My mentor and friend, David Falconer, former chief photographer for The Oregonian, teacher at Portland State University and several community colleges, freelance travel and adventure photographer, and a kind and humble man, passed away February 2. He was 82.
I was one of David Falconer’s legion of students. His teaching, in the classroom and in practice, shaped my early career. The fundamentals of photography, that he specified in his News Photography and Photo Essay classes at Portland State University, are with me every day in my work for the Oregonian Media Group. It seems perfectly fitting that the beginning of this series on how to improve your photography should begin where I did, with lessons from Dave.
The Oregonian’s David Falconer takes a break while covering a ship that ran aground.CURIOSITY — I was prowling through the basement of OMSI during a field trip in Falconer’s Photo Essay class at PSU. I was a freshman, but he let me into the advanced class anyway. I don’t know why I went down there, I was probably bored shooting the exhibits. I turned the corner of a dark hallway and ran into David. He smiled and said, “You’re going to be good at this. You’re curious.” When I saw him last summer, I recalled the story. He said, “Don’t forget it.” If you don’t know or care about your subjects, your world, your pictures will reflect that. Falconer read the paper every day. His inspiration for photo material could come from the smallest story. His curiosity and his story ideas were essential to a 25-year career in freelance photography.
Seeking a different angle was a priority for David Falconer.THINK DIFFERENT(ly) — Don’t settle for your first idea. Bend your knees, dirty your clothes, stand on a table, or a car, or a ladder. See your world from an unusual perspective, not the one you see when you are walking around and looking at stuff. If you practice that, your pictures will be better than most. Most amateurs shoot what they like from the place they first see it. They don’t move around, get closer, examine the light, think about the lens and the angle that would best show the thing that attracted them. They look, but they don’t see.
David Falconer supported his Leica from beneath and from the side to stop camera movement.STEADY — The Falconer Grip, where the forefinger supports the bottom of the camera and the thumb supports the side, was created for shooting with a Leica M4. I’m demonstrating it with a Leica case on my iPhone. The idea is to support the bottom and push up slightly so you counteract the motion of pushing the shutter button. In the days of ASA (aka, ISO) 400 film, slow shutter speeds were the norm in available light photography. Holding the camera steady is essential to sharp pictures, especially in low light. Always brace your arms against your body, not flapping them around like bird wings. The last time I saw David, he was getting physical therapy and I was shooting the session. While slowly moving down the bars in the therapy room, he called out to me at the other end. “Michael, elbows in.”
David Falconer’s photograph of the Fremont Bridge being completed exemplifies composition and lighting.FILL THE FRAME — Compose in the camera, not on the computer or in the darkroom. Shoot with awareness of where and how to place the elements of the picture within the viewfinder frame. Falconer’s picture of the Fremont Bridge span being moved into position for final construction exemplifies not only filling the frame, but how to use a wide angle lens correctly. Use wide angles to emphasize foregrounds, not to just show more stuff. Dave’s picture emphasizes the bridge span while including the river and the city in the distance.
Whether shooting with available light or in a studio, awareness of how light plays on the subject is a essential skill for a photographer.LIGHT — The most essential part of photography, which literally means “writing with light.” Most photojournalists, Falconer included, work almost exclusively in available light. No flash unless it is absolutely necessary for a particular effect or hopelessly dark shooting situation. Be aware of light wherever you are photographing. Good lighting isn’t about brightness as much as it is about quality — the direction the light is coming from and how the interplay of light and shadow dances across your subject. For portraits of your friends and family, try taking them near a window and have the light come across their faces diagonally.
So those are the Five Lessons of Photography from David Falconer. There were many more, from Dave and from others, that I’ll be sharing with you in the weeks to come. Meanwhile, send me your comments and questions for what you would like to know to make your pictures better.