This seduction which drowns.
by graysummers
I've noticed some of us stand great credence by the equipment we use [lens/body/etc.] and marvel at the technical results. And some of us look at the subject more and just hit the button with a well aimed wish to get that hoped for result with a novice head on the shoulders. I'm the latter. That's not to say I know nothing. I do know how a camera works. But all I am interested in is the subject I want to take. It serves as a source for my particular inspirations.
It would be interesting to know how others feel. Do you aim at a flower or tree to seek perfection of the subject? Or do you point at a subject to get a result that speaks to you personally ? Or both?
I went on a group walk in my village with a guide who spoke of local history. Apparently, these reed beds [I think Phragmites species, but I'm no botanist] growing in narrow channels alongside fields were used to baptise people.
I immediately thought of Baptism by Water, Fire and Spirit'. How could I achieve this looking at the reeds and water in front of me? I didn't achieve my aim this time in this example. It's just a grainy close up of reeds and water. Now I know about Intentional Camera Movement [ICM] I would have used that technique possibly. We all gain tricks and knowledge as we go through our photographer's journey. Taking a shot, this is how I think when I push the shutter button.
Water/Fire/Spirit. How??? Possibly no one else would see this even if it had succeeded in my own eyes.Obscurity can exist in aims and ambitions, and self achieved realisation can become frustrating too. But it's fun trying.
What do you think when you push a shutter button? This is interesting stuff re: photography philosophy.
It would be interesting to know how others feel. Do you aim at a flower or tree to seek perfection of the subject? Or do you point at a subject to get a result that speaks to you personally ? Or both?
I went on a group walk in my village with a guide who spoke of local history. Apparently, these reed beds [I think Phragmites species, but I'm no botanist] growing in narrow channels alongside fields were used to baptise people.
I immediately thought of Baptism by Water, Fire and Spirit'. How could I achieve this looking at the reeds and water in front of me? I didn't achieve my aim this time in this example. It's just a grainy close up of reeds and water. Now I know about Intentional Camera Movement [ICM] I would have used that technique possibly. We all gain tricks and knowledge as we go through our photographer's journey. Taking a shot, this is how I think when I push the shutter button.
Water/Fire/Spirit. How??? Possibly no one else would see this even if it had succeeded in my own eyes.Obscurity can exist in aims and ambitions, and self achieved realisation can become frustrating too. But it's fun trying.
What do you think when you push a shutter button? This is interesting stuff re: photography philosophy.
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Posted 07/05/2014 - 13:12
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Thanks for your insights Paul. I looked at your 'Outside Loo' photograph a while back now. I got inspired and I went out to a local site in Aberystwyth called Tan y Bwlch in search of a similar old building I saw there once. I have a photograph from that visit. But it stirred up none of the emotions like yours did in me. Why does a photograph do this? I know photographers that stand side by side with the same kit, take the same subject and produce different results. And some of the great photographs. How can they be technically skewed, emotionally charged and speak to millions? And yet Ansel Adams and Sebastio Salgado can do both. Interesting stuff.
"The Latent Image that exists before development is a truly mystical and exciting entity and some subsequent individual photographs can make the spine tingle."
Good Fortune:
Gray Summers. Website www.graysummers.com
Good Fortune:
Gray Summers. Website www.graysummers.com
Posted 07/05/2014 - 16:37
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Photographers are image makers. Artists connect the dots between technicality and artistry.
Not all photographers are artist and visa-versa. My observation of your work indicates that you bring emotion into your imagery. Now thats art. V.V.V. good, many times great art. I think a imagery photographic artist uses the camera as a tool. Some "snapshot" and "happy accidents" happen in making images. They are encouraging to the artist. I am a pastelist and watercolorist, monotype printer - nearly all of my images in these mediums begin with a photograph, often printed on watercolor or pastel paper, rearranged, adding many mediums and printing styled to the image to my liking, reshot in my studio then uploaded for sale as prints, etc. My interest and my collectors interest are on the final image. When some images are for me,complete, I feel completed and I end the piece. A universal thrill for artist of any stripe. I appreciate and thank you for what you do and for the thought and consideration your words give to images in this gallery. (how you do it is way too intimate for comment) thanks for doing what you do. tg "
The conceptual reed image you produced is superior, the horizontal lines (telephone lines) seen and photographed by you IMO makes the image art.
