Fun with photography. It's no longer just a serious undertaking...
Renae in San Antonio. Winning a stuffed animal. Going to a carnival. Posing for me and my Rollei camera. Having a great time.
Photography can be so much fun if we don't overthink it. Or turn it into an academic quagmire.
8 comments:
Anonymous
said...
Don't overthink photography? You mean we really don't need to obsess about the exact no. of megapixels, focus points, dynamic range, availability of 600mm lenses, or, most important, equivalence? Gaad.....
Well NO. You are talking about gear. About cameras, lenses and technical specs. None of that is what I'm talking about when I mention overthinking. What I think about is all the pontificators who want to make photography itself; the pictures, the presentation, the shows much more important than they really are. The manifestos. The adoration of photographers whose main attraction is that they were famous when we were young and mostly famous because they were adept at getting published in the tiny circle of magazines that were the mainstay or photography for decades (pre-web). The idea that Alec Soth or Gursky or Struth are doing something akin to Michaelangelo or DaVinci. A whole cohort of people who have so much of their self-image tied up in the need to think that there are doing something wildly important and so, so original. People who discuss Susan Sontag's book, "On Photography" as though it's a guide to the visual universe. That Berger was saying anything relevant to the vast, vast majority of photographers. The ardent and strutting sense of self-importance. People acting as modern archeologists dissecting simple photographs as though they were revealing the secrets of the universe. Minor White's "equivalents?" The sacred processes of Garry Winogrand. The mysterious religion of Lee Friedlander. It's all too, too much. Can't we just believe that most of these folks were out to have fun and got caught up in the pervasive propoganda of museum curators (who always need new "art.") and magazines (which always need new content) and now website which need modern references to attract eyeballs and clicks. Very little of what we regard as "important photographic art" will be relevant or interesting in the future except as it showcases what the past looked like. That's what I'm talking about. Not which lens to use.....
In Walter M. Miller’s novel A Canticle for Leibowitz, a novel set in a post-nuclear apocalyptic period, a monk devotes himself to preserving a copy of a then ancient holy relic— a manuscript left by the revered prophet St. Leibowitz. It turns out it’s a surviving grocery shopping list.
I acquaint fun with magic. Remember getting that first roll of film back from the drive-thru kiosk, or better yet seeing your print develop before your very eyes in the darkroom? It was magical and no doubt fun! Supressing your urge to chimp after every shot and waiting until you upload your photos to the computer to see what you got can help reclaim some of that old magic. If you aren't confident in your ability to get the exposure right the first time, just bracket like in the old days.
IMO, playfulness when in the field can lead to unique and compelling images. Like your stuffed animal, many years ago I gave away inflated red ballons as a way to get street portraits off to a pleasant and engaging start.
8 comments:
Don't overthink photography? You mean we really don't need to obsess about the exact no. of megapixels, focus points, dynamic range, availability of 600mm lenses, or, most important, equivalence? Gaad.....
Well NO. You are talking about gear. About cameras, lenses and technical specs. None of that is what I'm talking about when I mention overthinking. What I think about is all the pontificators who want to make photography itself; the pictures, the presentation, the shows much more important than they really are. The manifestos. The adoration of photographers whose main attraction is that they were famous when we were young and mostly famous because they were adept at getting published in the tiny circle of magazines that were the mainstay or photography for decades (pre-web). The idea that Alec Soth or Gursky or Struth are doing something akin to Michaelangelo or DaVinci. A whole cohort of people who have so much of their self-image tied up in the need to think that there are doing something wildly important and so, so original. People who discuss Susan Sontag's book, "On Photography" as though it's a guide to the visual universe. That Berger was saying anything relevant to the vast, vast majority of photographers. The ardent and strutting sense of self-importance. People acting as modern archeologists dissecting simple photographs as though they were revealing the secrets of the universe. Minor White's "equivalents?" The sacred processes of Garry Winogrand. The mysterious religion of Lee Friedlander. It's all too, too much. Can't we just believe that most of these folks were out to have fun and got caught up in the pervasive propoganda of museum curators (who always need new "art.") and magazines (which always need new content) and now website which need modern references to attract eyeballs and clicks. Very little of what we regard as "important photographic art" will be relevant or interesting in the future except as it showcases what the past looked like. That's what I'm talking about. Not which lens to use.....
Maybe I’m over thinking, but I have to know. Why was Renae wearing a fancy dress at a carnival?
Rich, absolutely just for fun. A Saturday of silly fun and photography.
Amen. Jon
In Walter M. Miller’s novel A Canticle for Leibowitz, a novel set in a post-nuclear apocalyptic period, a monk devotes himself to preserving a copy of a then ancient holy relic— a manuscript left by the revered prophet St. Leibowitz. It turns out it’s a surviving grocery shopping list.
I acquaint fun with magic. Remember getting that first roll of film back from the drive-thru kiosk, or better yet seeing your print develop before your very eyes in the darkroom? It was magical and no doubt fun! Supressing your urge to chimp after every shot and waiting until you upload your photos to the computer to see what you got can help reclaim some of that old magic. If you aren't confident in your ability to get the exposure right the first time, just bracket like in the old days.
IMO, playfulness when in the field can lead to unique and compelling images. Like your stuffed animal, many years ago I gave away inflated red ballons as a way to get street portraits off to a pleasant and engaging start.
Karmagroovy gets it! Big time!
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