Photography really isn’t that complicated.
Photography really isn’t that complicated.
Because if you think about it, it’s just lift the camera and take the picture.
That’s it.
And yet any and everyone seems to overcomplicate the process of it.
And you might be thinking:
“But Andre, don’t you also do that?”
Which, you’re right.
I myself, tend to overcomplicate a lot of things.
I like to understand how things work and explore the little rabbitholes of art.
And doing so helps me understand photography better, and simplify it long term.
But if I’m honest, too much of that can get confusing and interfere with the process.
So it’s a bit ironic, but I’m the perfect example here.
I’ve had to learn over the years how to simplify my photography.
And today, I’ll be sharing with you some things that have helped.
Let’s begin.
The Blank Slate
“The Blank Slate” is a useful framework that helps me clear my mind whenever I go out to take photos.
You see, as we gain experience through photography, and we learn and acquire more information from tutorials online, our mind becomes cluttered.
And when taking photos, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the things we think we should be doing.
“Oh Andre said I should look for light and perspectives in my street photography.”
“But there’s also blocking, fishing, and framing…what do I do??”
As as we go through this process, it becomes clear that more information isn’t always better - it can be worse.
It’s more information that is making our photography complicated in the first place.
And to let go of that information can be hard because everything feels important - and you might need it later…
But the fact of the matter is, it’s not helping right now.
And there is only so much stuff you can hold in the front of your mind.
Therefore, you gotta be selective and pick and choose what to focus on in any given photo session.
What I like to do that helps with this is called “The Blank Slate”.
It’s something I learned when reading Rick Rubin and it’s stuck with me since.
It’s quite simple:
Whenever you go out and take photos, imagine your mind is clear.
It’s clean, it’s empty, it’s washed free of all the knowledge, information, and preconceptions you’ve accumulated over your life.
It’s an empty canvas - a blank slate.
Pretend as if you’re a beginner again.
You know nothing about anything, you’re just taking photos.
With this “blank slate”, you are free to go out and just create.
You’re not worried about if this photo matches your Instagram aesthetic.
You’re not bothered by the weather, the exposure, the “style” of photography you’re ascribed to.
You’re not thinking or worried about none of that.
You’re just you, in the world, taking photos.
That’s The Blank Slate.
Doing this well can take some practice, but you’ll get better at it over time.
It’s similar, but not quite like entering the “flow state” or the “zone”, if we’re talking sports.
In my opinion this is more like a reminder, a perspective shift, which makes it more achievable on a day to day basis.
If you’re able to do this, you’ll learn something interesting.
All the knowledge and information you’ve “tossed away”, you still have access to.
They’re just in the back of your mind not in the front of your mind.
And you can still access that knowledge whenever you need it.
So you’re not actually a beginner again, you’re just pretending you are for the sake of clarity.
I’m not consciously thinking about “fishing” for this street photography shot, but when I recognize an opportunity to do so, I’ll remember the tip and apply it.
That’s how we actually make good use of the knowledge and experience we’ve learned about photography.
The external world reminds us of what to do in any given situation - we just need to recognize and make use of it.
Because photography is just observation and pattern recognition.
So learn to empty your mind and take photos with a blank slate.
It’ll help you clear your mind by removing distractions, and you’ll get better photos that way.
And don’t worry - if it’s important, you’ll remember it.
Building a Strong Filter
My next tip to simplify your photography is to build a strong filter.
You see, when we’re first starting out, we’re like sponges.
We absorb any and everything that comes our way, and our growth is accelerated.
But once we reach a certain stage in photography, more knowledge can actually be detrimental to our progress.
This is because you realize: all advice is contextual.
And something that someone advises you might be the right advice at the wrong time.
This applies to all my videos as well.
I share the tips and thoughts that help me in the contexts that I’ve learned them in, but I understand that it might not apply to you.
And thus I try to disclaim in many of my videos: just take and apply what’s useful for you.
