photographs

[Bruce Watson]

The short answer is, I don't know.

A long time ago I realized that I saw things that other people didn't. I guess people are so focused on the waterfall that they fail to see what's on the path *to* the waterfall. I don't know why I see it and they don't. All I know is that I'm the only one photographing it.

There's beauty all around, from the way a sapling casts a shadow on a rock, to the changing waves in the river as it flows over the rocks, to the form and shape of the Guggenheim Museum building. Most people walk by not noticing. A few see it. A few of the ones who see it, photograph it. A few of ones who photograph it, manage to create an image of beauty.

The more you practice seeing, the more you'll actually see.

[Graeme Hird]

I "conceptualise" an image and then go out to find an example of it in nature.

For instance, I'll imagine a certain type of weather condition over a certain rock formation. When those conditions are likely to occur, I'll go to the location I had in mind and wait until it happens (or go home when it doesn't).

That's how I made this one: http://www.f32.net/discus/messages/1...tml?1093060091

Any lighting conditions can be imagined and any location can be used.

Cheers,

[Graeme Hird]

Oh, and I'm also in the same boat as Hogarth .....

[Ken Lee]

If you were asking "What prompts you ?", the answer is Beauty.

To search for it is beautiful. To find it is beautiful. To photograph it is beautiful. To express it in a print is beautiful. When others appreciate it, that too is beautiful.

[Steve J Murray]

Learn to become aware of what is visually stimulating to you. Practice seeing this by letting your body and feelings tell you what is stimulating. Then photograph it. :>)

[Tadge Dryja]

Yeah... I can totally appreciate that for some people, their "best pictues have been made without any preconcieved ideas in mind". But for me, that just never works. I've tried many times to just go out, try to be open and just take lots of photos and se what comes out, but I never end up with anything I'm happy with. Then again, other people sometimes like those shots, but I guess my style is just a lot more... I dunno, structured, tight, narrow, that kind of thing.

This of course has been a problem, like the time one of my teachers fished a 4x5 neg of mine out of the grabage the next day, and came up yelling to me, "This is the most beautiful photograph you've taken this semester!! Get some #(%ing sense!!!"

Heh... I'd thrown it away because the framing was a little bit off. Still don't really like that shot... but I printed it for him once I washed it off ...

http://tadge.net

[Bruce Barlow]

I would guide you to "On Being a Photographer" by David Hurn and Bill Jay. A really delightful book with an insightful discussion of "Subjects."

I have fallen in love with the notion of Projects - where I define a photographic project and think it through: what's my end product (X number of prints, a set of notecards, etc.). And how will I do it (One camera/one lens, only 4x5 contact prints, etc.). And when I will have it done. I did this for two series of photographs ("East Meets Weston," with a series from Weston Beach combined with a series of snow and ice from New England, all 35mm, all B&W, all printed 5x7). It's done, sort of, and now I'm expanding it with a related series of flowing water from New England streams. I may expand it with New England clouds (when you live in New England, you photograph New England stuff), and perhaps play (the operative word) with photographs of fire. Then, if I'm successful, I have a "Fire and Ice" series, and an "Earth, Air, Fire, and Water" series, all that cohere in some way. The project was a starting point, that still lets me follow whims and whisps of inspiration (I didn't know if the Weston Beach pictures would work with the ice pictures until I put them up together. I thought they would, but I wasn't sure).

So, projects give me inspiration, focus (no pun intended), goals, and a concrete idea about when to declare vistory and be done. I have about four other active projects, plus just going out to make photographs.

By the way, maybe the best project is "One Photograph A Day" where, in addition to any other photography, you make one - and only one - photograph a day. It should take a long time and be the best picture you can make. The discipline of doing this every day, seven days a week, will improve your seeing dramatically, and build a body of work that, over time, you'll be proud of. A photograph of what? Anything! Redsicover why you love your bedroom. Photograph your kitchen. But make it as good as it can possibly be. Or have a reason for making it ("Experiment with depth of field," "N+2 Development," etc. so that you're trying something new that will build your own knowledge and arsenal of photographic tools).

Great question. Good luck.

[Edward (Halifax,NS)]

I steal from other people. I look at many photographs from many people and try to duplicate them - then, I go out into the world fresh and see what I can apply to what I see. I don't usually go out at the "best" times. I go out when I feel like being outside so that gives me the opportunity to shoot in many different conditions. One of my favorite shots was taken in sub -40 degree weather with a strong wind. Composition was dictated by where the rock was for me to hide behind.

[paulr]

"like the time one of my teachers fished a 4x5 neg of mine out of the grabage the next day, and came up yelling to me, "This is the most beautiful photograph you've taken this semester!! Get some #(%ing sense!!!" "

Please don't underestimate the possibilities when someone tells you something like this!
Not to suggest that your teacher's taste is somehow more right than yours, but I'm willing to bet he sees something that you don't ...yet.
I think the best thing you can do is stay open. Take some of these pictures that the teacher is screaming at you about and put them on the wall. Look at them from time to time, and just be open to them. Something might click. Your own work .. particularly the work you don't get yet .. can be the best imaginable teacher. These individual pictures are probably not examples of what your work will eventually look like, but there may well be some important seeds in there.

You're trying to discover your own personal vision. There have been some very lucky people who just fell into their vision immediately without trying, but for most people I know it's been a long, strange trip. And it's rarely a linear process. Be prepared for ups and downs, twists and turns, and be prepared for your ego to alternately soar and crash as your artistic abilites and your critical abilities keep leapfrogging each other. It's a long ride!

Personally, I got into photography so I could get cool pictures of rock and ice climbing trips. That never worked out, but one thing led to another, and I'm now finishing up a ten year project of urban landscapes. I never could have predicted the work that I'm doing now. One thing that helped me along, though, was patient mentors pulling prints out of the trash and saying, "i think you should look a little harder at this one."

[paulr]

Dan, you might be interested in a new line of products by Cokin called the "Masters of Photography Filters."
They're really great. I just bought the "Moonrise over Hernandez, NM" filter in 52mm mount for my Nikon.
I screwed it on, pointed at a light bulb (in full auto exposure mode) and Bam! Done.
The print is absolutely stunning, at least in 3x5. It's on my fridge right now. My friends can't believe I actually took that picture, but I did.
I've also heard they're going to come out with a "Masters of Postmodern Photography" series, but I'm not sure when. Aparently Sherry Levine threatened to sue, but I hope not--I can't wait to make my very own Sherry Levine pics!