Art

I love this quote from Concerning Photography :

not so much “a picture’s worth a thousand words” as “these pictures need at least a thousand words to persuade you that they are worth anything at all”

Words to live by?

some new photos

I woke up early the other day, so I decided to catch the sunrise. Of course it was overcast, so no sunrise, but I did get a couple of interesting images...


I am not quite sure why, but I like this one, I like the simple shapes, and the muted colours... let me know what you think...

Later on I saw this...



and when the sun peeked out from behind the clouds...



Overall a good day...

Computers and Photography

I am a bit of a computer nerd. I like playing around with computer settings and modifying my system(s). I own more than one (4 actually) computer running more than one operating system. I have designed and run a number of websites, and I have taught computer courses.
Having said that, I am first and foremost a graphic person. I use my computer to help my photography and to create graphic art. I do not consider myself a "computer person".
So where am I going with this?
Yesterday, at work, I had a customer come in who wanted a 50th anniversary card designed and printed. Her daughter who was a "computer person" had some ideas, but no time to make the card. Now, this daughter may be a world class programmer (I doubt it) or she may type a mean Word document, but she was most definitely not a graphic designer.
I think technology (and the associated marketing department) has created a mindset where the tool is more important than the operator. You can easily see this in photography and cameras, and in graphic art and design in general. If you are a "computer person" defined, in the view of many non-computer people, as someone who is comfortable working on a computer, and is able to set a few personal preferences in the programs they use, then you should be able to accomplish anything that the computer is able to do. You can do page layout in Word (shudder) or edit photos in Picassa. If you are a really good computer person using Microsoft, you have a pirated version of Adobe (aka Photoshop) and therefore, you can create masterpieces of art to be uploaded to myspace.
I do believe that the majority of people that are classed as "computer people", myself included, are aware that their knowledge may be strong in one area, but it is very weak or non-existent in other areas. For myself, I may be a decent photographer, but I have no talent or knowledge of video. What makes computers fun is that you can dabble in a number of areas with little or no risk just to gain knowledge. What makes computers useful is that they provide a number of tools that let you accomplish a task. However, like any art from painting to programming, it is 99% knowledge and 1% tools. Or most probably, 70% dedication, 29% knowledge, and 1% tools.

Warm up Photos

In my last post I mentioned a warm up photo. I would like to explain.
Whenever I start a photo shoot, whether it be in the studio, or walking through a park, it seems to take a few shots to "get in the zone". The first few shots rarely are my best.
Today I noticed I made a conscious effort to turn off the "business" side of my brain, to stop doing profit and loss calculations in my head, so the "artistic" or visual side could take over. Mind you I was distracted with the battery issue, but it was interesting in an introspective sort of way.
The right-brain left-brain descriptions seem to apply very well to me. When I am my most visually cognizant, my arithmetic skills are very poor. For me, it takes a little while to switch modes of thought. Like an athlete's warm up, I need to stretch my visual muscles.
There used to be a school of thought that during a portrait setting, you should shoot the first "roll of film" with the camera empty, to relax the subject in front of the camera. I think a part of this is also to relax the photographer. As I visually explore, I often have to get the obvious shots out of the way so I can look for the deeper meaning. Photography is very much a process. One shot leads to another approach, and another interpretation of the subject.
It has been said many times before, but that is one of the real strengths of digital photography. This warm up is free. There is no cost of film and no cost of a lost image because there is no film in the camera.
This warm up can also happen faster with digital because you can easily see the image you just took and use this as a starting point for the next image.
If I was to give advice to other photographers, I would say to shoot the same subject repeatedly, but with a different approach each time. Shoot until you have no idea how to shoot it again, then take one more...

