Instructed to stop taking safe photos?

removed account4 · Mar 7, 2012

if you have been making still lives all along, i can understand why your teacher is suggesting you
are playing it safe. you are doing what you know you are good at, instead of doing something
that might be difficult.

he isn't being vague, or obtuse, or speaking in code. he just wants you do do something
you might learn from, instead of going through the motions, and not really pushing yourself to learn...

Worker 11811 · Mar 7, 2012

Grumpy Old Man said:
I admit to being worried about this thread the moment I read the OP - What is required should have been obvious and the replies above are sycophantic and stupid - If your teacher falls for that sort of slimy approach she is not worth wasting time with.

For the record, I never submitted any photos of grave stones to that prof. In fact, I can't remember taking very many photos of grave stones at all.

Finding out what your audience likes or doesn't like is important. It doesn't matter whether you take the greatest photos in the world, if nobody looks at them they won't amount to a hill of beans. Second, I wrote a short story about forest animals because I thought it would be fun. I was probably more motivated to work hard and write a good story because it was fun to do. I can't imagine any prof. would give a high grade to any work that was truly not up to par.

Does Stephen King push peoples' buttons when he writes horror stories? Do you think Serrano might have been pushing peoples' button with "Piss Christ?"
Pushing peoples' buttons is what artists do.

Bill Burk · Mar 7, 2012

Well, except that you get enigmatic responses when you want a straight answer to your point blank questions, it sounds like your teacher has given you an open door.

In that sense, you can do anything at all.

What else are you into? Cars, dirtbikes, skateboards, smoking, drinking, working saturdays at machine shops, fishing, just hanging with friends. Playing video games and watching TV, leaving the house a mess because it's a pain to clean up. Are your neighbors hoarders? Are people getting kicked out of their houses and leaving pianos on the street for free because they got sick?

Good luck, don't worry about failing. Worry about turning in something drab.

mids1999 · Mar 8, 2012

I sincerely apologize for the ease of misinterpretation of my last post.
When I stated that my instructor told me to take "photos that talk to me", I meant me as in myself... not the instructor.

The photos I took varied from still life, to landscape, to cityscape and we only completed two assignments so far DOF and light/shadow.

I appreciate everyone's advice.

Worker 11811 · Mar 8, 2012

mids1999 said:
I sincerely apologize for the ease of misinterpretation of my last post.
When I stated that my instructor told me to take "photos that talk to me", I meant me as in myself... not the instructor.

Y'see... This is where the Southern expression, "Y'All," would come in handy.
Or, the New York City expression, "Youze." Or, the Pittsburghese espression, "Yinz."
(All roughly equivalent.)

People make fun of regional colloquialisms but, in cases like this, they can simplify conversation.

RalphLambrecht · Mar 8, 2012

leve your comfort zone. try something more rsdical.

rudolf · Mar 8, 2012

I don't know what's in your case, because I didn't see any of your photos, mids1999...

But let me tell you my story: in my case, I deal with "safe" and "not-safe" photos by developing an... alter ego!

My first personality makes black and white images, always in square, and quite boring. First "me" doesn't like such places as city streets, and it takes lots of time to take one photo (working with medium format, sometimes a tripod, you know, it have to take time).

My second personality - oh, he's different. He often uses color, doesn't like square format and takes pictures in a way, which couldn't be described as "safe" by first personality, that is: often on the streets, sometimes very close to people (with very wide lens), sometimes quite fast and so on...

Here is first me, and here is second.

So, maybe this will lead you to your answer. Or maybe not.

johnielvis · Mar 8, 2012

HA HA....talk to YOU not to HIM....

as the "grumpy olde lady" that was played by Gilda Radner says
"oh, that's quite different....never mind"...

I forgot the olde lady characters name....saturday nite live weekend update "editorial" guest...

ok--well good luck finding a picture that talks to you.

I think I had a picutre talk to me once in the darkroom it said "it's late, you're tired, go to bed".

bad ventillation in the darkroom

DesertNate · Mar 8, 2012

Just whatever you do, don't go with shooting on a 45 degree angle and crouching. That's what damn near every kid does when their college photography teacher gives them that useless comment. Shoot subject matter you don't usually do, or shoot something more interesting, but don't be too tempted to "do it wrong on purpose" unless you have a vision of what you're trying to accomplish.

CGW · Mar 8, 2012

Get another instructor. This sort of advice encourages what amounts to "mass individualism." He/she plainly doesn't have a clue if they can't specify what they want.

Bill Burk · Mar 8, 2012

I got it the first time when you said it should talk to you that he meant make it personal.

Like when I took a public speaking course (which is definitely outside my comfort zone) and they said talk about something you know well, then you will be successful.

