POLL: Which is more difficult - technical or creative?

[Damien_Demolder]

Photographers need creativity and technical know-how to produce successful images, but these aspects seem to come from different sides of the brain. It is easier for some to learn what apertures do and how they can be measured than how to compose leading lines and identify complimentary colours. No matter how much you know about the picture taking process if you have no ideas for what to put in your pictures you will not succeed. Equally, you may be brimming over with brilliant concepts, but have no clue how to convert them into the final image.

Most of us find one aspect easier than the other (the creative is more challenging for me), but the first step to overcoming the problem is to clearly acknowledge that it exists. Then you can concentrate on that which is blocking your passage to becoming a photographic superhero.

Head to the home page to vote in our poll: Which aspect of photography do you find more challenging, the technical side or the creative?

Thanks for taking part.

damien

[Fen]

At times... both! At others... neither.

Guess that doesn't help!

[beejaybee]

Which aspect of photography do you find more challenging, the technical side or the creative?

Sorry but I'm not sure the question makes sense. The ideal pub session requires both beer and food, but question "which is more challenging" isn't really meaningful.

The technical side is relatively easy to learn but hard to master, if you get my drift. I'm not sure the creative bit can be learned at all - OK, there is a "recipe" for a perfectly composed image, we've all seen close approaches & the formula tends to lead to rather dull images!

[Terrywoodenpic]

Neither is difficult... perhaps difficult is the wrong word...
If you have learnt how to do some thing it is no longer difficult.

Creativity on the other hand is something you have or perhaps do not have, so might it well be impossible for you.
For most of us "creativity" is again perhaps not the right word. we tend to ape existing ideas and styles and simply repeat what works for us. This route is heavily supported by judges and published work.

[Bettina]

I don't do technical, I let the camera take care of it.

[chris000]

... but these aspects seem to come from different sides of the brain.

Wow! You mean to say my brain has more than one side

Definitely find the creative side more challenging, I don't think it can really be learned, Somed technical things can be difficult but mastered with effort. One is inspiration the other is perspiration.

[beejaybee]

You mean to say my brain has more than one side

Unless you're really Dr. Mobius, yes.

[Fire_Monkey]

I struggle with the creative, seeing the picture is my biggest problem. Someone with creative ability can take the same shot I do, and theur shot will look magnificent, while mine will just look ordinary..

I find it easier to understand the technical side, I have a lot to learn in both camps.

[parisian]

Photographers need creativity and technical know-how to produce successful images

Can someone post this at the top of all the separate fora.
It will save a shedload of time in answering the following question;
"I have sold my compact camera and bought a DSLR with kit lens. I am going to become a wedding, fashion, glamour, sports photographer.
Er, can anyone tell me what the buttons do on the back of the camera?
I have printed the first shots in the local Jessops straight from the camera and obviously their machine is broken because they are all crap. Does anyone know of a better Jessops who can print my masterpieces properly?"

Technique HAS to be learned. Creativity 'rules' can be learned, but as guidelines, not rules chiselled in stone.
Creativity will be very much down to what pleases you and your intended audience.
If creativity had fixed rules then visits to galleries or exhibitions would be boring indeed.

None of this will matter if the intending photographer does not practice, practice, practice.

[El_Sid]

Creativity every time.

The technical stuff I can generally handle but when it comes to having ideas for pictures now that's much harder. I find it very difficult to come up with ideas in advance for set competitions such as the monthly one on here. As it happens I was looking at the final round top 30 for APOY this weekend and as usual I found myself wondering how so many of the entrants came up with their ideas...

[alanS]

I know that some of my "creative" stuff will never appeal to others as I like things that others don't. For example, I like wide angle shots with large expanses of sky or foreground whereas others would prefer to see something obvious in the foreground to add detail.

For me the biggest issue isn't technical or creative (since I take pictures to please myself) but finding the time and opportunity to actually get out and take pictures.

[Ephemeral]

I'd have to agree with Alan - time is the most difficult aspect of photography for me also

[zx9]

I find it difficult to decide which is the most important, IMO it is almost a redundant question. Today's cameras allow anyone to take technically good if average photographs. I can arm my 6 year old with a G9 and he will produce a 2 gig card full of acceptable record photographs, if I let him loose with the Zorki 4 it would be a different matter.
Perhaps creativity is the most important ingredient, but I also think creativity includes the technical control of a camera to say, use depth of field or to blur moving objects as desired.
So which do I find the most difficult, it's 'Artistic Creativity' as I can usually get the result I am looking for, it's just I often have difficulty seeing that something special in the first place.

[Simon_King]

Creativity every time.

The technical stuff I can generally handle but when it comes to having ideas for pictures now that's much harder. I find it very difficult to come up with ideas in advance for set competitions such as the monthly one on here. As it happens I was looking at the final round top 30 for APOY this weekend and as usual I found myself wondering how so many of the entrants came up with their ideas...

Mine was at no. 18 for the self portrait, when I read the brief I thought about what would make it stand out and what would I like. The idea came to me very quickly, some of them I really struggle with but some are straight there. I just wish I had started from the beginning instead of half way through though.

The hardest part for me was convincing my wife that I needed to buy some lights to photograph my father and son with me. That's where the creativity really kicked in

Cheers
Simon

[Simon_King]

I'd have to agree with Alan - time is the most difficult aspect of photography for me also

I'm there on that one, with two small kids and a demanding job, I have to sneak out at ungodly hours to get the quality time.

Cheers
Simon

[El_Sid]

Mine was at no. 18 for the self portrait,...

I suspected that it might possibly be you...

Thought it was a good picture and did well in what appears to have been a tough round.

[Simon_King]

Mine was at no. 18 for the self portrait,...

I suspected that it might possibly be you...

Thought it was a good picture and did well in what appears to have been a tough round.

I must admit, as I flicked through, that my hopes were set very low, but I was delighted when I saw it there. My previous best was 27 in the My Life round.

Thanks for the comments much appreciated. Sadly now everyone knows what I look like.

Cheers
Simon

[daft_biker]

It varies for me....some ideas are easy to make into a photograph and other ideas take years of working on and I still haven't got the pic I want.

The other way to think about it is when critiquing your own shots back at base. With my own shots I usually have more concerns over the technical aspects than the creative aspects. Typically something along the lines of that would be better with 1/3 stop less exposure or the focus is a bit off or camera shake makes it soft, etc, etc. I rarely look back at my shots and think I should have tried something different from a creative point of view but I do use the review screen on the camera to work shots.

I often find the ideas I get for shots in the field are easier to realise than ideas for shots I get at home. The closer the idea and the subject matter are the more realistic ideas seem to be....so get out there and see what you come up with instead of sitting at home thinking the shots you want are too hard to get.

[lisadb]

I'm sure I could be much more creative if I won the lottery and gave up work. Lisa.

[miked]

Being creative, but here's some pretty good advice: 'When in doubt, make a fool of yourself. There is a microscopically thin line between being brilliantly creative and acting like the most gigantic idiot on earth.
So, what the hell, leap! (Cynthia Heimel)