142

Image Shutter Magazine

© Jack Curran . September 2019
Photography It’s All About The Connection | Jack Curran

with Jack Curran

143 behindtheshutter.com
 It’s All About the Connection | Jack Curran

It’s All About the Connection!

While that headline is a pretty bold statement, let me share with

\RX ÀYH HVVHQWLDO HOHPHQWV WKDW PD\ KHOS \RX FRQQHFW DQG FUHDWH
more meaningful black & white photographs (or any style of
image, really).

1. EMOTIONAL CONNECTION

'R\RXKDYHDQHPRWLRQDOFRQQHFWLRQWRWKHODQGVFDSHRUVXEMHFW
LQIURQWRI\RX",·YHIRXQGWKDW,·PPRVWIRFXVHGDQGVXFFHVVIXO
ZKHQ,·PSDVVLRQDWHDERXWWKHVXEMHFW)RUPHLW·VODQGVFDSHIRU
you, it could be portraits, botanicals, abstracts, or long-exposure
DUFKLWHFWXUH )HHOLQJ WKDW HPRWLRQDO FRQQHFWLRQ KDV DOVR FDXVHG
PHWRVLJQLÀFDQWO\UHGXFHWKHYDULHW\RIVXEMHFWV,VKRRWDQGIRFXV

Images © Jack Curran Photography

RQO\ RQ WKH NLQGV , ORYH 7DNH D PLQXWH WR WKLQN DERXW VRPH RI
\RXUIDYRULWHSKRWRJUDSKHUV)RUWKHPRVWSDUWWKH\H[FHOLQRQH
VSHFLÀF DUHD RI LQWHUHVW ,W PLJKW EH SRUWUDLW ODQGVFDSH VWUHHW
VSRUWVDEVWUDFWDGYHQWXUH³WKHOLVWJRHVRQDQGRQ:K\DUHWKHLU
photographs powerful and compelling? Because they are not a
JHQHUDOLVW EXW UDWKHU DUH IRFXVHG RQ ZKDW WKH\ ORYH 2QH VLPSOH
VXJJHVWLRQLVWRIRFXVRQZKDW\RXORYHWRVKRRWPRVW,I\RXGRQ·W
feel it, why take it?
. September 2019
Photography

behindtheshutter.com
Image Shutter
144 Magazine
© Jack Curran

145
146 Shutter Magazine . September 2019
It’s All About the Connection | Jack Curran

Image © Jack Curran Photography

147 behindtheshutter.com
 It’s All About the Connection | Jack Curran

Images © Jack Curran Photography

2. TRANSITIONS

/RRNIRUWUDQVLWLRQVWKH\H[LVWLQDYDULHW\RIZD\VDQGSODFHV:KDWLVLWDERXWWKHLPDJHLQWKHIUDPHWKDWSLTXHG
\RXUFXULRVLW\"7U\WRXQFRYHUHOHPHQWVEH\RQGWKHREYLRXV&RQVLGHUÁRZDQGLIWKHLPDJHKDVWUDQVLWLRQVIRU
Shutter Magazine . September 2019

the eye to react to such as depth from front to back, top to bottom, and left to right. Look for the directional
ÁRZRIOLJKWWRVHHLILWDFFHQWXDWHVWKHVXEMHFWDQGKHOSVWRFUHDWHLQWHUHVW<RXFDQDOVRKDYHWUDQVLWLRQVWKDW

© Jack Curran Photography

KLJKOLJKWWH[WXUHIURPVRIWWRKDUGOLJKWWRGDUNKLJKFRQWUDVWWRÁDWRUZLWKOHDGLQJOLQHV&RQVLGHULIWKHUH

Imagesbehindtheshutter.com
LVDWUDQVLWLRQLQHPRWLRQDOWHQVLRQ)RUH[DPSOHPD\EH\RX·YHFRPHXSRQDQLQWHQVHWKXQGHUVWRUPKRYHULQJ
RYHUVRIWULSSOLQJGXQHVRUDEDUUHQWUHHDJDLQVWWKHVRIWQHZVQRZ7KHVHÀWLQWULQVLFDOO\ZLWKEODFN ZKLWH
EHFDXVHZHDUHDOUHDG\OHDYLQJWKHUHDOZRUOGEHKLQGDQGGLYLQJLQWRWKHZRUOGRIOLJKWDQGVKDGRZDQGJUD\VFDOH
7UDQVLWLRQVNHHSPHLQWHUHVWHGDQGHQJDJHGLQWKHSKRWRJUDSK,IHHODZLOOLQJQHVVWRH[SORUHDQGGLVFRYHUWKH
intent of the photographer and the story of the image.

