I am a self-taught photographer. I don’t believe you can teach someone photography unless they have the heart for it and they are willing to do the work required. As Brett Weston famously said: “Beyond the rudiments, it is up to the artist to create art, not the camera.”
I’d like to talk about the rudiments — or fundamentals — of photography.
In the beginning, it is beneficial to know the general history of photography and the rules of composition, even if you intend to break those rules. I believe the best way to learn the aesthetics of composition is to study the master painters. As a child, I spent a lot of time studying Polish painters Chełmoński, Stanislawski, Paniewiz, Zaleski, and also Miro and da Vinci. Da Vinci’s Lady with an Ermine is one of Poland’s national treasures, so I was fortunate to have seen this masterpiece on display
