New Musings

[Bruce Barlow]

Wrote an article, which Brooks Jensen declined, so I put it on my site.

"Old Guys." http://www.circleofthesunproductions...ts/OldGuys.pdf

Enjoy, I hope.

[Heroique]

“But reprinting old work bores me. It doesn’t feel like real progress.”

I like this excerpt – not because I agree, but because strenuously disagreeing makes my relationship w/ photography feel young again…

The key point for me to remember: Keeping my photo-explorations active won’t make me feel, or become personally younger. (I’ll read Deepak Chopra and Andrew Weil for that kind of self-centered magic.) However, my relationship w/ photography will feel and become younger. Literally. Now that’s exciting, rewarding.

BTW, it’s a thoughtful and thought-provoking piece, so I’m certain many are curious why Brooks Jensen declined.

[Two23]

I very much like the essay, and have had similar feelings myself for quite some time. I am constantly trying to "advance," and learn new skills that better my photography. I am constantly trying to stay creative. I would likely quit photography if I had to shoot the same stuff and shoot the same way, over & over. I call it the "same-o same-o." I bring this up on the railroad photography forums (comprised mostly of Old Guy types,) and they can become very defensive, hostile even.

There is one thing I strongly disagree with in the article. It's the idea that you have to quit taking shots just because it's night. I absolutely reject this. I am mostly a night photographer, especially in winter. Dakota winter nights are long and that's just too much time to allow to go to waste! I light up scenes with up to six monolights lights, or just use one to eight small Nikon SB-28 flash. At night, I control the light. At night, I control what's in the shot. At night, I break new ground! I also eagerly shoot with ambient light. There's a lot of it out there; you just have to learn how to "see" with long exposure. This might be the last weekend here for "real" winter. It's going back down to near zero, the snow is still deep, and the wind from the North is wicked. I'm heading out after dinner. I plan to use this opportunity and not allow it to slip away! Tonight my goal is to light up a freight train as it rolls past me in the dark. Like you I am 55, and live in a place where winters can be brutal. I have "gumption" though. And, warm mountaineering clothes!

Below shot of ice covered fence made with Shen Hao 4x5, Derogy 6 inch Petzval, HP5, x1 Nikon SB-28 flash, CyberSync triggers. Second shot of tankers & elevator made with Shen Hao, Derogy, HP5, ambient light. These opportunities are too good to waste!


Kent in SD

[Brian C. Miller]

Odd that you should post this. Just this morning I was thinking to myself, "Find your north star, and set your compass by it."

From reading your article, it looks like you've never really found what you really want to photograph. Are you losing your will to photograph because you haven't figured out where to point the camera? Is it portraits? Is it rocks and such? Is it moving water? What??

Portraits. I made two 5x7 portraits last weekend and remembered that there’s nothing as much fun in photography as making large format portraits. I do pretty well, but my 19-year-old son has recently eclipsed me with his digital camera. I oughtta take that as fightin’ words, and earn back the top spot by doing more.

Does quantity equal quality? I was looking at Alec Soth's site, and thinking about Milton Rogovin. Both of them photographed people, but Rogovin's portraits always have a certain amount of dignity to them, even though he never directed the people in front of his camera. To my eye, Rogovin has both more quantity and quality than Soth. But what they both did was get out and photograph.

What interested me with Rogovin is that he started photographing when he was 48. And look at how much he did! All it takes is getting out there and doing it. You want to photograph people? Go knock on doors this Sunday, and just ask people. Tell them you are doing a photographic project, and you'll photograph them and give them a couple of prints for free, just like Rogovin did. No problem.

Go. Do. Now.

[Nathan Potter]

OK, you're getting stale Bruce. Your piece rambles and your sensibilities seem to be too obsessive about getting unstale. Driving and stopping to capture the trivial image at hand won't solve your problem. Most of us have had similar dilemmas at one time or another.

I doubt that you, especially, need anymore practice on image making. What you need is some new emotional fire born of passion from the formless emotions within and condensed on film. You don't need a camera to do this. I do it without a camera so that I'm not hindered by the gear and mechanical contraptions and especially "how too" inventions. The time for image making will come after the excitement of a new thesis crystalizes. It's the interpretation and realization of the subject linked to your own consciousness and rendered on film that will lift you from any fear of old age and keep you young and vital.

Nate Potter, Austin TX.

[Bill_1856]

http://www.nyip.com/getstarted/photo....php?code=D272

[tgtaylor]

http://www.nyip.com/getstarted/photo....php?code=D272

You gotta be kidding, No?

[Bill_1856]

You gotta be kidding, No?

Waddautink?

[mdm]

18 more articles to write, before, maybe, on average you will produce a keeper.

[PViapiano]

Thanks for sharing your essay, Bruce...

Several years ago, I carried my 4x5 around in my trunk for a month and stopped whenever I saw somethng that would make a good photograph. It helped me to get comfortable with large format and to work (and see) quickly, with determination. Never mind that LF can be a very contemplative endeavor. I wanted to be forced out of my car in an environment that wasn't familiar or comfortable and practice photography. I ended up with 30 transparencies, some very good work and learned a lot in those 30 days. It was invaluable...

No matter what format I happen to be using, I don't expose a lot of film. It takes me a while to finish a 36 exposure roll in 35mm, same with 12 exposures in my Hasselblad and even less when working in 4x5. I take my time to find exactly what I want to photograph, in fact, I'm not always looking for photographs. I'm just out enjoying the day, the air, the experience.

This weekend, I'm away on business in central California, a little valley I've visited before. There are innumerable beautiful views and opportunities here, yet this time, I decided not to take a camera. This morning I took a nice long hike, and immediately I regretted not having one with me, yet each time I saw a photograph, I stopped and composed in my mind and made a mental picture. By the end of the morning, I was refreshed and recharged. It had been an incredible exercise and although I "missed" many shots for want of a camera, it helped solidify my vision and decision-making process.

Next time you go out to shoot, try to limit yourself to one roll, or 8 sheets of film, or less. Shoot less, think more, let it flow...and thanks again for your thoughts.