Please bare with me while I rant about photography from back in the day to today. I know, I know, I sound like an old fuck yelling at you to get off my lawn or out of my darkroom. ;-)
My questions for today… what’s the difference between a photography trick and technique? When does a trick become a technique? What is a trick? What is a technique? Have you thought about this? Am I making sense?
I’ll give you an example from “back in the day”… Cross processing! Processing film in different chemistries to get a different look from the film. Taking a color positive film and processing it in E-6 or vice versa. At first it was a trick for me. I started doing it when I was 18 and worked at a color lab. I liked it, but it wasn’t my thing. Then in the 90’s there were photographers doing it consistently and creating amazing photos!!! Iconic photos! They worked at the “trick” and made it a technique. Am I making sense? Starts out as a trick and then develops into a technique. (Excuse the photo pun)
Today digital photographers do it with actions, filters and now AI. They look like tricks to me now. Most of them are. Not sure where the photography technique comes in with post production. It’s just my opinion, but I don’t think digital tricks are photography techniques. I do think photographers today do more tricks than have techniques. Most photography looks the same to me these days. Not all, but a lot looks the same.
Let’s not forget about lighting tricks that are almost techniques. Colored gels, ring lights, light painting and flash on camera. Ugh. Been there and seen it. Trick or technique? I do see a trick now and then, but most of it has been done before.
In conclusion… I made no sense, I more confused now and please keep shooting. ALSO… back in the day we had a simple saying… “Tricks are for kids”.
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