149
148
 It’s All About the Connection | Jack Curran

Images © Jack Curran Photography

3. COMPOSITION

7KH FRPSRVLWLRQ DQG DUWLVWLF H[SUHVVLRQ ZLWKLQ \RXU IUDPH DUH ZLWKRXW D GRXEW VRPH RI WKH PRVW FULWLFDO
HOHPHQWVZKHQWDNLQJDSKRWRJUDSK:KHQWHDFKLQJVWXGHQWV,VWULYHWRLPSDUWRQHRIWKHHVVHQWLDOSKLORVRSKLHV
RIJRRGFRPSRVLWLRQ³NHHSLWVLPSOH)RUWKHPRVWSDUWOHVVLVPRUHZKHQWHOOLQJDVWRU\/HW·VDVVXPH\RX
KDYHDVXEMHFW\RXDUHSDVVLRQDWHDERXW+RZGR\RXH[SUHVV\RXULQWHUSUHWDWLRQRIWKDWVWRU\"+HUH·VDOLWWOH
VRPHWKLQJ,UHFRPPHQGWKDWZLOOKHOSZLWKOHDUQLQJJRRGFRPSRVLWLRQ3XW\RXUFDPHUDDZD\³OHDYHLWLQ\RXU
EDFNSDFNRUEDJ:DONDURXQGWKHVFHQHZLWKRXW\RXUFDPHUD7DNHWKHWLPHWRORRNDWDOOWKHSRVVLEOHRSWLRQV
IRUFRPSRVLWLRQEHIRUH\RXHYHQVHWXSIRUDVKRW,XVHDVPDOOEODFNUHFWDQJXODUYLHZHUZLWKDKROHFXWWRWKH
DVSHFWUDWLRRIP\FDPHUDDQGZDONDURXQGDVFHQHKXQWLQJIRUWKHEHVWSRVVLEOHFRPSRVLWLRQV+ROGWKHYLHZHU
. September 2019

FORVHWR\RXUH\HWRVFRSHRXWDZLGHDQJOHDQGKROGLWDWDUP·VOHQJWKIRUDWHOHSKRWR7U\LW,WKDVKHOSHGPH
LPPHQVHO\LQWHUPVRIH[SORULQJQHZRSWLRQVDQGÀQGLQJEHWWHUFRPSRVLWLRQV
Photography

behindtheshutter.com
150 Shutter
Images Magazine
© Jack Curran

151
 It’s All About the Connection | Jack Curran

4. VISION + VISUALIZATION
Shutter Magazine . September 2019

:KDWGR,PHDQE\WKLV",WHQGWRWKLQNDERXWP\FUHDWLYHSURFHVVDWWKHWLPHRIWDNLQJDSKRWRJUDSKDVXVLQJ
Image © Jack Curran Photography

DFRPELQDWLRQRIWKHDUWDQGWKHFUDIWWRDFKLHYHWKHÀQDOLPDJH,DSSURDFKP\WKRXJKWSURFHVVOLNHWKLV$UW
FRUUHODWHVWRP\DUWLVWLFYLVLRQRIZKDW,·PWU\LQJWRFUHDWHDQGQRWMXVWDWHFKQLFDOUHSUHVHQWDWLRQRIZKDW,VHH
7KHFUDIWLQP\DSSURDFKFRUUHVSRQGVWRWKHWRROVSRVWSURFHVVLQJRUGDUNURRP,·PJRLQJWRXVHWRUHDOL]HP\

behindtheshutter.com
YLVLRQ3XWWLQJWKHVHWRJHWKHUZKHQFUHDWLQJWKHSKRWRLVWKHRQHWZRSXQFK,OLNHWRWKLQNDERXWWKLVPXFKWKH
way a painter has an idea or concept for their painting and then combines this with their mastery of tools (brushes
DQGSDLQWVWRUHDOL]HWKHLUÀQDOH[SUHVVLYHDUW,·OOH[SODLQWKLVDELWPRUHLQSRLQW

153
152
 It’s All About the Connection | Jack Curran

Image © Jack Curran Photography

5. MASTER THE CRAFT

%DFNLQP\ODUJHIRUPDWÀOPDQGGDUNURRPGD\V,OHDUQHGKRZLPSRUWDQWLWZDVWRPDVWHUWKHFUDIWRIFUHDWLQJ
DÀQDOSULQWZRUWK\RIH[KLELWLQJ+DYLQJWUDQVLWLRQHGWRGLJLWDODQG$GREH/LJKWURRP,·YHFRPHWRUHDOL]HKRZ
PXFKH[SORULQJDQGGHYHORSLQJDQH[SUHVVLYHVW\OHZKHQEXLOGLQJDPDVWHUSULQWÀOHKDVKHOSHGPHUHDOL]HP\
. September 2019

