In this series of articles, we will guide you through the basics of photography. From equipment to developing your own style, Quench Culture will answer all the questions you may have about this fascinating medium.

There are many reasons why you might have been drawn to read this article. The first, and most obvious one, is that youÔÇÖve recently started getting involved in photography and that youÔÇÖre looking for tips and tricks to wrap your head around this enormous subject. If this is the case, welcome! However, itÔÇÖs important to emphasise that this series of articles is not necessarily just aimed for beginners or just for photographers (though the title might imply otherwise). Quench Culture is all about inviting our readers to take a step further and explore their artistic potential; therefore, I promise these articles wonÔÇÖt be a waste of time, regardless of how much time you have actually spent behind a camera.

Look around you. Photographs are everywhere. Whether itÔÇÖs a picture in your grandmotherÔÇÖs living room, or on your Instagram feed, it feels as if photography has always surrounded us. But, has it actually always been there? Surprisingly enough, photography as an artistic medium is recent in comparison to painting and poetry. To see how it all started, IÔÇÖll take you on a historical stroll, back to the 19^th century.

Henry Fox Talbot is known as one of the pioneers of photography. His first attempts were simple, he captured images with a light-sensitive silver chloride that darkened where it was exposed to light, creating the first negatives. Interestingly enough, the reason why he put so much effort into this was because he was increasingly frustrated at his lack of drawing skills, and he wanted to find a new way to faithfully capture the beauty of nature. He later on defined photography as ÔÇ£the pencil of natureÔÇØ, arguing that it would allow ÔÇ£natural objects to delineate themselves without the aid of the artistÔÇÖs pencilÔÇØ. ItÔÇÖs important to remember this as, in our contemporary world, itÔÇÖs easy to forget the core link between painting and the birth of photography. Painting, and by default, photography, is ultimately about exploring oneÔÇÖs own style, or (returning to TalbotÔÇÖs original idea) itÔÇÖs about discovering and comfortably embracing, oneÔÇÖs own way of holding the metaphorical pencil.

“Photography is about discovering, and comfortably embracing, one’s own way of holding the metaphorical pencil.”

Developing your personal style is not a simple process or something that can be treated lightly. Photographers, and artists in general, exist in a contextual environment; they are a product of their time, and by consequence, they are constantly influencing each other. Because of this, it is necessary to start your own personal journey with photography by learning about its past.

There are numerous brilliant and influential photographerÔÇÖs whose work is worth looking at, and obviously, once you know what type of photography mostly interests you, it will be easier to delimit your options. As a start though, IÔÇÖve selected a couple of key photographers who are considered to be indispensable.

Henri Cartier Bresson is commonly accredited as ÔÇÿthe master of candid photographyÔÇÖ. This is due to his unique approach which mainly focused on exploiting the attributes of spontaneity. Waiting for the exact moment to press the shutter he created unforgettable images which encourage us to be patient towards our subjects and their environment.

Dorothea Lange is mostly known for her documentary photography. Setting her work in rural areas, and depicting farmers, workers, and children as her main characters, she created a historical and humanized portrayal of the Depression-era in America. Her choice of angles frequently stressed the hands, shoes and faces of her subjects; subtly evoking the overwhelming sense of poverty, loss and despair. These recurrent elements in her work have labelled her as one of the greatest influences of documentary photography and photojournalism.

The 1980s were a striving time for photography in Britain. The Thatcherite government and the social consequences that were caused by it, forced British photographers to deviate their commercial approach towards politically charged images. It was around this time that David Hurn (incidentally raised in Cardiff), Martin Parr and Peter Mitchel developed their most prominent work. These three photographers should be mentioned collectively as all of them managed to uniquely emphasise different elements of British life, regardless of the fact that they were all working during the same era.

The essayist and poet, Ralph Waldo Emerson said that ÔÇ£art is the path of a creator to his workÔÇØ. Looking back at the photographers discussed, the main similarity is that, through their personal journey and commitment to the medium, they created their own narratives; and by doing so, they developed a style that intrinsically belonged to them.

“Art is the path of a creator to his work.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

The idea of creating your own iconic style as a photographer might seem quite daunting, and it might not even be your aim but the reason why it is important to keep this in mind, is because photography is a personal journey about exploring and expanding your own interests. As you progress, keep asking yourself: what do I really want to say with my photographs, and how am I going to say it?

One of the main reasons why photographs are so essential to our everyday life is because they represent something that is intrinsic to humanity itself. They are a representation of our continuous attempt to remain. Photographs are symbols that document our journey through time. So, what are the photographs we are taking really saying about us?

Throughout this series of articles, I will guide you on the technical side of photography, but will also delve into the complexities of the medium itself. Hopefully, this will be an invitation for you to explore further what you want to say with your camera!

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