Category: Photography

In the past few years, I have become more and more convinced about the need to do more than just take a photograph. There is no photograph I take that is released “to the wild” that is not further developed in the lightroom (the digital version of a darkroom). I learned that no device can capture my vision, at least yet.

There are even times when I view a scene that I realize this is a moment to capture but I haven’t fully developed or finalized my vision until I sit down in front of my computer screens and begin to work.

The one thing I can never wrap my head around is the people who are so against further developing a photograph using computer software. With film, there is the need to develop the film and then make a print. For me, this is also true with digital photographs. I’m not shooting an Instamatic camera, you know the ones that you point, push the button, and a print comes out and develops before your very eyes.

My cameras and camera equipment are just the beginning. The end really never gets here as I often re-visit and process images in a different way and style as time goes on. For me, there is no such thing as an ending to my art. I’m always in some stage of the final version.

The greatest joy I’ve had as a photographer, and in particular as a photographic artist, is I have learned to look at the world differently. I have learned there the world is an interesting place and that nearly everything and everyone is photographically interesting. I’ve learned to there is a story to be told in the objects, landscape, and people around us. My photography is an escape from politics and life’s issues even though I use my photography to express my thoughts, experiences, emotions, and wonder.

This isn’t a difficult thing to learn. When we go out with our cameras practice just stopping and looking. Think about photography. Think composition. Think light. Think is this a decisive moment. Learn as much about your camera equipment as you can so that when you recognize something that grabs your attention you can nearly automatically compose and get the shot.

You may be surprised at how much learning to be able to see the world as an artist will change how you view the world.

As photographers, or more appropriately for some of us photographic artists, we often have unique challenges. The sun is harsh, the clouds are flat and featureless, it’s hot, it’s cold, it’s raining, and I frequently see, more photographers showing up to an event than models and we are all clamoring for a position.

I guess part of it is I often work with others like myself. We do our art for the love and joy of it rather than making a full-time living at it. As such, it is often that another opportunity arises that gathers more interest. I have had the opportunity to work with many other creatives that I have enjoyed working with to create my art.

I’m certain this isn’t a challenge unique to me or my area. I suspect this stuff happens all over.

I find it interesting yet frustrating that many times a day and time is agreed to be equally open, yet when that day and time arrive, the other creative is late. Sometimes you get a call sometimes you don’t.

Nature and landscape are always there, always on time. The only challenge we face is the elements.

I don’t mean to say that I am going to give up working with other people and creating art. Far from it. The vast majority of the people I have worked with in the past I’ve enjoyed the time, often creating some wonderful photographs. It’s just a challenge to work with and attempt to overcome.

Early in my journey as a photographer, I wasn’t too comfortable with a lot of subjects or genres of photography. As a result, my photographs were snapshots, at best.

I was stuck as a photographer. As much as I tried on my own I wasn’t really growing as a photographer much less as an artist. The whole, self-taught photography journey wasn’t really working out for me as I wasn’t able to break out of my comfort zone.

I actually began a photography course. The course forced me to move out of my comfort zone by assigning projects I had to complete to graduate. I remember the first time I connected with a model that I didn’t know as a friend or family member. I was very nervous. I began to learn about lighting and how to control it.

I learned to control both artificial lighting and natural lighting.

This knowledge I gained by being forced out of my comfort zone also helped me with photography without models.

Sometimes, we have to get out there and try things that we’re not comfortable with, but at the same time, we have to have people leading us through the journey that is more knowledgeable and can help instruct us through those times when we are uncomfortable.

I’m still working to get out of my comfort zones but now that I have much more experience and have been forced to try other subjects and genres I find it much easier to get out of my comfort zone.

To truly grow from photographer to artist is rewarding. My journey now is to try and help others move past their comfort zones to try new things even if it is a bit scary, at first.

I can go from being totally absent of reality to a basic portrait of a person. Not only do my styles change but so do the subjects of my photographs.

This is, in reality, how my mind works. Often a random thought just pops in or as I’m reviewing a photograph I may look at it an go, “let’s try this!”

While it is fun to do I often find it difficult to put together a completed project. I’m not just a landscape photographer that can easily put together a 20-image project and all the images have a similar look and feel. At the same time, having such a wide array of styles and subjects often keeps my creative thoughts churning. I can go through my library of images and create something totally different from the last version of it.

I just love my style of photography. It makes it much easier to just wander nearly any location and find something to photograph and make art of it. I don’t have to travel to exotic locations I can just walk down the street and be like, huh take that picture.

My art is about seeing the world around me and sharing my vision of it. Sometimes, it’s beauty, sometimes, it’s ugliness, and sometimes it’s uniqueness. Try it, and expand your subjects and styles. Try something totally different from your normal styles and subjects.

Yesterday, I saw an article titled, “5 Reasons Why Black and White shouldn’t be used for landscape photography.” At first, I scoffed at it and didn’t read the article until this morning. You can find the article here. This morning, I finally read it and the title did mislead me about where the author was going.

I run across articles with similar titles often. Things like, “Biggest mistakes made by landscape photographers”, or “10 things a portrait photographer should never do”. Yes, there are things that are mistakes and things we shouldn’t do but in the end, it is really a creative decision on behalf of the photographer or artist.

I know many of these articles are written in good spirit to inspire us to become better at our craft but I also find them somewhat pretentious, at least in the title.

For me, it is just like the choice of color or black and white. The choice of how to develop the initial image into the final work of art. Throughout history, artists have discarded the so-called experts and created a piece that “violated the rules.” That is the whole point of being an artist. The avant-garde if you will. It may not be for everyone but if you don’t try it from time to time, how do you know it isn’t for you. Think of it as sushi for the artistic soul.

My wife and I took a short trip this past weekend on Saturday morning we had nothing planned so we got in the car and just started to wander about looking for photo opportunities. It was an exciting journey to just take a look.

In one sleepy little town, we didn’t see anyone out in the “downtown” area, but we did find the WOW building.

While I didn’t get as many photographs as I had hoped, it was a fun adventure. I need to do more photography by wandering.