My thoughts on the extreme vast void of photography to day, and yesterday.
I will start with yesterday, starting with Fox Talbot . I wish now I Kept all my books from the 60 through to the 80s Books read. The Ilford manual of photography revised: John Hedgco what a picture. through the eye. Books By heather Angel Like Close-up. Studio and lighting: secrets of still life By Gary Perweiler.
photographic composition by Tom Grill and Mark Scanlon. Nude photography. Pro lighting product shots:
Photographing women Beautifully ! : Wedding photography to day: ModernWedding and portrait photography. And many more that I now wish I kept. Over all, the approach to photography has changed some what. More people are taking better pictures, as the skill is taken out by the use of modern cameras. Sharper more well focused images.
Nevertheless, there are some that still cannot take a picture, if they tried.
Looking at many photographs, and those who show me there work. Its sad that digital photography is giving most, a clouded view on what is a good picture. Its seems in the art world, anything goes.
Yet from reading this course and other books. Those who manage to pull an image to bits and warp the thoughts of others, have come up with some funny but valid rules. Should there be? Here is a definite line that you cross to producing good photography or stay the other side taking snaps.
I am Now reading the Oxford History of ART!
Back in the 60. I must say, photography was exiting 70s much to explore. But what is in this book. I fail to think. What is pleasant or moving about some one showing there back side. OK photographing Nude has come a long way in Art. But Much is portrayed by the use of good subdued or high key lighting.
I Like to look at Art and photographs.
My self. I am a person of simple words. Like most things on this planet to day. Some one has to jump on the band wagon, And make a purse out of a sows ear. And get allot of credit for it. Although I have an opinion on many subject like photography and art. Who and what one looks at as being wonderful to
taste may be of other personal taste to another.
I always found it funny when a person out of every day life shoots a picture displays is . And be fore you know its under the microscope. With thousand of words and books on the subject.
What pleases one, may not the other. Yet if that image holds a key to capture peoples eye. Then its a master preference! A baby monkey could do just as well. Or an accident of spilt paint. Same in photography. From the simplistic, to the Damn right Obscure craziness of those who dare.
After so many years, and winter nights back in the UK, photography books was my way to pass time. Photography was still braking exiting boundaries.
Not forgetting magazines far more interesting with new ideas.
To days book are focused on photoshop. Underwater photography. Photoshop artistry: Camera Raw Studio skills . These are ref books. Of my own.
Now I focus on magazines Like Color for collectors of fine art photography: The same But in Black and white. So lets look at photographers from the passed David Baily Lord Litchfield.
These photographers broke new ground and set standards for others to follow.
Davids work: http://davidbaileyphotography.com/site/ First thing that come to minds is consistency and warmth. Some may say different . From Black and white through to colour. I love his work. You see some rules that are broken. Like the man with his face resting in his hands looks like a long day in the hospital . And the time of day is late afternoon, in a hot country. It tells a story. yet the image is slight to the right facing out of frame. . ..... Yet taking this man and moving him back into the middle or to the left. makes it like any other. It takes away the mystique ness out f the hole impact you get.
At the end of the day , I was told I would develop a characteristic style. If I gave randomly davids work to a famous Critique . Would he know who took it? Unless he's studied and has a mental image of this , then yes. but to day with the fast amount of photographers on earth. I wonder?
Lord Lichfield. http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=lord+lichfield&w=all&s=int&referer_searched=1
just some of his work . Basic Clean. With impact.
Well my view . He had a title and the money to play with. Obsession with women, An Envy to many. he produced Calendars and books. Photographs the royals and again broke into new ground. Sadly He scraped the digital world. before he died. I would say more, the king of amateurs. His work is not dramatic. But its a record of the time. He showed many different views on life. I would not say, take it to the extreme.
More of a commercial and over looked approach. Many have done the same. Others Inspire s my self. as a goal. looking at digital photo magazine . I see the a ray of work heavily photoshopped. This to me is not photography.. Photography is painting and capturing with light. And recording what is there and how one sees the world. As to , an artist would do. But saying this. I find my own work now changing, from what we see each day to another view point. From that exploring all possibilities of angel and light shade contrast, mood. From the simple to the abstract. a person or a place. Now with digital, anything goes, and has become possible.
So many photographers. just where does one start.
Places to see photography : Flicker and Photo.net.
Lets start here http://photo.net/photos/l4ado by Leon Farado
Top line photo left to right : 10 photos chosen
1st Left The man in the middle . OK a pleasing photo , some thing about the framing lines that distract me. I dont like the way he is sat. Its un appealing. Although he balances with the lanterns top L lamp;R
The hole image leans to the right . where as I would have taken this bringing the camera more to the right. So the eye feels more comfortable reading.
photo 2 Chinese Butchers:
Black and white work. Well in some scenes, but not in others. My thoughts as being a ex butcher my self is, This lacks the main points . What are they doing. Well you can say , Let the imagination go. And they are splitting some carcass open with what looks like a samurai sword. In colour , this would be more obvious. As a black and white image. It could be toned down a bit more. For the kind of action, it lacks sweat and blood. The hand closes,t is to bright.
Photo 3 Girl on horse :
Nice lighting. A nice freshness feel. but to make this an amazing photo. It needs to be shot candidly, You can see its been set up from the the horse being roughly handled. and the direction of the horses face, un balances the composition. the rains are held to tight to make it real . bit crewel.
photo 4: carp pond
I honestly Like this due to the contrasting grey and yellow lips. would be nice to see the Original, as a little to much crop on the top. Taking a shot turning the camera anti clockwise to bring those yellow lips a bit more into the picture .
Photo 5 The city
Nice tone . Good photo lack of point of focus . Its an Athena type picture . Need something in the sky but still nice keeping it simple.
Photo 6 the Bridge:
Again nice photo. Could have been taken on a longer lens . and a little later blending the evening sky with the lights of the traffic.
Photo 7 The wall.
Interesting approach. Not my angle, but totally candid. Pleasing over all. But it would have been great to have shot it at a low angle .
Photo 8 girl in the wall
So many photos inspire others to take the same. I have done it my self.
Like fashion and music, we photographers face the wall our selves. By repeating what others have done. And history is catching us up.
Perhaps bring the subject to the right or left a little . Its OK.
Photo 9 Dragon Fly on cable:
I have taken many like this my self . And rejected them. If this is what pleases one as a picture then what have I been doing. ? You tend to look more into the cable then the main subject. I personally disagree with the way this has been taken and would have taken in much closer.
Photo 10 gossip
I named this gossip, for the simple reason the men have not got eye contact in their conversation . The picture seem a mystery to what they have to say with an added humor or sarcasm reflected. A good story could be made from this photograph.
My dream To own one. http://www.hasselblad.com/masters-2009.aspx
