Photzy

THE ART OF SEEING

Short Guide
Written by Kent DuFault

Kent DuFault
https://www.flickr.com/photos/35449761@N04/21012152826/in/dateposted-public/
THE ART OF SEEING // © PHOTZY.COM 1
 What would you like to achieve with your photography?

Achievement can be measured in many ways. For some, it’s

winning awards. For others, it’s selling their artwork. In today’s
social media environment, it often means getting so many ‘likes’,
or ‘followers’, or ‘shares’.

I have enjoyed the benefit of all of these things. Would it surprise

you if I said, “None of them were the ultimate achievement for
my photography?”

I’m going to share a very personal story with you…

xxx
xxx

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 I consider this photograph to be my
ultimate achievement in photography.
Why? Let me tell you the story…

Kent DuFault
https://www.flickr.com/photos/35449761@N04/11456208136/in/photolist-ism4xW

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 I took this photograph in February of It’s never been particularly well received by
2008. At that time, I was living in Florida the world at large. However, it did touch
and working at a Ritz Camera Center. one person. And it touched them in a way
Mainstream digital photography and that changed my life forever.
It’s never been
online photo sharing were in their infancy.
particularly well received That person is now my wife. At the time
by the world at large. In fact, at that time, I had no online
presence at all other than a Facebook that I posted that photograph, my wife
However, it did touch one lived on the other side of the world in
person. account, which I rarely looked at.
Argentina.
One day, I shared some of my
photographs with a younger co-worker. She now tells me that when she saw this
She told me that I should put them photograph, she knew that the person
online at photo sharing sites like Flickr, behind it had to be someone special. It
DeviantArt, and Redbubble. touched her. It touched her that I had
found beauty in something so mundane as
That night, I went home and looked a messy hose.
at those websites. I thought it might
be fun, and I decided to follow her Her finding the hose photograph online
recommendation. led her to write a note about how much
she liked it. I wrote back. We shared
The photograph of the hose was one of pictures and messages and soon became
the first images that I uploaded to a site friends. Nine months later I traveled to
called DeviantArt. Argentina, and I ended up living there with
her and her family for almost four years.
Now… this brings me to the heart of my We were married in 2012.
story. But before I reveal that, I ask you:
“What do you think of the image of the The art of seeing. The art of sharing. The
hose?” possibility that one of your photographs
might touch someone on the other side of
the world and change lives.

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 So… what was my greatest achievement Once I did discover it, that knowledge
through photography? I found the love truly opened up my career as a
of my life (when I had long ago given professional photographer. I was no
up on that possibility). Plus, it led me to longer simply imitating what others did or
fulfill a lifelong dream of living in a foreign what I thought would be successful, I was
Each of us sees the world country. truly putting my own personality into the
differently. photographs.
I like to talk about the ‘art of seeing’
because truly that is what makes I told Photzy that I wanted to write this
us different: different from other guide because, if you spend any amount
photographers, different from the rest of of time on Flickr, 500px, or similar sites,
the population that doesn’t care about art, you will begin to recognize that many
or photography. photographers haven’t developed their
own way of seeing.
Each of us sees the world differently.
There are photographers that devote Everyone is shooting the same subjects.
their lives to taking beautiful landscape Everyone is following the same trends in
photographs. And while I can appreciate processing. Many are trying to mimic what
the art and the effort one goes through they think is successful.
to get those images, I don’t find them
particularly inspiring. I’m not here to point fingers. Believe me.
I followed that same path for a very long
Identifying “how you see” is an important time.
step along your photographic path.
Before I give you some helpful hints on
I’m here to tell you that it doesn’t come nurturing your own art of seeing, I want to
easily. It took somewhere around twenty share three photographs with you that I
years of being an active photographer created for paying clients, which depict my
before I discovered my way of seeing. way of seeing.