YLVLRQ,EHOLHYHWKDWIRUPHLWKDVEHFRPHHVVHQWLDOWRFRPELQHP\DUWLVWLFYLVLRQZLWKWKHDELOLW\WREULQJLWWR
OLIHWKURXJKPDVWHULQJWKHFUDIWRIDQH[SUHVVLYHSKRWRJUDSK,KDYHJURZQLPPHQVHO\LQP\DELOLW\WRUHDOL]H
Curran Photography

WKHIXOOSRWHQWLDORIDSLFWXUHE\FRPELQLQJYLVLRQWKHDUWZLWKYLVXDOL]DWLRQWKHFUDIWDWWKHWLPHRIWKHLPDJH

behindtheshutter.com
FDSWXUH,·YHSUDFWLFHGIRU\HDUVQRWMXVWWROHDUQWKHWHFKQRORJ\VLGHRIWRGD\·VGLJLWDOZRUOGEXWWRGRLWZLWKD
© Jack Magazine

YHU\IRFXVHGJRDORIUHDOL]LQJWKHEHVWSRVVLEOHEODFNDQGZKLWHODQGVFDSHDWWKLVSRLQWLQP\FUHDWLYHHYROXWLRQ
$QG,·PVPLOLQJDV,ZULWHWKLVEHFDXVHWKHZRUG´HYROXWLRQµLVVRHVVHQWLDOWRPDVWHULQJWKHFUDIW:HKDYHWR
keep experimenting and growing.
ImagesShutter
154

155
 It’s All About the Connection | Jack Curran Focal Length: 35mm Exposure: F/1.4 1/800sec ISO: 100

Image © Jack Curran Photography

6RZKDWGRHVLWORRNDQGIHHOOLNHZKHQ\RXVWDUWWRSXWWKHVHHOHPHQWVDQGZRUNÁRZSURFHVVHVWRJHWKHUDWWKH
WLPHRIFDSWXUH"<RXDUHQRZVTXDUHO\IRFXVHGRQDVXEMHFW\RX·UHSDVVLRQDWHDERXWDQGHPRWLRQDOO\FRQQHFWHG
WR<RXZLOOEHJLQWRFRPSRVHZLWKIRFXVDQGLQWHQW<RXZLOOWDNHWKHWLPHWRWKLQNDERXWKRZ\RXUYLVXDOL]DWLRQ
SURFHVVRUFUDIWFDQKHOS\RXUHDOL]HDZHOOFRQFHLYHGSKRWRJUDSKEHIRUH\RXWULSWKHVKXWWHU$QGXOWLPDWHO\
\RXZLOOFUHDWHDQH[SUHVVLYHSKRWRJUDSKWKDWUHSUHVHQWV\RX\RXUSDVVLRQVDQG\RXUDELOLW\WRWHOODFRPSHOOLQJ
story worthy of the wall.
Conceived with elegance
+RSHIXOO\WKLVZDVKHOSIXO+DSS\VKRRWLQJDQGUHPHPEHULW·VDOODERXWWKHFRQQHFWLRQ
and crafted to perfection
Breathtaking sharpness – velvety, soft bokeh – uncompromised performance.
The culmination of our relentless obsession to deliver the ultimate image quality.
Shutter Magazine . September 2019

Jack Curran is an internationally awarded Black-and-White Landscape Photographer. In recent

years, Jack’s photography has been exhibited in Paris, Athens, Berlin, Moscow, and Malaga, Capture your vision. Pursue your passion.
Spain, as well as domestically in the US. Most recently, Jack was ranked the #2 black-and-white
photographer in the world by One Eyeland, which included all genres of B&W. Jack has won Gold Unmask your potential.
or 1st place in the IPA, PX3, ND Awards, Moscow International Foto Awards, Tokyo International

behindtheshutter.com
Foto Awards, International Gala/Pollux Awards, Black and White Spider Awards, and Black &
White Photography Magazine’s Portfolio Awards.

jackcurranphotgraphy.com SP 35mm F/1.4 Di USD (Model F045)

For Canon and Nikon mounts
Di: For full-frame and APS-C format DSLR cameras

www.tamron-usa.com
156

157