable career track record and hasn’t been deterred by those critics. Furthermore, that movie has grossed over $408 million to date.
Remember, critics are always people who cannot create on their own. So those who criticize your creative work are not talented. Sadly, there exist arrogant idiots who openly reject other people’s work with uninvited negative comments. You will often see these views expressed in the comments sections of photography websites and social media groups. Although often motivated by jealousy, it is worrying when sexism, racism and other forms of bigotry and prejudice rear their heads here. People who do that are never very smart, so either ignore them or expose them by highlighting their ignorance.
Without Googling, can you know what movie it is? No spoilers in the comments, please.
The importance of difference
Studying the TV series and movies we love, we see that talented directors of photography and production look teams are able to create their unique style. So that is also something we can strive to achieve. Finding your style often requires taking risks and dancing to the beat of your own drum. Not everyone will like it, but someone will and it will help you find your unique style.
How do we do that now? There are countless ways. It’s mainly about testing what’s different. Choose unusual light intensity, angle and temperature. Choose less common camera formats and lenses. Mix themes and their settings. Discover what other photographers do and then combine their styles and techniques to create something new. All great contemporary filmmakers develop their style by building on their predecessors.
Even if you don’t like a movie, there are still important lessons to learn. For example, just as bad effects can ruin a movie, a photograph can be similarly ruined. Overblown movements can look terrible, skin smoothing to create plastic-looking skin in portraits is worrying, and heavy texture overlays can all take away subject. However, just like creating a moving photograph carefully, done correctly, in a way that complements the photo can be very impressive.
We can also grow by analyzing the things we don’t like but pay attention to what I said about criticism. Keep your analysis to yourself. If you tell another creator that you don’t review their work, they and the people reading your comments will find your words offensive, which reflects poorly on you. If you receive such comments on your work, treat them with the contempt they deserve. Rest assured that their views are narrow-minded. They lack the intelligence to understand what you create and they don’t have the talent to match yours. What you are striving for is great.
Put in style
Most of the photos in this post are snapshots I took on various trips with my son many years ago that fit the Movies and TV theme. They don’t fit my usual photography style. I wasn’t thinking about style when I pressed the shutter button. I took them just to preserve the memory of events in time, which was the original purpose of photography. That purpose is often lost when we think of photography as an art form.
Your approach to creating work results in your style. Style in photography is the distinctive way photographers depict their subjects. It is the expression of their vision. Basically, it’s a unique combination of a photographer’s techniques from photography to image processing.
Style is a complex concept. I’ve even heard some people dismiss it, saying it doesn’t exist. However, I believe there is. Furthermore, it evolves according to the photographer’s career. Sometimes that evolution can change deliberately and quickly as photographers search for a new style with which they feel comfortable. At other times, their photos may have a coherent appearance that spans years with changes that are only noticeable when you look at photos a decade apart and they have evolved naturally.
A distinct style has advantages. It helps build photographers’ brands and helps their work be recognized as their own. While all styles have roots in past aesthetics, it’s still important to find your look. Don’t try to be someone else (insert famous photographer’s name here) because they already are and you’ll be a poor copy. A unique style that is not directly copied from others is worth striving for. However, the journey to discovering your unique style is worth pursuing.
Style can and should vary greatly between photographers even within the same genre.
Adventures in style, time and space
The concept of style has long been historians’ primary means of classifying all forms of art, whether painting, writing, filmmaking or photography. That’s because style changes over time and place, varying with different periods, countries, and cultural groups. So it’s helpful to consider how your style fits in with other contemporary photographers in your country.
“Doctor Who” is recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest-running science fiction series and the most successful science fiction series of all time. First broadcast on November 23, 1963, the program almost failed because fateful events in America shook the world and dominated television everywhere the day before. The style of these shows has evolved greatly over the years but remains distinctly British.
Likewise, photography styles also evolve. For example, my family photos from the mid-1800s have a very different style than the photos you see today. Additionally, the amazing photos taken by Japanese photographers feel different from what we in the West take.
Unfortunately, because of the internet and the amount of photos being taken, I think individual styles are fading, replaced by generic images that look very similar. Everyone is exposed to the same things and picks up on the same cues. As a result, we are losing aspects of our culture. No matter where you come from, the culture of your country or community is important. So studying film, television, art and photography from where you live can help your style coalesce and preserve your society.
What do you think?
Do you have a style? Do you try to break away from the norm by trying out the unusual? Or are you stuck in a rut and hoping to escape the ordinary? Also, what photography in movies and TV shows has inspired you in the past? It would be great to hear your thoughts in the comments about that.
