{"id":23380,"date":"2016-05-25T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-05-25T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/picsart.com\/blog\/?p=23380"},"modified":"2022-06-13T17:14:04","modified_gmt":"2022-06-14T00:14:04","slug":"capture-culture-photos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/picsart.com\/blog\/capture-culture-photos\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Capture Culture in Photos"},"content":{"rendered":"

As we continue to celebrate National\u00a0Photography Month<\/a><\/span>, we’re sharing\u00a0tips on how to best capture culture in your photos by interviewing\u00a0<\/span>San Francisco-based photographer\u00a0Spencer Brown<\/a>. His<\/span>\u00a0work is both within the editorial and the fine arts world, and incorporates unscripted expression and dynamic composition while exploring decisive moments. He shares,<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>The majority of my contract work is editorial, created to illustrate stories in media. Sometimes it\u2019s documentary, but more often than not I\u2019m involved in molding the final image through the placement of my subjects and the lighting. My fine art photography is all about composition and form and less about directing.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

We asked Spencer to give us his personal tips on how to photograph culture, using his photos of Nepal\u00a0as an example.<\/span>
\n<\/b><\/p>\n

1. Live It, Even If It\u2019s for a Single Day<\/span><\/h1>\n

\"Rural
\nOne the first steps in photographing culture is to immerse yourself in the environment that you are photographing. “To capture culture you can\u2019t be an outsider; you must dive in as much as you can.”<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0Let Events Unfold Before You<\/span><\/h1>\n

\"Nepal<\/b>
\n<\/b>In capturing culture, be open to whatever happens \u2014 controlled settings don’t work. “Initially, don\u2019t direct or alter a scene, especially as an outsider,” Spencer advises. “You are there to observe and distill what you are seeing into images. You don\u2019t want to replace the culture you are photographing with your own. At its root, documentary photography is journalism. If something wouldn\u2019t have occurred without you being there, it isn\u2019t journalism. Life\u2019s most beautiful moments are unscripted.<\/span>“<\/span><\/p>\n

3.\u00a0Don’t Forget The Details\n<\/span><\/h1>\n

\"Nepal
\nAccording to Spencer, it’s the little details that help to create the overhaul story of the photograph you’re taking. “Get a variety of shots of people and places and the little things that make your subject unique. Close-ups are more intimate and can add a lot to the story you are looking to tell.”<\/p>\n

4. Not All Cultural Shots Are Unscripted\n\n<\/span><\/h1>\n

Choosing the right moments to shoot is a way to manipulate your photographs; however, as advised by Spencer, “Don\u2019t be afraid to pose your subjects, but definitely wait until you have observed enough to know what you want to do. Keep in mind that the more you adapt a scene to your vision, the more the photograph is about you than them.”\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

5.\u00a0Return Another Day<\/span><\/h1>\n

\"Nepal
\nLastly, review, then go out to shoot some more. “Review your photos and ask yourself what worked and what didn\u2019t. Think out the shots that would round out your story and plan how you will capture them. Culture is huge. You could spend a lifetime documenting a single culture and still not capture it all.”<\/p>\n

Inspired by greats like Galen Rowell, Cartier-Bresson and Avendon, Spencer creates work that intrigues observers to ask questions. \u201cIn portraiture, I want the viewer to be engaged by the subject, to wonder who they really are. I also want people to wonder how or where a photograph was taken. My biggest compliment is when someone tells me they ‘have never seen that before’ \u2014 and they like it!\u201d<\/p>\n

Share your best culture shots with the PicsArt community with the hashtag #Culture!<\/i><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

All images contained in this article belong to Spencer Brown. We invite you to see more of his work by visiting his website<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Create at the Speed of Culture<\/i><\/b><\/a><\/h3>\n

Picsart is a full ecosystem of free-to-use content, powerful tools, and creator inspiration. With a billion downloads and more than 150 million monthly active creators, Picsart is the world\u2019s largest creative platform. Picsart has collaborated with major artists and brands like BLACKPINK, Taylor Swift, the Jonas Brothers, Lizzo, Ariana Grande, Jennifer Lopez, One Direction, Sanrio: Hello Kitty, Warner Bros. Entertainment, iHeartMedia, Cond\u00e9 Nast, and more.<\/i><\/b>\u00a0Download the app or start editing on web<\/i><\/b><\/a>\u00a0today to enhance your photos and videos with thousands of quick and easy editing tools, trendy filters, fun stickers, and brilliant backgrounds. Unleash your creativity and<\/i><\/b>\u00a0upgrade to Gold<\/i><\/b><\/a>\u00a0for premium perks!<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As we continue to celebrate National\u00a0Photography Month, we’re sharing\u00a0tips on how to best capture culture in your photos by interviewing\u00a0San Francisco-based photographer\u00a0Spencer Brown. His\u00a0work is both within the editorial and the fine arts world, and incorporates unscripted expression and dynamic composition while exploring decisive moments. He shares, \u201cThe majority of my contract work is editorial, … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “How to Capture Culture in Photos”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":25134,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_title":"How to Capture Culture in Photos","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Tips on how to best capture culture in your photos by interviewing photographer Spencer Brown and showing his beautiful photos of 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