I fully admit that I take photos not because I’m in any way driven to but because it sharpens my perceptual skills. And it’s a technical challenge too, which my analytically-oriented brain enjoys. Also the doing of it, the heightened state of awareness that sometimes happens, is pleasurable.
People like van Gogh fascinate and delight me both because they’re so throughly other to my own experience and also because their particular kind of otherness leads to such outpourings of creative richness. Even as it often eats them up.
-Dave-
In which way do you find photography a technical challenge? Digital has removed most of the challenges that filmies had to learn to handle - not overcome, because one can't do the impossible - but certainly one did learn to appreciate the limits and perhaps use them to some degree of effect - or even as a signature style, in some cases.
Perceptual skills? They lie as the foundations of the visual arts. Without them already in place, one hasn't a prayer. But yes, there can be no doubt that during the
doing, there is a huge surge of buzz; I used to find the end of a good studio session always left me flat, and I had to drive myself to go into the darkroom to process what I was being paid to do: the business was simply the means of financing my love for the world of fashion and calendar art; the end of a great trip was even worse: all I could think of doing was planning some way of doing the next one. On the other hand, there had been some that couildn't end quickly enough for me. But they were rare, thank God.
I remember being near Glasgow Airport one day and looking up at some aircraft going somewhere and knowing that there was nothing known ahead that was going to get me up there. I never enjoyed flying very much, but what it signified, which was not holidays, was huge in my life and dreams.
Your observation that creative richness can be destructive is all too true. There are many such causualties. Unfortunately,
artistic talent alone is not the key to success in life.
;-(
Rob
