Monday, March 1, 2010
found in the back of the closet
I got stuck clicking myself into old photo archives and ejected the hard drive feeling a little weird. i guess i expected to look at my first school paper assignments and realize that i've grown at least somewhat in the three years since. instead, i wonder if all i've learned are a few nifty tricks and names to methods I did instinctively, such as layers or using light, as in the photos below. I remember feeling unable to tell what exactly made a good photo, or why i shot certain frames. but being thrown into the same situations, I would probably still shoot many similar photos as back then when i just had a little carefree dance with my camera. it feels odd, in a way that progression happened maybe on a more superficial level than I had imagined or maybe that all i've increased is the rate at which the 'better' photos enter the camera. it makes me feel crummy, that's for sure...i thought i'd share to see if anyone knows what i'm talking about.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
6 comments:
I think the longer I have done photography, and the more I have learned, the more aware I am of what I am looking for when I take pictures.
When I started out I didn't feel like I knew what I was doing and I focused more on rules of composition and technical stuff. Sometimes I liked the results, but I didn't know why I liked it more than others.
As I progress and become more aware of the unique things that I can bring to a photograph my perspective becomes more focused, and my goals become more specific. And thus I get better results more frequently. But the things that ultimately draw me to photography do not change. I just get better at knowing what I'm seeing.
I don't know if that makes any sense. But I agree with you. It's always hard to judge your own growth.
brandon, that's so interesting. I think you're right. in the beginning the photos happen accidentally, I guess, you see something but you don't really know why. then, for me, it was the stage where i learned to look for certain things and use them, light, composition, etc.
now these come more and more natural and you can wait for the right moment in them to add another level, to say something about the person, or to bring across your feelings or vision. a friend of mine calls it the level of sophistication and i never really knew what she meant, but I guess it would probably be all these different elements playing together in a frame.
Don't think at all and just shoot. Sounds silly, but the less you think, the more you're involved in the moment and just react. Well, that's what I do anyways...
I'm with you guys. I remember my first internship after college. I learned PJ overnight practically. After those amazing 6 months I felt I had established my own style and was comfortable with it. Now, outside of always pushing myself during sports assignments (which is just so damn fun) I just let my "style" instinctively take over for me. Does that sound about right? Like you see an event and you go "Yep, that's the image I need for Main Art and to do it I need the 70-200 at 200 at this angle." Done and done now it's time to explore. Now while I shot it that way, another shooter shoots the event completely different. Why? Because that's their personal style and not mine. The beautiful thing about our work is that there really is no "right answer". Great images btw. :)
This shot of the young pianist stopped me cold. AWESOME capture. the warm hair light with cold reflected face in a cold room is "TITS" as they used to say around Chicago.
WELL DONE!
Thanks, guys, it's interesting to hear your thoughts. Especially 'tits,' i've never heard that before. but then, i've never been to chicago either, ha!
It's a mix, isn't it, of reacting to what's in front of you and thinking it over when you're done.
I don't think I've established my own style, nor do I want to ever get to that finite point.
Being inspired and trying to see what other people see is challenging but makes shooting so interesting. so that when i would usually pull out a wide and shoot it like i always do, i stop myself and try something different sometimes. anyway. interesting stuff.
Post a Comment