12 Things to Photograph Before You Die
You’ll photograph lots of subjects and reel off tens or even hundreds of thousands of images before you lay down your camera for the last time. Some of those pictures will be memorable; a few will serve as milestones in your life. One or two might even change it.
Here are twelve subjects we think you should photograph before you die.
1. A Perfect Portrait
Photography: millylillyrose
There are few photographers who don’t, at some point, find themselves pointing their camera at the face of someone they love, admire or just find interesting. Capturing an expression is simple enough but creating a portrait that captures an entire life’s story is a whole other challenge.
You can practice portraiture every day but you might only get the right face in the right light at the right time once. It’s worth looking out for.
2. A Complete Story
Photography: Dorothea Lange, Farm Security Administration
An image of a face can capture a life but photojournalists have to capture moments that describe stories that might have taken years to develop. This picture by Dorothea Lange of a 32-year-old mother of seven in California summed up the Depression. You don’t have to find poverty to create a picture like this; just a moment that says more.
3. Northern Lights
Photography: Joshua Strang/ USAF
A telling moment can happen anywhere at anytime. The Northern Lights can only be found in the northern latitudes. They’re a must-see for anyone but especially for any artist whose medium is light. While the Southern Polar Lights are just as impressive, the Aurora Borealis is easier to reach. They’re the reason to bone up on your long-exposure night photography… and buy a pair of longjohns too.
4. A Blue Iceberg
Photography: Marc Shandro
And you can get a second use out of those when you take a picture of an iceberg. All icebergs are spectacular but blue icebergs are special. They often come from the bottom of a glacier and may be 80,000 years old when they hit the sea. Ice filters out all colors except blue so because these icebergs are completely clear, they look exceptionally beautiful through a lens.
5. A Rainforest
Photography: pfly
The amazing color of a blue iceberg is one reason to shoot one before you die; another reason is that if global warming theorists are right, there might be a sudden burst of them and then no more. The same is true of rainforests. If you like photographing any sort of flora or fauna, you won’t find a better variety of choices than along the Amazon or in the wilds of Sarawak.
6. Migrating Wildebeest
Photography: pnoid00
And whether you like photographing animals or not, every photographer should get a chance to shoot the annual wildebeest migration. It might be a wildlife photography cliché, but the sight of 1.5 million animals spreading across the plains, crossing rivers and feeding lions makes for some spectacular photos.
7. A Sand Dune
Photography: Luca Galuzzi
A photo of the wildebeest migration is likely to be all action and rapid movement. Sand dunes move too but at a much slower rate. That gives you plenty of time to set up your camera and capture an image of rich blue, golden yellow and curving shadow. Try it once.
8. New York
Photography: photochiel
There are plenty of cities that look good through a lens. Paris has the Eiffel Tower, London has St. Paul’s and Shanghai has the Bund. But only New York has that skyline, those sky-less streets, yellow taxis, steaming grilles and more characters than a Tolstoy novel. There’s a reason it’s one of the most photographed cities in the world — and plenty of reasons why at least one of those photos should be yours.
9. Love…
Photography: LordKhan
Christopher Hitchens based the title of a book on the principle that life is incomplete unless it has experienced love, poverty and war. Fortunately, of those three, love is the easiest to find. At least one of the images you take before you die should summarize that most wonderful of emotions.
10. … and War
Photography: arique
And another photo should still include war. You don’t have to dig out a helmet and buy a ticket to Iraq to do that. “War” can mean an argument between two battling neighbors, a face-off at a rap concert or two football players lining up. It’s a vital part of life and it should be in your portfolio of images.
11. A Picture that’s Sold
Photography: Matt Pagel
Selling a photo is never just about the money. It’s about the recognition that you’ve created something so valuable that someone is prepared to pay for it. It doesn’t matter how much or what they do with it. It just matters that they pay.
12. An Image that Makes a Difference
Image courtesy of Earth Sciences and Image Analysis Laboratory, NASA Johnson Space Center.
And this is what photography is really all about. Some photographers are lucky enough to take a picture that changes the course of history or affects the way millions see the world. That would be ideal. It’s good enough to take a picture that gives hope, pleasure and a smile whenever it’s seen.
February 22nd, 2008 at 9:35 am
Uh, I have seven to go yet, but still some years to accomplish that. I am looking forward to my sand dune shoot.
February 22nd, 2008 at 2:36 pm
Great list, but I do have to disagree with number 1. What happens after you've taken the "perfect portrait"? What will motivate you to get better? I always look at portraits I take, or any image for that matter, with a very critical eye and try to find something I can do to make it better. Considering something perfect seems to lead to not trying to improve.
