"There is a difference between visual awareness and technical skill," says Jim Zuckerman (a renowned photographer). "Technical skill is learned. It comes with practice, repetition, fieldwork, course work. Visual awareness is inherent."
Visual awareness is the difference between seeing and just looking. Just as there is a difference between hearing and listening.
You can look at an image and see where the camera was in relation to the subject; where the light was; what type of light it was; what time of day the image was made at; the focal length; the distance between subject and field and subject and photographer; the aperture and shutter speed; whether blur is from camera shake or motion blur or an undesirable focus area; the orientation of the camera (north, south, east or west); the ISO; and what color shirt the photographer was wearing. Well, most of the time the shirt is a stretch. But you get the idea. If learning to see all this in images interests you, then you have visual awareness.
From The Photographer's Market Guide to Building Your Photography Business by Vik Orenstein (page 19)
I believe I am visual awareness. Although I have never been an observant person, I am learning to see these things in photos. Without thinking I have started analyzing camera angle and depth of field on TV shows. I am trying to figure out how to tell where the light is coming from in photos (which angles and whether or not there's fill light). I am fascinated by it all. And I am slowly learning the technical side as well.
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