Chase Jarvis mentioned the “creative gap” in an interview the other day, “creative gap” being the “difference between what you want your pictures to look like, and what they actually look like.” It is the gap we need to jump to take that next step in the development of our creative muscle. Basically, we have to be out there shooting a lot, trying new things, chasing down that story, creating that photo in our heads, or doing whatever needs to be done to actually create the photos we are trying to create.
I guess there is a lot more to it than just “shoot a lot”, though that is a huge component. In that interview, Chase even said that (taking a lot of pictures) is the most under discussed aspect of our development. We have to know what works, and for the most part, that is learned through looking at hundreds of your own photos that just did not accomplish what you wanted and then going back out and figuring out how to make it work.
One of the first questions I had after thinking that through for a few minutes was this: “if we need to be shooting a lot, are we prepared with the tools necessary to actually go through those photos?”
Basically, the more photos you shoot, the more you will feel the need for a streamlined workflow, which probably involves software made for that purpose. If you are “one at a timing” it, you will kill yourself and probably just quit shooting so much because you do not have the time to process the photos…I have been there. And maybe, your solution is just to try a lot and junk most of them simply from viewing on the camera’s LCD screen. That works. Most folks are not gutsy enough to just delete it, though.
For me, RAWstudio has been a great help in this area. This free (open source) RAW workflow software makes it so much easier to run through dozens or hundreds of photos from the day’s shooting. I love it. Most folks out there use the more mainstream (and costly) workflow programs like Adobe’s Lightroom or Apple’s Aperture, though. Those are more powerful, but the point is that we have to find the software tools that allow us to shoot a lot, which allows us to close that “creative gap” in our photographic development, and even though I am limited by money (i.e. I cannot pay hundreds for the big guns), that does not mean I cannot have a great workflow program at my disposal.
Anyway, who is Chase Jarvis? Well, in brief, I would describe him as a GenX, self-trained, highly creative photographer who does not seem to function by the normal rules of the photo game…in a refreshing way. I keep up with him because I get a very clear feeling he does what he does because of a deeper passion and love. Check out his portfolio and you will get a very good idea of what I am talking about.
