Things I learned while taking Annie Leibovitz’s Masterclass—take photos blindfolded.

So yesterday I watched the 9th lesson from Annie Leibovitz's MasterClass and it talks about The Technical Side of Photography. In the lesson, Annie mentions an exercise that she learned in art school. The idea is to take some photographs while being blindfolded, and to later look at them to evaluate what is appealing.

Yes, while you are blindfolded!

It seems like such a counterintuitive approach to photography because clearly photography is a visual expression, however a compelling image also has much to do with instinct, intuition, and a feeling of what you see.

prayer-plant-window-light-photography-natural

I experimented with the exercise, and the results are a refreshingly free expression. Devoid of sight, I became aware of my physical space in a more feeling capacity. I still "focused" on what I thought I was photographing by using the back button focus, and would stop when I no longer heard the audible clicking of the lens. Other instances I did not focus at all, and rather took photos of certain familiar areas in the room.

This exercise tapped into a feeling rather than a thinking approach. I love how free the images are.

Want to give it a try? Here are Grace with Fire Photography's suggestions before you go and do it yourself:

1. Decide where you are going to make the photographs (I chose what I call my "Zen Den"--as it has a lot of natural light coming in from the windows and has an overall calm vibe) no overthinking, pick a place and go for it!

2. Properly meter (with your eyes open) so that you will have the correct exposure.

3. Choose the right lens. Make an informed decision based on where you plan to shoot. Since this room is about 10x12, I used my Canon 50mm 1.8 so that things weren’t too close or far away. You could try with two different lenses and see which appeals to you more.

4. Blindfold yourself and start shooting! It was pretty cool to be in a room I was so familiar with because I had a good idea of where things were, and it gave me a chance to tap into my imagination and memory as to where *ahem* I thought things were located within that room (I mean you get A LITTLE disoriented with your eyes closed)

Continually educating yourself is such a big part of becoming better at photography. One of the best ways of learning is practicing and experimenting with different ways of seeing.