Photography requires one to understand yin-yang.

Wikipedia definition of Yin-Yang

In Chinese philosophy, yin and yang (also, yin-yang or yin yang) describes how apparently opposite or contrary forces are actually complementary, interconnected, and interdependent in the natural world, and how they give rise to each other as they interrelate to one another. Many tangible dualities (such as light and dark, fire and water, and male and female) are thought of as physical manifestations of the duality of yin and yang.

Yin and yang can be thought of as complementary (rather than opposing) forces that interact to form a dynamic system in which the whole is greater than the assembled parts. Everything has both yin and yang aspects, (for instance shadow cannot exist without light). Either of the two major aspects may manifest more strongly in a particular object, depending on the criterion of the observation. The yin yang shows a balance between two opposites with a little bit in each.

Here are some Yin-Yang dualities in photography that I deal with constantly, and this list isn’t comprehensive by any means.

Nikon D3, AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 500, ƒ/2.8, 1/20, Nikon SB-900 off camera triggered with Pocketwizard TT1 and TT5 on the flash

Shutter-Speed/Aperture–You cannot change one without the other being affected. Changing Shutter-Speed or Aperture was more accurate in the days of film when you were stuck with one ISO until you changed the film.

ISO/Noise–As you change your ISO, you affect the image quality. Today’s cameras’ high ISO capabilities make this less noticeable, but it still exists.

Flash/Authentic Moments–When I shoot with a flash, I announce myself, and blending into a room is much more challenging.

Nikon D3S, Nikon 24-120mm ƒ/3.5-5.6, ISO 12800, ƒ/5.6, 1/200

Mixed Lighting–Situations where you have, say, window light and fluorescent lights in a room competing as the subject moves closer or further from the window, the constant fighting of color temperature is ongoing.

Gear/Photographer–This is the biggest issue I have regarding Yin-Yang. There is an ongoing struggle between the science and philosophy of the image. It is like a struggle between science/technology and the liberal arts; you need both to make the best images.

Nikon D4, AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED, ISO 200, ƒ/2.8, 1/160

Lifelong Learning

What I love the most about photography continues to frustrate me just as well as I have rarely looked at my work and felt like the images I made couldn’t be improved.

Great photos, I believe, are the results of years of understanding and knowledge of the gear to make it perform at the peak of its capabilities, along with years of knowledge of the subject. You can anticipate and execute an incredible image because you are ready for the “moment.”

Sooner or later, I have had gear fail me because I pushed it beyond its capabilities. Photographers complain, and the manufacturers listen and create newer equipment that exceeds the previous gear’s abilities.

I have to admit while photography can frustrate me, it pales to the learning curve of humanity and my ability to anticipate what people will do.

While I know today’s cameras will do even more than their predecessors, I don’t think we fully maximized all that the simple box camera will do.

Nikon Coolpix P7000, ISO 100, ƒ/2.8, 1/1100

Two topics that will result in better images

We need to spend more time getting to know the subject of the images. We need to become experts on our subjects to capture moments that help people connect through photos to those subjects in ways they did not see before.

Second, we need to constantly be learning all that our camera gear will do and what we can do to capture those “moments” with our subjects that help clear up the image so that the “moment” really “clicks” with the audience.