An overlooked, yet critical element of a satisfying photograph?

[Steve J Murray]

Yes, the world is indeed a magical place. I began to photograph it because of its visual effect on me. Beauty in form: light, shadow, texture, contours, all organized by a magic hand. I don't think of myself as a "landscape" photographer, even though I take plenty of landscapes. I also photograph any interesting form, and of course the human face/body. The mystery is why do these visual things fascinate so?

I think for me the solid/shadow relationship in a photograph becomes a metaphor for the "physical world" and the "non-physical world." The non-physical is that which we aren't directly aware of, but seem to have a sense of existing beyond the solid, directly experienced phenomena.

[domenico Foschi]

I agree with Mark who put it in very simple and precise words . Children are spontaneously wiser than adults . As children i was able to entertain myself for hours just looking an ant working , children are the ones who can say repeatedly " look at that " with wonder at the same scene over and over again , because they are the ones to be able to associate the seeing experience to a feeling experience . We as adults , as Mark says , become dull, which is nothing else as a very creative way to protect the child within , from a world sometimes too rough . The creative outlet is the only moment when we feel safe to let go , when we feel compelled to point the lens toward a face , or a street scene , or a detail of an object , or a landscape seen with that sense of wonderment , and scream to the world : " look at that ! " . Sometime ago , i was taking a picture of an interesting part of a building , whose view was partially covered by interestingly shaped trees. A couple , friends of mine , where passing by in their routine walk , after dinner , and asked me what was i taking picture of . I showed them in thr ground glass the composition , and they said : " look at that ! that's beautiful ! Now , they pass almost every day from that spot , and they never noticed the potential beauty of the scene . ISn't that our job? To say to the world : " Look at that ! " ? You know what would be great? To be able to remember the sense of wonderment we had as infants , when we were truly fresh in this world and probably every experience we had was almost overwhelming . THAT would be interesting energy to capture on film .

[Mark_3632]

My family and I live near the compound where the school stores it's busses. He is not yet two and we took a walk through the parking lot the other night to see the busses. If I could get that worked up over a school bus the world would be a much grander and amazing place for me to live in. I am thinking of hauling the camera down to the parking lot, getting at his level and exploring those "BIG, lellow, pitty, buses" to maybe capture his amazment. I will of course say good night to them, as he did, when I leave.

[Alex Hawley]

Domenico said - "To be able to remember the sense of wonderment we had as infants , when we were truly fresh in this world and probably every experience we had was almost overwhelming . THAT would be interesting energy to capture on film ."

Supposedly we become more "sophisticated" as adults. I'm not so sure of that anymore and challenge that premise.

The more I photograph, the more I see a relationship between what I photograph and what I was fascinated by as a child. Sometimes I catch myself looking at something as I did when I was a child, especially if it was something that was present and part of the life then. I don't know if that comes through in the film. No one has ever told me does yet. Does anyone else have this same influence?

[D. Poinsett]

I am attract to landscape photography for the very reasons you describe both as a photographer and viewer. However, the insights and connections you describe may be necessary only for a particular kind of image. Further, while the intentions/awareness/state-of-mind of the photographer is generally considered integral to the result, the photo may be experenced much different than originally intended. Images can also be interpreted differently as tastes and ideas change.

I think for the "magical" landscape photograph, your observation is probably true for the most part but I point to the exceptions lest we it is necessary for that first step as you call it. Perhaps it would be better to think of the need to appreciate and honor the magic of the natural landscape as one of many possible paths.

[Donald Miller]

Excellent thoughts expressed. As I read this I remembered this from the Tao de Ching "Ever desiring we observe the manifestations, ever desireless we observe the mystery" and too this quote attributed to Ruth Bernard "Everything is part of something else and I am part of it".

As I observe and participate in my photographic unfolding I am more aware of the need to not only depict "things' but more importantly the "nature of things".

[Don Boyd]

I heard Danaan Parry, author of Warriors of the Heart, say that, “The source of all conflict is a desire for intimacy.” As a Conflict Consultant I work to help people understand that conflict is a symptom of unmet needs, and a gift if we are willing to face it with courage and wonder. At the source of all conflict then is our attempt, no matter how feeble or apparently contradictory, to reach “beauty and harmony.” I think that Danaan would have said that our desire to know ourselves, to be in union with all things (“god” in all of its manifestations) is what he meant by “intimacy.” “Paradox” seems to be this contradiction between our deepest desire for union and the limited paths our current level of awareness opens us to.

A large part of photography for me is one attempt to resolve these contradictions. When I do it well (which is different than producing a fine image), I expose myself to what I don’t know and the accompanying wonder, joy and fear. At times it seems I am constantly fighting my limited technical knowledge and wrestling with this even deeper itch for something I cannot name. At other times, even with my very limited technical skills, all the things required to create an image seem to come together and I am dissolved in the process. That is when I experience the symphony of which I am a part.

[chris jordan]

In my opinion, this is the ONLY critical element of a satisfying photograph. All else is fluff.

Wonderful thread guys.

~cj

[Ellis Vener]

An sense of wonder and a desire to share that sense of wonder are indeed a key elements in being able to photograph well. the desire and willingness to make and create art is an expression of the desire and willingness to take part in the Mysteries.