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 Kent DuFault
https://www.flickr.com/photos/35449761@N04/9176383570/in/dateposted-public/

THE ART OF SEEING // © PHOTZY.COM 6

 Kent DuFault
https://www.flickr.com/photos/35449761@N04/21012152826/in/dateposted-public/

THE ART OF SEEING // © PHOTZY.COM 7

 Kent DuFault
https://www.flickr.com/photos/35449761@N04/20415742404/in/dateposted-public/

THE ART OF SEEING // © PHOTZY.COM 8

 I chose three very different photographs of shape and form, an interesting work shot
three very different subjects, used for three was captured.
very different purposes to illustrate a point.
The final photograph of the cornstalk
After studying the three photographs, can was for a magazine cover. Again, boring
I see in shape and form. you tell what my way of seeing is? subject, and this photograph is all about
It’s my superpower. shape and form.
Maybe, maybe not… that’s how difficult it
can be to identify your own way of seeing. I hope this illustrates to you how once
It’s not always all that obvious. you’ve discovered your way of seeing, you
can consciously apply it to any form of
I see in shape and form. It’s my photography that you might pursue.
superpower. Clients hired me because
I could see beyond the obvious. If you
were to study a body of my work over the
last twenty-five years, you would find a
consistent use of shape and form.

The first image of the girl jumping

was a family portrait session. And,
while it depicts the child in a pleasing,
memorable, manner, it’s the shape of her
body that makes the image special.

Image number two, of the man working,

was taken for a corporation that gentrifies
old buildings. My exact instructions were,
‘find something pretty and interesting
in this non-pretty atmosphere for our
corporate brochure’. Through my use of

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 Here are some suggestions to begin the be the images that have received the
discovery process and unearth your way of most likes, shares, and comments.
seeing. Once you’ve done this, I want you to
do two things. First, sort the images
1. I want you to go to 500px and into a list from your favorite to your
Begin the discovery bookmark twenty images that
process and unearth your least favorite. Second, look for
caught your attention in less than elements in those photographs that
way of seeing. five seconds. (I don’t want to put are common to the group you chose
too many parameters on your own in assignment 1.
discovery process, but if possible,
try to look at photographs that are 3. I want you to ignore what everyone
not typical to what you would shoot. else thinks and identify your own
In other words, if you typically shoot top favorite images that you’ve ever
landscapes, look at still life photos created. Take some time with this
or portraits.) Once you have chosen exercise. Some of the images may
your twenty images, study them go way back into your history. (Some
for consistent elements. Are they of my favorite images that I’ve ever
typically vertical or horizontal? Are created were photographed twenty
they color or black and white? Do to thirty years ago.) Create a list of
they have a light and airy mood or twenty images that are your very best
are they very dark and mysterious? (in your mind).
Are there pronounced lines, colors, or
patterns. The more specific you can 4. Now that you have these three
be in identifying common traits, the groups of images, try and cross
more successful the exercise will be. reference commonalities between all
of them. This will provide the clues as
2. I want you to go out on your own to “your way of seeing”.
social media accounts and identify
your top twenty images. These would

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 Discovering your way of seeing may not art of seeing, I immediately saw a story,
happen all at once. Like I said, it took me and in the story I saw the beauty of shape
many years. As you begin to have self- and form. I went and got my camera and
discovery through the process, try and created a photograph.
A big part of becoming apply that knowledge whenever you’re
a better photographer creating new photographs. That photograph hasn’t won any awards. It
is pleasing your own hasn’t received dozens of likes or even any
objectives. If you like to shoot landscapes, and your comments.
discovery process reveals that you often
see in dark, moody, and black and white, Yet, I feel that it is one of the best pictures
then attempt to create landscapes like that that I’ve ever taken, and my wife agrees:
even if it’s the middle of the day! and that’s good enough for me.

(Nobody said it wouldn’t be challenging! I know all of you at Photzy wish to become
That’s part of the achievement and fun!) better photographers. A big part of that
process is pleasing your own objectives.
If your efforts reveal that you’re attracted And a big part of that is identifying how
to Minimalism, then be Minimalistic in your you ‘see’. How you see, and utilizing that
new photographs as often as you can. vision, is what will make you truly happy as
a photographer.
If you discovered that you love bright,
garish, eye-popping color: then use that! When you create a shot, and in looking at
it you feel a glow inside, something in that
I opened this guide with the photograph image is part of your “art of seeing”.
of the hose. That hose was actually my
neighbor’s. I came out of the house one Good luck on your path.
day and saw it all tangled up on the side of
his house. In my mind, I saw him throwing
it there as he was in a hurry going about
his business. Because I always practice my

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 About the Author

IF YOU’D LIKE TO CONTINUE

LEARNING AND IMPROVING YOUR
PHOTOGRAPHY PLEASE VISIT
PHOTZY.COM

xxx
xxx

Kent DuFault is a professional photographer and author.

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