This is the second post about why I like the photographers I like and to see what insights I may find because of it. Again... read at your own peril.
Olaf Sztaba: Crafting and inspiring great imagery is the philosophy of Olaf Sztaba, and it shows. Among his tenets… concentrate on the visual and emotional quality of the photograph, use simple and unobtrusive equipment, and avoid the “I’ll fix it later” mentality. These are all things I have believed in since I began photography in the 80's... yes... I am THAT old! Michael Kenna: I have a history of sorts with Michael Kenna as he was one of my inspirations when I first began my photographic journey all those long years ago. I have posted my thoughts and experiences in an earlier post on my site, so please read and then take some time to view his work. Eric Kim: Eric Kim writes a lot, and not everyone seems to like what he writes. Of course, that means I like him and what he has to say. He talks about passion, promotion, photography and meditation. You don't have to agree with him (or me for that matter!), but he will make you think. He was most probably the biggest influence for me in regards to writing this journal in the first place. Anna Agoston: I enjoy the forms and shapes I see in the black-and-white macro photographs by Anna Agoston. I have always been interested in the details of objects, but have never explored the macro world as she does. The images seem simple but are strong and communicate more in their dark tonalities than most images do in full color. I feel a subtle fear when I look at her work, but also a depth of feeling that goes beyond the plant forms she captures. Erez Marom: A nature and travel photographer from Israel, Erez Marom works in color and astounds me with the images he captures. His work inspires me to take more time to think about the color in this world and to find ways to capture and communicate the power that it contains. Erik Wahlstrom: The newest on my list but most definitely not the least! A film photographer (large format no less!), Erik Wahlstrom has more depth in one little video blog than I could possibly contain in my entire website. Take the time to listen to him... he knows. So what does it all mean? What have I gleaned from writing it down? Not sure yet. One thing I can say is I seem to like photographers that have something to say, not just in their imagery, but in their own words. Of course, that may be the teacher in me who is always interested in how others communicate. Communication is what photography is all about. I also seem to be attracted to photography that may be similar, but is definitely not my own. To see another's vision is to expand your own horizons, and that is what life is all about. So go out and find those that inspire you, that challenge your preconceived notions... and then grow.
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This post is just a way for me to think about why I like the photographers I like and to see what insights I may find because of it. Read at your own peril.
Ben Long: Ben Long is a San Francisco photographer with a host of videos on lynda.com. He discusses cameras, software, technique, and how to view images, all without ever talking down to you. Throughout, he is humorous (well, he has my sense of humor, so who knows!), informative, clear thinking, supportive, and just plain nice. If I ever meet him, I’m going to tell him so. I have been shooting and teaching photography in some form or other for most of my life (damn I’m old!) and yet he gives me insights I had never considered before. Out of all the people on this list, I have to say he is the one that got me inspired to explore digital and come back to photography. Although we have never met, thank you Ben for all you have done for me. Justin Reznick: Justin Reznick works with landscapes (what I am most interested in), architecture and even infrared images, working out of Seattle Washington. Like Ben Long, he has great videos available on lynda.com so take some time and see what makes him one of my favorites. IshP: I found the work of Ish while searching for Fuji photographers. Her work includes street and urban photography, architectural studies, documentary and even a few images just for fun. She got into digital work around the time I was thinking of leaving photography altogether and found, as I did much later, there is a great big learning curve to get over. We both came to the same conclusion… digital SLR’s are just too bulky, heavy, and unwieldy. Digital cameras also have the unfortunate habit of having multiple menus that are irritating and rarely make things easier. I like my Fuji mirrorless... what can I say? Valerie Jardin: After settling on purchasing the Fuji X-T1, I decided I had to explore what others were doing with the system. Valerie was the first photographer I found that explained why she chose the Fuji system and how she used it to her advantage. Her images often surprise me, especially since I have never really embraced street photography in the past. She makes me think, and that is far more important to me than technical specs or software gimmicks. Karen Hutton: I found the work of Karen Hutton through YouTube of all places. She was in a video with Valerie Jardin and complimented her style with her own color work, which got me interested in color photography to begin with. It’s amazing what new paths you can find when you aren’t even looking! The second half of the list in the next post! I bought my first amateur digital camera sometime in the 2000s (I have no idea exactly when) to take pictures of vacations and our family growing up through the years. These weren't images that I planned on reproducing in 20 by 30 inch print size for hanging on a wall. They were for personal memories and would never get printed larger than 4x6. I chose digital because it was easy... no having to process film then go in a darkroom and print all night.
After some time, I realized once I shot those images, I was looking at them on a monitor -- not just negatives that I never got around to printing, but the positive digital images I could see immediately on the camera and computer. This was a big change for me. I had a load of negatives that I had never actually seen because they had never been printed on paper, but digital allowed me to see my work right away. That in and of itself was miraculous! I found I could create little slide shows for the family, add these digital images to invites and family emails, edit in a comfortable room with no chemical smell. And not once did I have to create an actual print. What?!? No print?!? I can hear you all silently screaming. This was a significant, and at the same time, uncomfortable revelation to me. Not in my wildest dreams did I think I would give up printing -- I mean, wasn't that the whole point of photography? It was disconcerting to think that all those years of printing could so easily be discarded. And although I like to see prints and turn pages in a book or portfolio, I see no need to go through the process of creating prints just because that is something I like to do. I have come to realize the point of photography is not so much the printing of images as it is the sharing of images. We share ideas, we share moments, we share ourselves, and that can easily be done without an actual print. The images we create can be presented in many ways, through social media, through a website, via email attachment or text. It may be digital, but it's sharing nonetheless. My life, all our lives, have become more and more digital and less and less analogue. I do not get a newspaper... I read news off of my phone. I do read books... but more and more that is becoming digital as well. Sure, if I wanted to, I could create prints of almost any size since I shoot RAW files, but do I really need to do this in order to share an idea, to make a statement, to share an emotion? Nope. When you create images for printing, you have to change your parameters, your way of thinking. The image on the screen is emitting light from that screen, so has a very different look from a print that reflects light off paper. You have to worry about lost detail in the shadows, image contrast, how ink will reproduce your work, and a host of other elements that create issues when you try to create a physical print. For the most part, people see my images on a screen, so I make those images the way I want them to look on that screen. That is my canvas. Will I print photos again? Probably so, but I don't see any pressing need at the moment. I am not interested in selling my images, I don't have so much empty wall space that I need to fill it up with prints, and I am honestly happy with the way my images are presented on screen. You may think that a photograph isn't a photograph without the print, but I would argue that if anything can be the embodiment of "light-drawing", it would be the one made out of light... in other words, the screen image. Oh the horror I hear you cry, oh the fists I see raised in my general direction. I feel your pain... I really do. It's hard for me to even write that I'm not printing, but still consider myself a photographer. I spent half my life learning chemical processes and acquiring the skills needed to successfully reproduce my negatives in print form. But I had to get to a point where I was able to let go of my beloved darkroom, my film, my paper. It was just getting harder and harder to find the products I used, find darkroom space to work in, and keep the passion going as digital took over. I applaud any who are jumping into traditional print photography... it makes me happy to know there will be a new batch of image makers that will stun the future with their work. But for me, in my new reality, the reflections of a print are of a bygone day... the incident light of the computer screen is now my home. And since I've spent half my life in one direction, I think it's high time I try a new one. |
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