Strobelit

Slow Photography is a broadly-defined movement that has been making its way through the photo-taking community in recent years. One of the points of the movement is that it should be driven by individual preference rather than a strict set of rules, but those looking for a good introductory statement will find it in “The Photojojo Guide to Slow Photography.” Photojojo, by the way, is a great, (semi-)new photography newsletter that has been featured in publications like The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post.Photojojo writes, “the goal of Slow Photography is to capture photos that celebrate the passage of time. You can do that by taking photos that show time passing, like the long-exposed streak of a train across the plains; or you can spend a long time preparing to snap your shutter, such as the ornithologist who waits for four hours to glimpse a yellow-bellied sapsucker.” Slow Photography is a response to the fast-paced, disposable sort of photography epitomized by digital cameras. Have you ever taken a series of photos while on vacation or at a special event, and then been unable to remember exactly what you were trying to capture? There may be something you can learn from Slow Photography.An important part of Slow Photography is creating a connection with the subject. When there’s a person in the picture, this is simple, although it may still be foreign to fast-paced clickers. Take the time to talk to the subject beforehandthe goal is to make the photo more natural while conveying the strength of the human connection between artist and subject.Landscape photos offer the opportunity to explore another aspect of Slow Photographyactually slowing down your exposure to show the passage of time, whether it’s through waves crashing against a rocky shore or the movement of clouds across the sky. Photojojo recommends cutting down on light entering the lens in these cases by using “a tight aperture like f/30 and a neutral density filter to diminish any bright lights.”A third popular form of Slow Photography is in macro photosgetting up close and personal with a subject. This has always been a slow process, but you can really emphasize this by studying the subject beforehand and finding perspectives that you might not otherwise consider.Slow Photography is obviously not suitable for every occasion, but it does remind us of what photography is really about: memory. As long as you keep that in mind at all times, you’ll always be practicing at least one aspect of the movement.