Flamingo at a "tourist trap"

Three sets of Batteries

I went out this morning to take some photos. I got up early, grabbed my camera bag, and drove to a local park to shoot some spring flowers.
As I got out of the car in the parking lot, I realized I forgot my extra set of freshly charged batteries at home. Damn.
Oh well, I should be able to use the set in the camera. And in any case I have my emergency set in my photo-vest.
I saw a good warm up shot, so I set up my tripod, framed the shot, pressed the shutter button ....
BEEP, BEEP Dead batteries. Ok, lets put the emergency backup set in.... nothing. Double Damn...
Luckily, my camera takes AA's, the same as my flash, and for some reason, I packed a flash in case I needed some fill. Pull the batteries out, put them in the camera. They are not full, but I should be able to get a few shots out of them...
It really reminded me of the old film days. I remember times when I was down to my last sheet of 4x5 film. I really looked at every possible scene to see if it was worthy of this last exposure.
Back to my trip today, was went exploring, shooting very sparingly if at all. (sort of the antithesis of digital)
But I really wanted a good image.
I came to a pond with some skunk cabbage, but they were all kind of ordinary, no great lighting. Maybe I should just turn back... Ok, lets just look around this tree.
There, in a small pond was a solitary skunk cabbage, backlit by a shaft of sunlight through the trees. I set up the camera took a shot, and as the batteries died. As a last resort I put the first set of batteries, and now they have lots of power. Enough to let me shoot a good half dozen shots at least.
The moral of this story? Never give up. There is always an answer. If you are determined enough, you will get what you want.
Either that, or never forget your extra set of batteries.

Those we influence

I was reading TOP about a missed opportunity to travel with some amazing people. I wonder if the clown knows how much he influenced this casual acquaintance.
Today at work was the senior managers last day. I didn't really work with Maggie too much, but she really helped me at a time when I needed some direction. I am not sure if she realizes how much I appreciate her opening the door for me.
All this got me wondering how much I have influenced those around me. When I help out a customer, even the small jobs, I hope I have made someones life better, or easier in some small way.
What does this have to do with photography?
We each see the world through our own eyes. Often the small details, or even the larger picture is not noticed or appreciated by the mass population (whatever that is). Often we wear blinders, so we can focus on a task, or so we don't get overwhelmed, or even because we don't understand. We don't always see what is around us.
In my photography I try to take these blinders off. To show others what I have noticed, what I have seen, and what has struck me as noteworthy.
Some photographers show us the grand landscape, others show us where we, as human beings, need to improve. But photographers, and artists in general, wish, at maybe a subconscious level, to influence others. to have people remember who we are, and what we have to say.

All in all a very humbling day.

"New" Photos

I was out the other day and found this photo.



















I like it, but is it really my image? An unknown artist left this image under a bridge for all to see. I would like to credit him/her, but the very nature of graffiti art* is anonymous. Great artists have photographed graffiti for ages, often abstracting it. but this image is one I found, and it is making me think of photography as an art.
I have copied artwork, but for some reason, this seems more...
I found the painting above, but I also "found" this image on the same walk.



and it is just as much a recording of what I saw in front of me, but maybe because it was not created by someone else it is fair game?
so what about an image from my archives...



This is a photograph of artwork created by another person. but it is a bit more "arty". Maybe it is the Black & White treatment? But I arguably manipulated this image less than the original graffiti art. (lots of levels, curves and colour correction)
and this image I shot for a calendar...



It is again just a copy of someone else's artwork, a carved Buddha head. When does it become more than (or at least different from) the original? This last image was a studio shot with very controlled lighting, angle of view and background. Does the amount of work put into an image make it? I have some images I have put a lot of work into, that just don't cut it. I can't say I have too many images I have not put a fair bit of work into that work though...

So back to my original conundrum. Is it art? Is the original?
I have no idea, but I like it.


*by graffiti art I am separating skilled painters who wish to express themselves from vandals who just want to mark their territory.

PS. The more I look at the original graffiti, the more I think it is just a recording of a good piece of artwork, but I still think the line linking original art and copied art is quite interesting.