Apr25
The Dragan Effect
For many years, I’ve made my living as a journalist and writer. And one thing I’ve noticed over time is that nearly everyone thinks they can write.
I suppose it’s much the same with photography. After all, you just point the camera and click, right?
But the fact is, if you’re reading this then you either know or at least suspect there’s a lot more to it than that. If there wasn’t, then the images I take these days would look just like the ones I took in college (and thank God that’s not the case!).
Of course, back then I did capture a winner every now and then. But it had as much to do with luck as anything else. Instinctively, I had an “eye” for making a picture and usually it reasonably well. But there was a great deal I didn’t know. And worse — I didn’t know that I didn’t know it!
The fact is, not everyone can be a good photographer. At least not without a great deal of time and investment in learning. I’m still investing that time in my own learning every time I go out with my camera in hand. And while I think I’m a reasonably good photographer, I’m certainly not the best. There are many others out there from whom I can learn. And I do.
That’s the thing with photography (and writing, for that matter). You have to accept the fact when you’re learning that no matter how good you get, there is always someone out there better than you. In college I took Tae Kwon Do for a semester (I made it all the way to “yellow belt”–how embarrassing). What I learned there is that even the black belts — or at least the wisest of them — know that no matter how good they are, chances are there is someone else out there who can kick their butt. A great reason to think of Tae Kwon Do as a great defense, rather than an offense, if you ask me.
But the point is, learning from others who are greater than we are does not diminish our own skill as photographers. And over time it enhances it. But here’s a strange twist: the better you get at your own photography, the more you will recognize others who are better. Why? Because I think as our skills improve, we begin to respect the subtleties that go into making a powerful image. And that’s a good thing.
So I want to share with you a photographer whose images I came across recently. The more experienced of you reading this may already know him, but his photographs were new to me. He is a Polish photographer named Andrzej Dragan — a portrait artist of the highest caliber.
Indeed, Dragan has a achieved a mastery of style that is unmistakably his own. So much so that others out there seem to be copying it his style quite directly. Rather than copy his style, I prefer to borrow snippets and ideas from it and work them into my own vision. But his images are stunning: muted color, crisp highlights and shadow and impeccable lighting.
And when I view his images, I take a little something away that — I think — makes my own photography just that much better. They have a dreamy quality that I very much admire and have begun to work into some of my own photographs (albeit differently).
Ultimately, photography is our vision. And every work is original — as it should be. But we should never be afraid to borrow from techniques photographers we recognize as better than us. That’s where we can find sometimes find great inspiration. And chances are, they may be borrowing a thing or two themselves.
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denmuel Aug 6th 2007 at 01:45 pm 3
I have dragan’s video tutorial on my blog,..
please have a look
http://denmuel.blogspot.com/2007/08/photoshop-dragan-effect-like-in-300.html
Christopher Scholl Aug 6th 2007 at 02:07 pm 4
Very interesting technique. Thanks for sharing it.
Brandon Foster Nov 1st 2007 at 02:37 am 5
Christopher Scholl Nov 18th 2007 at 05:43 pm 6
You are entitled to you opinion, Brandon. But I think you are selling Dragan short by calling him “just another Photoshop Jock.” It sounds to me as though the problem you have is with Dragan’s manipulation of the images. But that has happened since photography began in some form or another. “Photoshop” is not a result, it is a tool some photographers enjoy using to achieve their desired effect.
You may not like the effect perhaps and prefer a less-tampered look. But that’s what’s great about photography and the visual arts - there is room for all of us.
Brandon Foster Nov 20th 2007 at 03:22 am 7
What I was attempting to say is this:
If you are going to illustrate something, then tell us that you are doing that. Don’t sit there and give the people who are new to this the idea that you shot that out of camera. Call it a digital manipulation. It helps keep the rest of us straight on what is happening. I didn’t say that his work was bad, ugly or awful. Quite the contrary. I think that he has taken something that is used less than it should be, and made it great. I just don’t like being mislead. Call things what they are. He does great illustrations. He could be a little less pretentious about it though. The man is arrogant. Not saying that he is right or wrong for it, just saying that it is off putting. If he hates photography so much, then why does he sell his workflow? Why does he post to PDN? Why does he sell his work? Why does he do it? If I hate something, I don’t repeatedly do it over and over. I stop and move on.
Christopher Scholl Nov 20th 2007 at 07:38 am 8
Those are some interesting points, Brandon. If I understand you correctly, you are essentially advocating a “truth in advertising” sort of approach. I think, fundamentally, I agree with you.
But just for the sake of discussion - do you think that approach should apply in the world of art? Since the intent of art is never all that clear to anyone but the artist, isn’t it really a matter of a simple question: do you like it or not? Consider in the world of painting or sculpture, for example. Most of us know very little about how that is done and if a sculptor decided to use a mold of some sort, would we feel cheated? Perhaps. Perhaps not.
I think what Dragan does is really pretty impressive regardless of its label… and regardless of the methods he used to achieve it.
But I do think you raise some very interesting points that are worth considering.
Thanks for the input!
Videodrone Feb 28th 2008 at 09:21 am 9
The lighting in that portrait is amazing - very old masters style.
Would love to be able to get shots like that!