Monday, January 15, 2007

Photographer John Warton from photo laureates defends his position on Amateur photography and digital pictures

Photographer John Warton from photo laureates defends his position on Amateur photography and digital pictures

As part of John Warton’s evaluation of photographs at photo laureates, he has a basic rule: the photograph must speak for itself; regardless of the photographer, the equipment or the history of the shoot.

(PRWEB) Jan 15, 2007—John Warton actively works at reviewing and evaluating photography submissions for a photography association called photo laureates (http://www.photolaureates.org). He sometimes reads skeptical comments in Internet forums, some from professional photographers, who sometimes doubt his ability to judge photographs. Amateur photographers also question his selection of photographs (some going as far as calling it a scam!)

Hence this relevant question for John Warton: can photography be judged? Can there be widespread agreement on what makes a publishable amateur photograph?

According to John from photo laureates, photography is subjective, art is subjective—but it can be judged. The basic rule is that the photograph must speak for itself; regardless of the photographer, the equipment, or the history of the shoot.

Quoting John from photo laureates: “Keep in mind that I work with amateur photographers. I know that some of the photographs I select for publication are not technically “perfect”. But they tell a story and reveal the photographer’s view on the subject. This matters to me. I am not here to please professionals. I am here to reveal potential”

John Warton and photo laureates have the following 7 pieces of advice to quickly improve the quality of your digital pictures and ….for making his review job easier!

(1) Know your equipment very well: how to control exposure, using different camera modes, using the flash, exposure, shutter speed, aperture and depth of field…read the manual!

(2) Become familiar with your macro mode for great close up shots

(3) Have the reflex to use your tripod for low-light conditions and fast moving subjects

(4) Control the flash: controlling the illumination of the subject in different indoor/outdoor settings is critical

(5) Play with your ISO settings and know how to control sensitivity to light

(6) Make sure your memory capacity is adequate

(7) Know how to hold the camera level and how to frame your shots

John Warton is a senior photography editor at photo laureates (www.photolaureates.org). He has decades of experience in photography first as a freelancer, reporter and then as publisher. He is a member of various international photography associations (Association of International Art dealers, Photographic resource center…)

Photo Laureates (http://www.photolaureates.org) offers the following:

* A unique platform of self expression to the amateur and professional photographer
* An opportunity to be published as part of a leading photography manuscript
* 24/7 customer care assistance to help associate photographers gain exposure
* Review and pieces of advise from the editors on submitted entries
* A leading membership community where members can exchange and learn with other peers and experts

About Photography Laureates (www.photolaureates.org)
The mission of Photography laureates is to provide a platform of artistic expression for amateur and professional photographers to gain exposure and recognition. Photo Laureates promotes photography and photographers through technical workshops as well as improvisation sessions.

An independent panel of experts at photo laureates reviews photographs based on the following criteria: technical quality, composition, flow, texture and light.

Photography laureates’ manuscripts are distributed internationally. Photographers retain all rights to their photographs. Photo laureates has more than 55,000 members and a 98% satisfaction rate.

For more information on Photography Laureates, please visit: http://www.photolaureates.org