Quote Originally Posted by paulbarden View Post
I think the truth of the matter is that if you go hunting for subjects in new, unfamiliar locations, the only weapon you bring to the experience - the only one that matters - is your own unique way of seeing whats in front of you. If you go to the west coast and hit the beach/dunes, etc., sure enough you will see the same scenes thousands of others have made photos of. The trick (if you can call it that) is to see something in a scene/place that nobody but you has seen.

Many of the photos I have made in the past five years were made within 3 minutes walk of my front door. If I can't find something to make a photograph of/with within walking distance of home, then I'm just not trying hard enough and I can only pin the blame on the failure of imagination. If you come to Oregon expecting to be confronted with nothing but the same visions thousands have seen already, then you're asking yourself the wrong questions entirely.
All of my recent photography efforts revolve around this idea.. I do still lifes now with an old studio camera and I have gotten all my objects from stores or shops within two blocks of my studio. I am about to start in July three sets of work, my dogs Bones, Military Helmuts from a store 1/2 block away and the dreaded flowers which have been photographed One Zillion times before, the shop is two doors from me.

I have stopped looking for photographs by walking with a camera and now bring the objects to my camera..