There are a lot of stereotypes about artists and their IQ levels. There are also competing theories about what type of thinkers photographers are. Some people advocate the “creative/right brained” theory that says creative people tend to use the right sides of their brains more. Others see photography more as a subject of mathematics, which is a theory that also has merit to it.
In the following sections, we will explore the faculties necessary to be a good photographer, and what you can do to hone them. To get more in touch with your specific intellectual faculties, try taking an online IQ test to see where you stand. It could be very instructive.
A creative art, for sure
There is no question that photography requires creative faculties. If people didn’t think outside the box, then everyone would be producing the same pictures all the time. Some might argue that there is less creativity called for than in the “old days” of film and manual focus-only cameras, but this isn’t necessarily so. Think of the following aspects of photography:
- Perspective. Back in the day, cameras were difficult enough to manipulate that you really had to work at it to focus on an object in the distance, take a picture upside down or from an odd angle, or come up with odd things like fish-bowl images.
- Light usage. These days, all you need is the latest iPhone and you can take pictures in the pitch dark, neon-lit clubs, or wherever you like. We don’t even have to think about it.
- Movement. With old-school cameras, you had to be really skilled to catch objects in motion. And people who did this skillfully managed to get incredible streaming motion pictures. Most others simply got blobs.
Have we lost these abilities?
This leads to the question: Have we lost the ability to create interesting photography because it has gotten easier, or do we simply need to find new ways to become creative?
A fair argument could be made for the latter. After all, there are any number of ways that you can take pictures – particularly if you use a proper camera – and also an infinite number of ways to edit them.
Thinking of the photography aspects mentioned above, there are ways to approach the same ideas without the old film cameras and still come up with great shots:
- The question of perspective is still an interesting one. These days, apps will help you turn things upside down, make them 3-D, fish-eyed, or pretty much anything you want. Not every shot will be a winner, but you can explore to your heart’s content.
- Light and color hold infinite possibilities. Photo apps have gotten so sophisticated that not only can you manipulate the darkness on any given photo, you can do practically anything with them: create a sunset where it never existed, give yourself a whole new color palette, darken one part of a picture and leave the rest light…it is up to you. Of course, you still have to have a knack for it to come up with something good, but your creative faculties are definitely called for.
- Capture still photos, create GIFs, or put your pictures in motion. Want to wiggle your arms in a still photo? AI-driven tools now hold this possibility. Turn a frown upside down (literally)? No problem. The trick lies in getting it right and doing it skillfully enough that you come up with a real masterpiece.
The point is, the equipment might have changed, but it is still up to you to manipulate your pictures in a way that will make them special. You can, if you go about the process right.
How to assess and hone your abilities
All this leads to the natural question of where each individual stands in terms of his or her capabilities. Well, fortunately there is a great new tool out that can help you do just that. It is an online IQ test that will not only give you an accurate assessment of where you stand on the IQ scale, but also break down several different faculties for you to see where your strengths and weaknesses lie.
The best part of this program is that it offers practical exercises to improve upon weak areas. And you can take the test numerous times, so you can adjust your exercises to your scores and keep working at them for as long as you want.
Keep shooting
Simply continuing to take more pictures will undoubtedly help you in your quest to get better. While some people have a natural “eye” for photography, everyone can stand to improve with increased practice. You will learn more about composition, and you will also get more in touch with your natural instincts and what types of things appeal to you. You’ll be improving upon your photography ability and your cognitive faculties alike.