Photography Insight from a Professional Photographer Inspired by Art

Photography Tips

Ever wonder what goes through the mind of a successful art photographer? Well, wonder no more. Marc Silber is here to interview award-winning photographer Bob Holmes about how he creates his amazing images and the process he uses in his everyday photography. Silber and Holmes take a walk through the Hess Winery in Napa, California, while Holmes provides some insight into his thoughts on photography:

Insights From Photographer Bob Holmes:

“I’d rather spend time in art galleries than I would photography galleries to be honest. I find it far more inspiring. I get a lot of creative energy from looking at some of this stuff.”

Look for inspiration in other places besides photography. It doesn’t necessarily have to be art galleries. It can be anything from movies to theatre to real-life places and situations.

“I like to get people in the shots, but to totally depersonalize them so that they become a graphic element in the photograph rather than a person.”

Find something that makes your work unique. Everybody has a different style. Experiment with different ideas to see what yours is.

“One of the biggest lessons you can teach is that you should learn your camera inside out so that it becomes intuitive. You pick it up, you don’t even have to think about the settings, and you just respond to what’s in front of you.”

Like any other art form, you should be familiar with the tools you use. Cameras can be complex to understand at first, but you have to become familiar with them in order to get them to capture the images you want.

“There’s one thing that most photographs need is some punctuation point, some little element that will bring it to life.”

Adding that extra little element in your photograph will set it apart from the large majority of photos that don’t have it. Find something that makes your photos stick out.

Notice how the glass of orange juice stands out in this photo and makes it pop

One of the biggest keys to photography is experimentation. You’ll never create something new and different if you don’t try something new.