Something caught my attention after participating in several informal fashion shoots and attending a few cosplay conventions.
Despite the proliferation of digital cameras, photographers are still lagging behind illustrators in terms of imagination. The vast majority of photographers seem to be stuck in a rut wherein the point of view is always between eye level and chest level, with the subject holding static poses about 3-10 meters away. Surprisingly, the issue of uniformity persists even in toy photography (albeit with scaled down proportions and a different range of angles).
Granted, comic book artists and other illustrators don't have to deal with the constraints of real life (gravity, timing issues, safety, possibly uncomfortable models, etc.). However, one also has to ask if differences in workflow contribute to this discrepancy. An artist might spend several hours to several days drawing, correcting, and refining a single image. How many photographers can make similar claims about the time they spend on planning and creating individual pictures?
Spontaneity is valued in the field of photography because we are forced to work with what's available. However, if the intent is "to create" rather than "to capture", perhaps premeditation could help photographers identify all of their options before pressing the shutter button.
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