And I've only pulled of 2 or 3 on the list. The last one is a hard one to be sure of
February 22nd, 2008 at 4:51 pm
There's an interesting back-story behind the famous Dorothea Lange photo that's number 2 on your list. You can read more about it at http://www.worldsfamousphotos.com/migrant-mother-1936.html or http://www.migrantgrandson.com/the.htm
February 22nd, 2008 at 7:45 pm
1, 7, 8, 9 and 11 - done. I agree with this list, but I feel that maybe a photograph on each of the seven continents would have a good addition to the list, its certainly something on my extra long list to things to photograph before I die.
February 22nd, 2008 at 7:52 pm
Mostly great, however a photo of the earth from space could be a tricky one!
February 22nd, 2008 at 11:35 pm
A very interesting list, and I cannot disagree with a single point - and your example images were simply perfect!
February 23rd, 2008 at 3:08 am
I've shot 5/12, still a long way to go
February 23rd, 2008 at 2:18 pm
Good thing I live in New York. One down... I doubt I'll ever photograph wildebeest though, haha.
February 24th, 2008 at 8:22 am
You've inspired me to come up with my own photography "bucket list". Thanks for the interesting article.
February 24th, 2008 at 12:12 pm
Can't just about anyone do pretty pictures these days? Great commentary, missing here, could help make this more than just a waste of space.
February 24th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
Just what the world needs, more pictures of the northern lights, sand dunes, people kissing and trees. You left out "the perfect sunset" and "the cutest photo of your pet." on your list of "most hackneyed photo ideas." Oh, wrong list? Sorry. Ugh.
February 24th, 2008 at 4:56 pm
if that black guy who looks like james earl jones punched me, i'd mop the floor with him
February 24th, 2008 at 6:10 pm
The perfect list of things that every photographer should strive to photograph in their lifetime!
February 24th, 2008 at 7:58 pm
Branson's Virgin Galactic will have commercial space travel operating shortly (relatively speaking), so the earth-from-space shot might not be so unattainable! I wonder if they'll go that high.
Great list Dean, as always.
Lee
February 24th, 2008 at 8:09 pm
Well done, your list looks at the 'bigger picture' (no pun) of a photography portfolio. Like ShaolinTiger, I'm at 5/12 also, I'll have to keep pluggin' away.
February 25th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
Here's another great list, from Don Giannatti:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/strobist/discuss/72157602335784471/72157602336622341/
February 27th, 2008 at 11:59 pm
Here's a place with things to take a photograph of. Some harder, some easier. Some mundane, some hilarious.
http://www.mobtropolis.com/scenes/active
March 2nd, 2008 at 6:52 pm
Uhhh Icebergs actually turn blue because the oxygen has been squeezed out of them, or no bubbles in it.
March 2nd, 2008 at 8:28 pm
A perfect portrait is properly exposed, here part of the face is washed out.
March 3rd, 2008 at 12:35 am
Ive got a great shot of the earth... sadly I hadnt packed my wide angle lens...so its more of a close up... its about a square foot of my backyard...sort of a macro effect
March 3rd, 2008 at 3:36 am
A portfolio this diverse is a sure ticket to obscurity. Art in its finest manifestation is all about refinement and focus. the borad specturm of work thatis suggested here as desirable can only be understood as the work of a dilletante who likes photography. Good photography is not about photography in the same way that good painting is not about paint and brushes. It is simply a symptom and manifestation of a passion/obsession far larger than the medium itlself.
The real clue to the truth of this is that none of the images above were made by the same person.
Do not divide your energy. Focus. Be crazy in one place. Your mark will be far more indelible. js
March 4th, 2008 at 12:22 pm
As an aspiring photographer, this is a something that im going to put onto my list of things to photograph. I just hope that i can capture a photo close to the quality that is portrayed here.
ciao
March 4th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
Great list!!!!! Thanks for the inspiration!
March 7th, 2008 at 5:19 pm
forget NY, what about Miami Beach
March 9th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
No self respecting photographer should ever dream of snapping any of these cliches.
Nor is the first a perfect portrait. Far from it.
I suggest you look up David Bailey in wikipedia or Terence Donovan.
March 9th, 2008 at 5:06 pm
One more to go..., what is New York?
March 9th, 2008 at 8:53 pm
I'd congratulate you for the fantastic list but since you're done, you've evidently died.
Maybe the list should have been a little longer. Sorry, can't die, 2 trillion more photos to go. Check back in a few centuries.
May 1st, 2008 at 1:06 am
I'd say concentrate upon editing ones imagery to make a difference. I've photographed a sand dune. Its not too memorable.
Take the lessons and use them to photograph something within a mile of your home.
Those will be the images you learn the most from
May 5th, 2008 at 11:11 am
"...unless it has experienced love, poverty and war. Fortunately, of those three, love is the easiest to find."
I would have to strongly disagree with this statement. Surely love is one of the hardest things to find. Whereas war and poverty are staring us in the face daily.
All the more reason to capture it on film, I guess.