Homages...

[Mark Sawyer]

In any artform, the artist strives for self-expression, with much of the emphasis on "self", also read as "original", or perhaps "a vision uniquely mine".

But in my own work, I sometimes find that the images that hold something special for me are the ones where, instead of saying "look at MY vision", I'm saying a simple "thank you" to a photographer who went before, who's work meant something to me...

And I was wondering... how many of us do make these little homages or tributes to those who inspired us? And would any of us want to put these modest "thank you's" up here to be seen?

In my case; "for Edward and Charis"

[Kirk Gittings]

From the Ghost Ranch, in the footsteps of O'Keefe.

505

[poco]

Since I don't know how to post pics, the story will have to do.

I live in Western NY and have spent a fair amount of time shooting the Buffalo grain elevators. One of these elevators, H-O Oats, was photographed from a specific angle by the Bechers which was then later copied by Gerrit Engel, apparantly as an homage of his own ( http://www.albrightknox.org/pastexh/Engel/photos.html). I've always avoided the shot because what could I add? The Bechers did it beatifully in B&W and Engel in color -- I could hardly improve on either. But then this year they started tearing that elevator down to make room for another useless Indian casino. I spent a couple days shooting the demolition from every conceivable alternative angle, but when three silos were all that ramained, suddenly realized it was time to take the shot -- not so much in homage as for the sake of rounding circle of photographic history. Taking that shot suddenly felt right in a way that few other shots of mine have. Not a Becher or Engel, but a shot that's important to me

[Mark Sampson]

I found myself at Wells Cathedral in England, and so paid homage to Frederick Evans by photographing the "Sea of Steps". When I got home, I found that my picture wasn't an exact copy, but that wasn't really my intent...