Photography Lingo
If we spend
enough time hangin' around photographers, we've probably heard a lot of phrases that have to do with what we do as photographers.
The problem with these phrases is they're open to interpretation.
And the meaning is dependent on the photographer using it.
This inconsistent use from photographer to photographer is confusing at best.
So let's develop a visual vocabulary specific to light, camera operation, and compositional intent instead of
relying on inconsistent jargon.
This week's jargon that we often encounter is:
Photography Lingo: Blown Out and Blocked Up
Hello ,
Have ya heard those phrases before?
They describe specific tonalities that we might see in our
photographs.
Blown-out and blocked-up tonalities are at the extremes of our tonalities.
Blown-out tonalities are areas of pure white with no
detail.
Blocked-up tonalities are areas of pure black with no detail.
And depending on who we ask, blown-out or blocked-up tonalities are visual
no-nos.
But if you were to ask me whether those tonalities are acceptable, I'd say that it depends on the picture we intend to create. In other words, making hard and fast rules about blown-out or blocked-up tonalities ain't a good idea.
I think it couldn't hurt to show you a couple of examples.
These are pictures on my website, and there's a "click to enlarge" function directly under the image if you want a closer look.
Here's a link to a picture with a lot of blown-out
tonalities.
And here's a link to a picture with a lot of blocked-up tonalities.
Blown-out and
blocked-up tonalities can be done intentionally, or they can be something we can't avoid. However they wind up in our picture; keep in mind that there's no detail in that area of our pictures.
And since there's no detail to see, in my mind, these areas of "nothing to see" can create a sense of curiosity or mystery, allowing the viewer room to create a personal narrative about the picture.
And remember, we learn and become better by doing, so practice making at least one picture today.
That’s all for now; thanks for reading!
Sam
Study and practice photography with me.
And if the timing doesn't work for you in any of my scheduled
group classes, we can schedule a one-time lesson or a series of in-person or online one-on-one private instruction that cover the same things as any of my group classes.
Ways to work with me are listed below.
