Creativity for large format photographers

[Leonard Metcalf]

Hello,

I am personally quite interested in tips for creativity and techniques used by the group to find that wonderful photograph, to get into a creative head space. To quote Peter Dombrovskis 1995:

"Finding things to photograph is more to do with one's state of mind rather than the particular environment in which you happen to be. My most productive days are when I move through the landscape with an attitude of acceptance - of leaving myself open to all possibilities rather than expecting to find anything in particular. At best, this intuitave, dream-like wandering may to lead to what one may call a state of grace, a sense of spiritual connection with all around - from the wide landscape to the smallest detail."

How do others in this group get into this state of mind? Is it important? How do you approach creativity / photography? What are you looking for, trying to capture?

Ideas or comments please.

[Mike Troxell]

I normally load up my camera and equipment and go to one spot that has caught my attention. Then I set up the camera and start looking around. I usually spend the day working within a area not more than a hundred foot square. But then I'm interested mainly in landscape detail. That may not work for you if your interest are different. Its amazing what you can find in one small area once you start looking.

[Michael Hewson]

G'day Leonard - quoting Dombrovskis, hmmmm - do you live in Oz? Michael Hewson

[David R Munson]

The trick for me is to just find whatever it takes on a particular day or during a particular time period of phase to get me excited about photography and interpreting everything around me in a hugely visual way. When I'm feeling stagnant, this usually means a change of approach. Like right now I'm finally getting out of my post-college burnout thanks to a new camera and a few new CDs. Not even in the mood to shoot LF right now, I'm grooving on my Nikon F3P and 50/1.2 and Japanese breakbeats. It's all about finding the right state of mind and just running with it.

[Steve J Murray]

I think the Dombrovskis quote says it nicely. The shortest version of it would be: "let it happen." I think once you start "trying" to get a good picture you aren't paying attention to your inner self. You start imposing the "rules" on what you are seeing, and most often when that happens, you miss the boat.

Instead, I try to become aware of what is stimulating me visually. That's what I hone in on with the camera. Good technique is needed, of course, to finish the job properly.

[John McLaine]

What a pleasant surprise to see the name of the great Peter Dombrovskis invoked!

Those from the northern hemisphere may be unfamiliar with his work, (and it is very poorly represented on the web) but he was an incredibly important artist down here. His images of the southwest wilderness of Tasmania were instrumental in saving our last wild rivers in the 80's. Unfortunately he died suddenly and at a tragically young age, in the mountains with his Linhof on his back, shortly after he wrote the thoughtful words quoted by Leonard. It hardly seems possible that 8 years have passed since his death, and now that the battle has moved on to the last great stands of old-growth forest, his passion and commitment, his ability to inspire awe in the natural environment are sorely missed.

JMc. Tasmania

[Philippe Gauthier]

I don't know this Peter Dombrovskis guy - he sounds like a great guy, though - but I think he's right. I carry a camera most of the time, but it seems I never find anything worthwhile to photograph unless I set myself the task to tale pictures. Then I start seeing things.

The "task" may be a small studio set, a patch of woods or a model and a few props in the fields, it doesn't matter. From the time I'm in the field, I'm 100% comitted to what I'm doing, 100% concentrated and interesting things can happen. Yes, it's a dream like trance - and I think that you reach it more easily with experience.

[Matt Miller]

“How do others in this group get into this state of mind? Is it important?”

Freeing the mind of distractions and really seeing what’s there is, to me, extremely important. It’s in this state of mind that I see best and make my best photographs. Unfortunately for me, it’s also the hardest state to achieve. It’s the times when I have no intentions of looking for photographs when I see them the most. When I have my camera strapped to my back, or in the back of the car, I have the hardest time seeing. The key for me is to stop looking so that I can really see what’s there.

[John D Gerndt]

Speaking to the psychology of it all, your brain is moving even when you are sitting still. This must be obvious to anyone who has a surprising thought. If you want to be surprised then don’t force yourself into motion, do what it takes to set yourself adrift and be open to what comes along. Read books, look at photographs, take a walk, eat some different food, literally and figuratively and know that chance favors the prepared. You have to have a camera and film ready!

[Neal Shields]

I just shoot my last sheet of film and then I see all kinds of opertunities for photographs.

[Graeme Hird]

Those interested in the work of one of Australia's greatest landscape photographers can look here (http://www.view.com.au/dombrovskis/2-0.htm). His work and ideology are still some of the main inspirations for my craft.



I also "go with the flow" when I'm out looking for images, and Steve Murray above said it best: hone in on whatever is visually stimulating in the scene about me.



Cheers,
Graeme

[dangal]

I've seen his work at the newly renovated NGV (National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne Australia)just recently. I live in Melbourne by the way. I have seen the video that ABC has broadcasted a few months ago aswell. I think it is fair to describe him as a conservationist~photographer. No doubt that his shot of the Franklin river has captured not only the beauty of the region but also the atention of the nation to conserve the remaining old growth forest in the State of Tasmania.

Personally, I like the contribution that he has made but the fight to conserve the remaining old growth forest is still on. I find this very hard to accept that Australia as a developed nation is still degrading its natural environment! A developing nation relying on its natural environment for survival is a hard pill to swallow but what can we do, Australia is a developed nation though so it has no acceptable excuse.

I am a practicing conservation biologist and a landscape photographer. I am currently working in the newly created National Park in North-West Panay Island in the Philippines. I am trying to create awareness just like what Carleton Watkins, Ansel Adams and Peter Dombrovskis amongst others.

Photographically, Peter's style is very Ansel like, technically and aesthetically. But Peter explore the landscape on foot and long distances! Ansel drives and use donkeys? When one walks long distances, one inevitably gets more closer to nature. I know this because when I do my fieldwork (conservation and photography)I will walk 20 kms deep in the tropical jungle without following any trail for most of it. At the end of this initial walk is where my semi-permanent research station is located near a rigde top. This is where I set base camp and call this home for many weeks. From here I will walk radially for 10 hours per day to do my study and take shots whenever I see something inspiring to photograph.

What I am doing is similar to what Peter Dombrovskis did. Although he just walk and take photographs which is the best way to get to know nature and ultimately ourselves.........

[james mickelson]

I can go out and look about, see much to shoot, and create that way. Or I can look at others work, dream, and come up with many, many ideas. I look at lots and lots of images throughout the day and get quite a lot of ideas from this. I have literally 100's of scraps of paper emblazoned with ideas. Time to work on them is what I lack. Most of my ideas have little in common with what the work was about. I just let my mind do the walking. My camera does the talking.

[Leonard Metcalf]

Some fantastic suggestions, thanks... as described; gets easier with experience, practice, just start, emerse oneself, be ready, stop looking, do something different, dream, take a walk, and free the mind of distractions.

Yes I am an Australian, I didn't think I'd spark so much attention on Peters work. Just for the record he was inducted into the International Hall of Fame and Muesum in Oklahoma USA in 2003. He didn't actually write very much about photography that has been published (despite numerous books of his work). It is just that what he wrote struck such a chord with me.

I tend to photograph is frantic bursts, when I can get away from my other parts of my life. Sometimes I come back with stiff images as if I am trying too hard, at other times it takes weeks to stop the head swirling from my other worries and to get into the photographic mode... as if I have to process my problems before I can relax.

For me this photographic mode is about being in an intuitive state. Tuning into ones feelings. For me a great photograph is often one that I am compelled to take - rather than being clever with my camera- but to get that feeling I find that I have to be in that very intuitive state.

But on some days / trips / weeks it just doesn't come very easily... so what I a would like to hear more about is what do you do to get into that state. The creative state... Thanks... Len