Not all photographers are artist and visa-versa. My observation of your work indicates that you bring emotion into your imagery. Now thats art. V.V.V. good, many times great art. I think a imagery photographic artist uses the camera as a tool. Some "snapshot" and "happy accidents" happen in making images. They are encouraging to the artist. I am a pastelist and watercolorist, monotype printer - nearly all of my images in these mediums begin with a photograph, often printed on watercolor or pastel paper, rearranged, adding many mediums and printing styled to the image to my liking, reshot in my studio then uploaded for sale as prints, etc. My interest and my collectors interest are on the final image. When some images are for me,complete, I feel completed and I end the piece. A universal thrill for artist of any stripe. I appreciate and thank you for what you do and for the thought and consideration your words give to images in this gallery. (how you do it is way too intimate for comment) thanks for doing what you do. tg "
The conceptual reed image you produced is superior, the horizontal lines (telephone lines) seen and photographed by you IMO makes the image art.
"It's not what you look at that's important, it's what you see" - Thoreau
Quote:
Posted 07/05/2014 - 16:57
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Sometimes it's the simple images that have the biggest impact and emotion, as in this study.
Posted 07/05/2014 - 17:22
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Interesting questions, Gray. I must say your unique work has arrived like a breath of fresh air on this forum. There's another chap, who I won't mention, for obvious reasons, who produces technically perfect image files with everything sharp and well exposed but can't take a decent or memorable photograph to save his life. Here you have the two extremes and I kniw from what the latter write that he is perfecty happy with what he outputs, which is wonderful.
I'm a bit of a Jack of all trades: I admire technical perfection, indeed, it is necessary for some shots to succeed although I don't make a fetish out of sharpness, for example, neither do I spend money I don't have on expensive lenses in search of some Holy Grail of extreme definition.
I own a K5 but recently bought a second-hand K100 which is delightfully simple to operate and light enough to carry round all day usually with a kit lens or some manual relic from the 1970s. I never print photographs so don't need lots of pixels for huge enlargements and never sell my stuff to demanding clients.
Sometimes I "see" a picture in the wild and try to shoot what I see, at other times ideas occur to me when I see the picture on the screen and I post process to suit. I don't know whether it's art, who can say? And often people on this forum or ephotozine don't "get" my stuff but that's OK, I'm in the happy position of being able to please myself.
Oh, nice shot, by the way.
I'm a bit of a Jack of all trades: I admire technical perfection, indeed, it is necessary for some shots to succeed although I don't make a fetish out of sharpness, for example, neither do I spend money I don't have on expensive lenses in search of some Holy Grail of extreme definition.
I own a K5 but recently bought a second-hand K100 which is delightfully simple to operate and light enough to carry round all day usually with a kit lens or some manual relic from the 1970s. I never print photographs so don't need lots of pixels for huge enlargements and never sell my stuff to demanding clients.
Sometimes I "see" a picture in the wild and try to shoot what I see, at other times ideas occur to me when I see the picture on the screen and I post process to suit. I don't know whether it's art, who can say? And often people on this forum or ephotozine don't "get" my stuff but that's OK, I'm in the happy position of being able to please myself.
Oh, nice shot, by the way.
Best wishes,
Andrew
"These places mean something and it's the job of a photographer to figure-out what the hell it is."
Robert Adams
"The camera doesn't make a bit of difference. All of them can record what you are seeing. But, you have to SEE."
Ernst Hass
My website: http://www.ephotozine.com/user/bwlchmawr-199050
http://s927.photobucket.com/home/ADC3440/index
https://www.flickr.com/photos/78898196@N05
Andrew
"These places mean something and it's the job of a photographer to figure-out what the hell it is."
Robert Adams
"The camera doesn't make a bit of difference. All of them can record what you are seeing. But, you have to SEE."
Ernst Hass
My website: http://www.ephotozine.com/user/bwlchmawr-199050
http://s927.photobucket.com/home/ADC3440/index
https://www.flickr.com/photos/78898196@N05
Posted 07/05/2014 - 17:42
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Thankyou for your thoughts Tony, Maria and Andrew. The thing is, your own works have elements of both technical skill and imagination in artistry. I comment from both the heart and gut instinct when I see photographs on this and other sites. If I don't understand or get moved by a photograph, I simply don't comment. I cannot or would not comment in a negative nature at all. Why? Firstly, because I do not understand photographic technicalities to be a true contributer to improvement and secondly, I don't actually believe what I have just typed. I am a nurse and a Buddhist and to extend or impose my wishful individualism or negativity to photographic subjects or technical matters is fruitless and abhorent. Let photographs live and be enjoyed for what they are. I have been on the receiving end of cruel criticism in the past. It does not bother me ultimately, but I've seen that criticism bothers others. Are these photographers superior or better than the image they have 'dissed'. Like the man says:
'If you have the idea of superiority and are proud of your ability, this is a disaster.' Master Yuanwu.