Because not all of it applies and not all of it is useful.
That’s why we need to build a strong filter.
Because if we don’t, all sorts of conflicting advice gets in and we’ll sit there wondering why it doesn’t work for us.
Unfortunately, learning how to build a strong filter requires experience.
You need to try all sorts of things, find out that some stuff works and some stuff doesn’t, and then keep going.
Eventually, you’ll get a sense of what your photography is, where you want to go with your photography, and what applies to you.
Then, you can simply focus on the stuff that applies, and discard the rest.
In turn that will simplify our photography because there’s less stuff to think about and work on.
Now, this discarding process can be a bit painful.
Because it’s kind of similar to how people hoard a bunch of stuff they never use in their garages.
We keep stuff around that we feel like we might need later.
But we never use it, it takes up space, and only complicates our photography.
So let’s talk about how to delete the useless stuff.
Deleting
If you want to simplify your photography, you gotta get good at this.
For reasons we mentioned earlier, more information isn’t always better.
To get around this, we gotta build a strong filter and get good at deleting.
This applies to not only information but also camera gear.
Deleting and removing the stuff we don’t use.
Selling and simplifying our gear and set up.
A lesson I learned here is:
If I deleted something and it didn’t come back, then I didn’t need it to begin with.
For example, if I removed a photo from an Instagram post, a photography book layout, or a YouTube video and I didn’t remember it later, that means it was unnecessary.
Because if I truly needed that thing to make this thing work, I would’ve remembered it.
The same thing applies to knowledge and information.
If I didn’t remember a certain compositional or exposure tip, it probably wasn’t that important.
And the tips and frameworks that are actually important will keep coming back to my photography in the form of mistakes or lessons.
A solid saying that comes to mind here is: “The good shit sticks.”
If it was good, you’d remember it.
And if it wasn’t, you wouldn’t.
In terms of camera gear it can be a bit harder because it’s a physical object.
But the same applies where if I sell a lens or accessory and forgot I even had it a few months later, that means it was a good decision to get rid of it.
Now if I do end up missing it, that means it was an important piece for my photography, and I can always buy it again later.
That’s how you fine tune your photography and delineate between what matters and what doesn’t - by getting good at deleting.
Unfortunately the deleting itself can be painful, and I haven’t found a better way other than “just do it”.
Start with the easy stuff you care less about and then work your way up.
That’s what works for me.
If you guys have any tips for getting rid of useless gear or information, please comment down below (on YouTube).
Bring Less
If photography feels complicated for you, you might benefit from bringing less.
When it comes to your photo sessions, try going out with only one body and one prime lens.
This is especially important if you shoot often with zoom lenses.
I find that many photographers worry about “not being able to get that shot” or “wishing they brought this lens” too often.
And that worry leads them to bringing more bodies and lenses out with them, “just in case”.
That is the very opposite of what we want to do here.
Because it’s part of what complicates our photography in the first place.
Imagine how simple your photo sessions would be if you just went out with just one body and one prime.
There’s so much less to focus on, so much less to worry about, and you’re only seeing and seeking the opportunities available to you at that moment.
Even if your bag has extra space, leave the thing at home.
Yeah, you might not get that tight or wide shot there.
But who cares?
That shot is out of sight and out of mind because all you’re focused on is 23mm today.
And there’s so much less fiddling and switching lenses when all you have is one lens.
It just makes the process of photography more streamlined and simple.
So the point is: it will be uncomfortable at first.
But don’t worry about it and just start taking photos.
You’ll soon find your mind occupied with the focal length you’ve chosen.
And instead of looking at all the opportunities you’re missing, you’ll just be focused on the opportunities available to you.
Which is a great analogy for life too…
If you practice this, you’ll understand what I mean.
There’s a freedom, a liberation with having only one body and one prime.
And I think it’ll not only simplify and make your photos better, but make you enjoy photography more.
This also applies to traveling with cameras.
