A Moment of Clarity

[Nathan King]

I've been seriously involved with photography for only two years but had a bit of an epiphany while spotting a print this weekend (I find spotting meditative). The books that have improved my photography most have been from the "art" section of the bookstore, not the photography section.​[1] ​It appears that when technique is finally internalized a sense of clarity takes hold, and it becomes clear that the philosophy of photography really can be distilled into the pursuit of vision – seeing something more than what is immediately apparent. Can a piece of 18th century French neoclassical architecture become more than an inanimate structure? Can it come alive and evoke an emotion from the viewer? That is the great intellectual challenge.

I think many of us, myself included, lose this perspective from time to time. We can experiment with film stock, developers, agitation intervals, etc. all we want; these things only serve to realize our thoughts on paper so they may be shared with others. Aren't these creative ideas why we are all driven to make photographs in the first place?

[1] Exception: "Way Beyond Monochrome" by Ralph Lambrecht and Chris Woodhouse

 

[cliveh]

it becomes clear that the philosophy of photography really can be distilled into the pursuit of vision – seeing something more than what is immediately apparent.

How true.

 

[Roger Cole]

I dunno, I understand what you're saying but I have found books about vision and art and such pretty worthless. The only thing that has really improved my vision is going out and photographing, seeing what works and what doesn't and, when it doesn't, why, and then photographing some more.

 

[gzinsel]

to the OP/ cliveH. I couldn't agree more. to borrow someone else's assertion ( I think its robert irwin) . . . . " Seeing is forgetting the name of the thing one sees" It is a tittle of a book too. I highly recommend this book to anyone who even remotely agrees with the OP.

 

[joshuapd]

Interesting to hear that, I feel like that holds truth for me to. I've just started to recently take photography with a more holistic approach since about a year and a half ago and the more that I've just done my work and loved the process to the point that I forget it's 3am in the darkroom, the more I started to notice improvement, well improvement according to my mentor haha.

 

[j-dogg]

Boards of Canada fan detected

 

[gzinsel]

I do like boards of canada too. although right now their music is not in heavy rotation.

 

[gone]

"Aren't these creative ideas why we are all driven to make photographs in the first place?"

Nah, some of us just like to fool around w/ old cameras. If you find spotting meditative, you could be a Zen master if I turned my prints over to you for spotting. You would get a LOT of meditative work done.

 

[Rook]

Closely analyzing famous masterpiece paintings can certainly help. Compositional ideas, use of color, lights/darks... it's all there in those great paintings, and can be applied to photography.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

"I photograph to find out what something will look like photographed" Garry Winogrand.
And I'm driven by the same.

 

[Vaughn]

Quote Originally Posted by Nathan King View Post
...it becomes clear that the philosophy of photography really can be distilled into the pursuit of vision – seeing something more than what is immediately apparent.

Or for me...seeing the light as it is, and making love with it.

 

[gzinsel]

you dirty boy!!! I've made love with many things, but LIGHT???????? their ought to be obscenity laws against that!

 

[Old-N-Feeble]

I tried to be philosophical once and then thought, "Meh... this thinking stuff is too difficult".