The first stage of the Design Process, asks us to Investigate. Investigating involves using the work of other Photographers to teach us something about our brief. It provides us with a starting point from which to develop our ideas and explore creative options.

I stumbled upon a blog recently that expresses this idea, "…(this) is an important process in learning any skill, artistic or otherwise. It happens in every branch of art. Musicians learn to play by playing other musician's songs. Painters learn technique by copying the greats. Why should photography be any different? A camera is simply the paintbrush."

The phrase 'There's nothing new under the sun' implies that no-one can really take credit for any one creative idea. Everything is born from inspiration of the world and people around us.

Photographers the world over learn from one another and have been doing so for many, many years. We take interesting ideas, concepts, composition, subject-matter, posing, props etc. and put our own spin on them. We learn about ways of achieving the photo we envisage, by studying the work and processes of other photographers.

This is true of all creative fields. My English lecturer and renowned children's author once explained that her best-selling children's book 'copied' the structure, rhythm and rhyming sequence of a simple bible story.

Looking at an image intently and purposefully is a lot like studying a poem or an artwork. We don't just look at it and think "that's an interesting image!", we need to really study it.

We dissect it, think about how it was achieved and identify the message and meaning. Once we have pulled it to pieces, we can begin to piece it back together adding our own personality and style.

These questions can be a helpful way to begin to understand what it is we can learn from a photograph.

We might not need to ask all of these questions - in fact, there may be other questions that we can add to this list - but, it is a great starting point.

Beyond the previous 'starting point' questions, we can delve a little deeper into how the photographer achieved the photograph. A good place to start in understanding the 'HOW' is...Composition.

Know your composition techniques. Practice identifying these in the work of others. The most common techniques are;

- Rule-of-thirds
- Leading Lines
- Simple Background
- Selective Focus
- Frame Format
- Fill-the-frame

*Remember, images may incorporate several composition techniques or they may bend the 'rules' of composition. It is still worth noting! Particularly if the photographer has broken a 'rule'.

The next 'HOW' question relates to the technical choices made along the way. This is where you need to have a good understanding some photography-specific terminology. Terms such as 'depth-of-field'/aperture/f-stops, ISO, shutter speed, image noise, camera shake/bur, long exposure, focal length, focus point etc. etc.

It's not always clear exactly what settings a photographer has chosen, but there are a few things you can explore...

The questions that need answering about the technical aspects of photography include...

If you know little or nothing about each of these things...it is worth taking the time to understand them.

It is also important to understand the relationship between them i.e. if the aperture setting is altered, it will have an effect on the shutter speed and/or ISO meaning further changes need to be made to achieve a correct exposure.

HOW TO FIND OUT SETTINGS USED...

http://www.flickr.com - is a great resource for photographers. Some photographers willingly share their camera settings (metadata) and in some cases, their process for capturing the shot.

You can interact with the photographer and ask questions as well as comment/critique their work. In turn, if you would like feedback on your own images, there are flickr groups that operate solely for that purpose.

http://www.behance.com - is a site dedicated to visual artists (design, photography, art etc.) It operates as an artist's portfolio allowing them to showcase their work to potential clients and collaborate with other artists.

You can search for photographic images by using the 'filter'. You can also connect with other photographers and ask questions about their work.

Use a Google search to find the websites and blogs of professional photographers.

Sometimes they share information about the camera equipment used and the settings used to capture certain images. If they don't offer information such as this, they will generally include contact details and are willing to share their secrets with budding photographers.

Look for tell-tale signs that an image has been edited. Think about the tone and contrast of an image. Does it have an obvious tone or colour? Vintage effect? Black and white conversion? Is the editing subtle or strong?

Look at the skin tone and the colour of the sky - these are usually signs an image has been edited.

What might you learn from seeing the way others have edited an image? Could it just be that you like the aesthetics and want to replicate that particular 'style' of editing?

I stumbled across an article by the designer Tomas Libertiny that reflects on the act of 'copying to learn'. I have highlighted a few key points below...

"I want to argue that in our education we should learn from the past and not be afraid to learn by copying others. This type of learning is taking a step further in a purposeful direction, acknowledging the source and paying tribute to the ongoing building of knowledge that defines culture."

Tomas goes on to say...

"Copying is wrong when it is pretending to be original; then copying becomes faking. A fake is the cardinal sin of design, a non-progressive parasite. On the other hand, copying to learn and improve is the most characteristic trait of human behaviour. Unlike non-human primates, which don’t have the cognitive capacity to improve upon something learned, we do. We copy our parents and friends as children in order to become our unique better selves. That is exactly what designers should do.

Unfortunately, our era pushes individuals to perform at early stages as original creators not understanding that the history of design is the history of re-design."

and finally...

"Students of design, copy to learn and remember that you are part of the history of design. We are trying to land on Mars.

source: http://www.dezeen.com/2013/08/08/opinion-tomas-libertiny-on-copying-in-desi...

Investigating is NOT just a 'thing' you must do to complete your assignment. It can, and should, be beneficial.

If you approach this part of the design process with the quality of your final images in mind...you will naturally achieve a better result.

Think like a Photographer. Not like a student!