If you travel often, you’ll know that less is more.
But when going on a trip, we are often tempted to bring more gear with us.
We’re worried we might need a certain lens, so we bring it “just in case”.
And it’s not like we travel every day, so we want to get the most out of this trip.
So there’s this innate desire to bring more gear with us.
But the fact of the matter is: you don’t need all that stuff.
And instead of making your trip easier, it’ll actually make things harder.
Just think about the logistics of travel:
getting from place to place
speaking the language of the country you’re in
carrying all your heavy stuff around
managing your money
figuring out where to eat or get phone signal
You’ve already got your hands filled with that stuff, and now you have to think about taking good photos?
It’s impossible.
The funny thing is, on trips where I did bring more gear with me, I’d get back home and realize I only used one or two cameras for 90% of the photos I took.
So I could have left all that extra stuff at home, and saved myself the stress and effort.
So whether you’re going out for a sunset photo session or a bigger trip, bring less.
It’ll make everything simpler and easier.
Develop A Few Frameworks
Finally, to simplify our photography, we need to develop a few frameworks that work.
What are frameworks?
Frameworks are a way of thinking about a concept or system in life.
They’re great because they bottle up bigger concepts into simple phrases that helps us memorize and apply them when needed.
So by nature, they simplify complex ideas and make them practical to use.
I’ve shared many of my photography frameworks with you guys already in past articles.
But my favorite one, and perhaps the most popular, is this one:
“Photography is not what you leave in, it’s what you leave out.”
I came up with this a while back when thinking about what things mattered the most for my photography.
And although I haven’t heard it phrased like that before, I’m sure someone’s said some version of it.
“Photography is not what you leave in, it’s what you leave out.”
This framework really simplifies photography for me.
Because it reminds me not only what to focus on, but that photography is a subtractive process - one of elimination.
And to take better photos, I just gotta eliminate what is unnecessary from the photo I’m taking.
I’m reminded of all these concepts with one little phrase that I can easily apply when taking or editing photos.
That’s what’s so cool about frameworks.
If you want a more in depth breakdown of this framework, check out the video: “Master This and Photography Becomes Effortless”.
But the point is, find or create a few frameworks that work for you.
Go through the process of thinking about what’s worked for you in the past, and ask yourself why they worked.
If you can get to the bottom of that, you’ve got the idea or principle at hand.
Then you can create a framework around that principle, making it easy to understand and apply when needed.
That’s how you discover and build frameworks.
So let’s do a quick recap.
Here are 5 tips to simplify your photography:
The Blank Slate
Whenever you go out and take photos, empty your mind.
Pretend you’re a beginner again, don’t be afraid to experiment, and just take photos.
Build a Strong Filter
Not all advice applies to you.
So just take what’s useful and appropriate for you and discard the rest - you don’t need it.
Deleting
Whether it’s the knowledge in your head or the gear on your shelf, get rid of stuff.
Most of have more than enough information or camera gear to be taking great photos with.
And remember, if you got rid of it and didn’t miss it, you didn’t need it to begin with.
Bring Less
When it comes to both daily and travel photography, less is more.
You don’t need all the lenses and bodies you think you do, it’ll only slow you down.
Plus, shooting with only one prime will give you a more free and enjoyable experience.
So simplify your carry, and leave the rest at home.
Develop some frameworks
Frameworks by nature help simplify your photography.
Because they remind you of a concept and help you apply it if you need it.
And, they’re as close to the true principles of photography as can be.
So find a tip or two that really work for you and use it.
It’s that simple.
So, I hope you found this helpful.
If you did, please share this with a friend who also needs help simplifying their photography.
You can also learn to build a strong foundation with photography in Photography Essentials - it’s free, check it out if you haven’t yet.
Plus, you can support me by adding to the travel fund or by picking up a copy of “The Sinking Sun”, my first photography zine.
Thanks for reading, happy shooting.