So I talked about loading a spiral with 35mm film and processing.

It worked. I forgot my fear and got through the three minutes' talk.

removed account4 · Mar 8, 2012

keithwms · Mar 8, 2012

Seem we need to have this instructor come in and face our firing squad....

lancekingphoto · Mar 8, 2012

Take a picture of a ventriliquist's dummy, with the phrase below: "Hello, Instructor."

mark · Mar 8, 2012

mids1999 said:
Thanks for all of the feedback.

I have made another attempt to contact the instructor.
In reply to this email, the instructor stated to start taking pictures of things that "talk to me in some way".
This has me even more confounded, as that is what I thought I had been doing all along.

I do not think they mean for me to break the rules of composition, as they have been pushing the students to follow those rules all semester.

This actually makes more sense than you realize.

Make a list of those things you are passionate about. Then try to communicate that passion.
Think theme. People may be passionate about fast cars but that is the object of the passion.
It is the SPEED they are really passionate about.

The instructor set the bar pretty high. Should be fun.

kb3lms · Mar 8, 2012

I forgot the olde lady characters name....saturday nite live weekend update "editorial" guest...

Emily Latella

mids1999 · Mar 8, 2012

Well, there are quite a few things that I have become passionate about, and I have already photographed a few of them.
I will have to dig deeper into my list of interests, and hopefully come up with something.

As far as shooting something that I am uncomfortable with; the truth is, that I have become quite comfortable behind the lens over the years.
There are really only two areas that I can currently think of, that make me uncomfortable; photographs where I would be financially liable for messing up and nudes.

This discomfort would be at the financial and interpersonal levels though, not the technical level.
I have this image of either being sued for messing up an important event in someones life, or getting smacked repeatedly for asking people to model in the nude.

John Austin · Mar 8, 2012

mids1999 said:
getting smacked repeatedly for asking people to model in the nude.

There are those amongst us who enjoy that bit, but don't tell anyone

D.O.M

Bill Burk · Mar 9, 2012

mids1999 said:
I have this image of either being sued for messing up an important event in someones life...

That is such a great idea! You don't have to really mess up an important event to take photographs that look like you did (or that the event was a fiasco).

Fotophreek · Mar 9, 2012

Get out of your photographic comfort zone.

Valisa89 · Sep 27, 2012

According to my view i think you should capture all images which are impossible to capture by someone.

Ghostman · Sep 27, 2012

Do you want the instructor to spell it out for you? Maybe take some pictures for you? It's not hard to understand. Take yourself out of your comfort zone and take pictures. If you're taking a picture and you're thinking 'this is easy, I'm comfortable' don't take it. If you're taking a picture and you're thinking 'why am I taking this picture' - sit back and think about it, or don't, and ask questions of yourself that someone else might ask you and then have the answer ready.

Good luck.

Felinik · Sep 27, 2012

Shoot only when it "feels" like what you see is worth to shoot, when you feel that sensation in your brain/body, excitement, curiosity etc. and learn yourself not to "think" when you shoot, the only thing you should think about is to make the exposure work, let your eye/brain/sensation do the rest.

chiller · Sep 27, 2012

johnielvis said:
instructor, eh...well, it looks like you're forced to give him what he wants if you want a passing grade.
if you care about the class, then suffer--find out what he means first--just tell him the truth, that you do not understand what he means and ask him to clarify, with examples if possible.
THEN--do what he says, get the grade and go BACK to what you WANT to do--never let ANYbody tell you what's good and what's not--that's YOUR call with your work.

HOWEVER--when you are being paid by someone, its THEIR call--and being graded is just like being paid. If the customer (instructior) don't like it, you dont' get paid (passing grade).

You've had your fun, now it's time to "suffer." Just like other photogs that must do junk work for money to fund their REAL work that they like.

Very good reply johnielvis. The instructor certainly doesn't appear to have communication skills from simply saying the images are too safe. Was Ansel Adams too safe because he photographed predominately landscapes for nearly 60 years. Was Weston safe because he did a series of at least 30 Peppers. Is Sally Man safe because she photographs the way she does. We see these photographers at the top of their craft yet in reality most of their work could be considered safe from the perspective of a continuing style. Each of these photographers has an approach that they became comfortable with and then refined in the execution of the majority of their work. Expanding your horizons can be good if you fully appreciate what clicks with you creatively. Expanding your horizons just because someone plucks the hackneyed term "safe" out of the air without much guidance might cause you to get out of your comfort zone but fail to produce any work that you truly relate to and own emotionally. One man's safe may be another man's terrifying. You may very well benefit from a dose of terrifying but you need the boundaries of what that terrifying is.

Instructed to stop taking safe photos?

lancekingphoto

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