Seeing Differently

By Michael Freeman

One of the first tenets of professional photography is that you have to try harder, always and all the time. There is almost too much said about this, so I will limit myself to one quote from American photographer William Albert Allard: “You’ve got to push yourself harder. You’ve got to start looking for pictures nobody else could take. You’ve got to take the tools you have and probe deeper.”

I will include one more, from Alexey Brodovitch, the influential art director of Harper’s Bazaar in the 1940s and 1950s: “Look at thousands of photographs and store them in memory. Later, when you see something in the viewfinder that reminds you of a familiar picture, don’t click the shutter.” Trying harder and searching for new ways of seeing are not technical skills, but they are essential traits in all great photography.

Photo © Cary Wolinsky, Aurora Photos

The case history of Cary Wolinsky’s image of a half-shorn sheep illustrates what it sometimes takes to create a compelling photograph from an otherwise ordinary situation. Wolinsky first had to pitch the story, about wool, to the National Geographic editors. He had already completed a story on silk, which was initially rejected four times before being accepted and eventually ran as a 52-page feature. That success helped, but Editor Bill Garrett was still not immediately convinced.

“I pitched my ideas before a room full of editors from every department. Bill interrupted me at one point to say that he didn’t like sheep and asked if I could do the wool story without them. I had to think about that for a moment. I told him I didn’t think I could, but I promised that any sheep pictures I took would impress him. That set the bar high from the start.”

Wolinsky worked with a skilled shearer, Robin Kidd: “The shed was quiet. The sheep huddled in the corner of the pen, clearly wanting to leave. Robin pulled one upright so it sat on its rump, where it became still. He hesitated, unsure how to shear only half. Eventually, he began carefully cutting. The sheep was released, stood up, and immediately toppled toward its wool-covered side, unbalanced and helpless.”

“The next attempt was better planned. A grazier near Melbourne agreed to hold 100 young sheep until I arrived. We converted the shed into a studio and set up a large painted canvas as a background. One by one, I selected candidates for the image.”

“Shearing sheds are hot, dusty, and sometimes rough environments. The sheep’s skin is delicate, and small nicks are common during shearing. Several attempts failed due to imperfections or composition issues. The process tested the patience of everyone involved.”

“In the end, it was sheep number 30 that worked. Remembering how my father used tissue to stop shaving cuts, I used wool to cover a small nick on the sheep. The team held position, the lights fired, and the image came together. That photograph became the lead image in the magazine.”

Acknowledgements

This is the cover of the 2019 edition.

Michael Freeman is a professional photographer and bestselling author whose books on photography have sold millions of copies worldwide. This updated 2019 edition highlights techniques used by some of the most respected photographers, alongside their work.

The excerpt above from The Photographer’s Vision by Michael Freeman, © 2019 (2nd Edition), is reprinted with permission from the publisher, Ilex Press, a division of Octopus Publishing Group. The 192-page softcover edition retails for $24.99 and is available through Amazon and other booksellers in hardcover, paperback, and e-book formats.

Resources

Look inside the book on Amazon before ordering.

Visit Michael Freeman’s website to explore his work and learn more about his workshops and mentoring services.

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Original Publication Date: April 30, 2019

Article Last updated: May 01, 2026

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