So, now I understand and have a little more insight into your own works, it makes me see a little differently how you achieve the results of your cherished photographed treasures
Good fortune.
'If you have the idea of superiority and are proud of your ability, this is a disaster.' Master Yuanwu.
So, now I understand and have a little more insight into your own works, it makes me see a little differently how you achieve the results of your cherished photographed treasures
Good fortune.
"The Latent Image that exists before development is a truly mystical and exciting entity and some subsequent individual photographs can make the spine tingle."
Good Fortune:
Gray Summers. Website www.graysummers.com
Good Fortune:
Gray Summers. Website www.graysummers.com
Posted 07/05/2014 - 20:39
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Belting take as ever Gray...
It's a great question you asked, and I suspect every one of us will have a slightly different response.
My name on here is Things That I Have Seen - it's also the title of my website - I called it that because I started to notice that my pictures tended to be about the things that I have seen and how they make me feel.
I have a thing about history (I have a degree in it), and I also have a thing about water (I grew up next to it) - many of the pictures I take (though not all by any means) feature one of these elements. I also like weather, lots of it, and space, the more of it the better. Put that lot in a bowl and mix them up a bit, then chances are I'll feel something and try and capture what it was that I felt in a picture.
Like many people, I generally take better pictures where/when I've felt something quite strongly - on the very few occasions I've been asked to take pictures of things that didn't particularly move me I've found it extremely difficult.
At some level, for me, I suspect a fair bit of it is about "wonder" - the world we all live in is a pretty astonishing place, and it's often that that I'm trying to grapple with in some way when I take a picture (to greater or lesser degrees of success).
Thanks for putting it out there Gray, both with your question, and your continued thoughtful and distinctive work...
Best
It's a great question you asked, and I suspect every one of us will have a slightly different response.
My name on here is Things That I Have Seen - it's also the title of my website - I called it that because I started to notice that my pictures tended to be about the things that I have seen and how they make me feel.
I have a thing about history (I have a degree in it), and I also have a thing about water (I grew up next to it) - many of the pictures I take (though not all by any means) feature one of these elements. I also like weather, lots of it, and space, the more of it the better. Put that lot in a bowl and mix them up a bit, then chances are I'll feel something and try and capture what it was that I felt in a picture.
Like many people, I generally take better pictures where/when I've felt something quite strongly - on the very few occasions I've been asked to take pictures of things that didn't particularly move me I've found it extremely difficult.
At some level, for me, I suspect a fair bit of it is about "wonder" - the world we all live in is a pretty astonishing place, and it's often that that I'm trying to grapple with in some way when I take a picture (to greater or lesser degrees of success).
Thanks for putting it out there Gray, both with your question, and your continued thoughtful and distinctive work...
Best
Posted 08/05/2014 - 06:31
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Thanks Bill,
Insight into your thinking in how you approach is enlightening. We all have favourite subject matter I suppose. We become really good at what we believe in. When I write an essay, if I am not interested in the subject, it suffers no matter hard I try. When I look at Sebastio Salgado, Donna Ferrato, Diane Arbus....those with extreme inclusion, subject matter and aims, then they really hit in the guts....like them or not. Do they feel for their subjects first and the camera second ?
Insight into your thinking in how you approach is enlightening. We all have favourite subject matter I suppose. We become really good at what we believe in. When I write an essay, if I am not interested in the subject, it suffers no matter hard I try. When I look at Sebastio Salgado, Donna Ferrato, Diane Arbus....those with extreme inclusion, subject matter and aims, then they really hit in the guts....like them or not. Do they feel for their subjects first and the camera second ?
"The Latent Image that exists before development is a truly mystical and exciting entity and some subsequent individual photographs can make the spine tingle."
Good Fortune:
Gray Summers. Website www.graysummers.com
Good Fortune:
Gray Summers. Website www.graysummers.com
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22 posts
14 years
Dronfield
A picture should stir some sort of emotion to the taker and hopefully others. If it does its worked. It doesn't have to be pin sharp. Enjoyment is what we seek from our hobby not technical perfection.
Your work certainly gives me and others pleasure - you obviously have the artistic touch that's important in producing great photos.
Regards
Paul