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Author Topic: Canola Field Fantasy  (Read 10298 times)

David Eckels

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Re: Canola Field Fantasy
« Reply #60 on: January 29, 2018, 09:19:00 am »

At the risk of standing up in the middle of a crossfire and getting my head shot off, if artists can paint it, why can't a photographer snap it if they recognize it as a subject?

Ray, how did you know?  ;D
JR, gracias.

Rob C

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Re: Canola Field Fantasy
« Reply #61 on: January 29, 2018, 03:04:46 pm »

At the risk of standing up in the middle of a crossfire and getting my head shot off, if artists can paint it, why can't a photographer snap it if they recognize it as a subject?

Ray, how did you know?  ;D
JR, gracias.


They can and very often have; that's part of the problem.

Just like window reflections.
« Last Edit: January 29, 2018, 03:08:40 pm by Rob C »
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David Eckels

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Re: Canola Field Fantasy
« Reply #62 on: February 01, 2018, 01:17:40 pm »

I've been pondering your last reply, Rob, for a couple of days now. Are you saying that window reflections are not worth shooting? Or that they are cliches? Or something else entirely?

Rob C

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Re: Canola Field Fantasy
« Reply #63 on: February 01, 2018, 02:38:09 pm »

I've been pondering your last reply, Rob, for a couple of days now. Are you saying that window reflections are not worth shooting? Or that they are cliches? Or something else entirely?

David,

I am pointing out that my own current interest in the genre of windows and reflections is nothing new at all, that even my idea that it had pretty much originated with Saul Leiter turned out to be flawed; as he was doing so well, others were also beavering away doing similar things. Perhaps the truth is that there are only so many genres widely available, freely, which was as important to those early photographers of the NY School as it is to me! I say widely, but that's also a stretch, because unless one lives in a town large enough to boast busy pavements/thoroughfares, then the raw material will be absent. Yes, some smaller shops will still have glass frontages, but for me, as for those pioneers, it's the human presence that makes atmosphere - largely - and that's hard to crack in towns and countries where everything shuts down at mealtimes as folks vanish into homes or little restaurants, leaving empty streets between 1pm and 4.30pm at least.

Cliche? Oh yes, but even within cliche there are things that work and others that simply pay lip service to genre and are never going to rate highly even within the photographer's own estimation. But hey, if it's purely for personal satisfaction, there is little else that will really concern the shooter. That's why I go back for more when I feel mentally up to travelling that same route again.

I think that for myself, at the bottom of it all lies this urge to keep creating something if only because it's about all one can do as amateur: without assignment, it's tough to find reason or motivation because the blank wall facing one is more than a little bit daunting! The assignment offers challenges and problems to overcome, but if at least offers direction towards something. I suppose that's the reason for things like Ms Coke, too: just an idea to try and illustrate in yet another manner.

David Eckels

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Re: Canola Field Fantasy
« Reply #64 on: February 01, 2018, 03:50:33 pm »

I suppose that's the reason for things like Ms Coke, too: just an idea to try and illustrate in yet another manner.
And therein lies the fun! I enjoy seeing your explorations.
But hey, if it's purely for personal satisfaction,... at the bottom of it all lies this urge to keep creating something.
Very well said, Rob, all of it. And this is why your "Without Prejudice" thread is so important. No critiques for the most part, but if they strike a chord with someone somewhere, there is opportunity for acknowledgement that an image has done so. I am starting to see that the desire for critiques implies that there is some right or wrong way to approach, capture, or render an image. I was not aware of that (my) assumption until now. Always good to learn something new. Thanks for teaching.

Rob C

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Re: Canola Field Fantasy
« Reply #65 on: February 01, 2018, 05:34:07 pm »

And therein lies the fun! I enjoy seeing your explorations.Very well said, Rob, all of it. And this is why your "Without Prejudice" thread is so important. No critiques for the most part, but if they strike a chord with someone somewhere, there is opportunity for acknowledgement that an image has done so. I am starting to see that the desire for critiques implies that there is some right or wrong way to approach, capture, or render an image. I was not aware of that (my) assumption until now. Always good to learn something new. Thanks for teaching.


David,

Not sure about teaching anything; I expect that people just come to the conclusion that, in the end, they are making pictures for themselves and that they are, in some ways, fortunate that's how it is because of the freedom it implies.

I have often commented that photography strikes me as one of those areas where the difficult thing for the neophyte is how to do something unless somebody is there to show him how it works. I think that today, with digital, making an exposure is very simple, but the afterwork anything but. That's where a helping hand is very useful and will save lots of time and frustration. One difficulty that I found, time after time, was that people helping out took too much knowledge for granted. I ended up more confused than ever.

However, that is all about camera and computer skill and precious little to do with the value or otherwise of content, where you are ultimately on your own, so why spend a long time looking for external rules, just as you suggested might be being done? But, there is just so much room for fiddling about in digital that the temptation to do so can ruin what might have been a good visual idea. It's difficult knowing when to leave a picture alone and declare it done!

:-)

GrahamBy

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Re: Canola Field Fantasy
« Reply #66 on: February 02, 2018, 04:46:14 am »

It's difficult knowing when to leave a picture alone and declare it done!

Amen.

There is a coda to this: when people go to some sort of photography school now, the two things that are easily available for the instructors to use to fill the syllabus are:
a) Film and darkroom (justified by Art);
b) Computer manipulation.

Both are teachable skills, as opposed to making good exposures, which really requires a lot of feel and experience.
Since the school needs to look like it's teaching something, there is usually a lot of a) (art school) or b) (commercial photography oriented school). Or both. You're unlikely to get good testimonials if you spend a couple of hours on the effects of aperture, shutter speed and focal length, then say "Less is more, go shoot..."

So then, the graduate of such a school naturally wants to show off the clever things she or he learned... which don't really include "leave it alone."
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Rob C

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Re: Canola Field Fantasy
« Reply #67 on: February 02, 2018, 02:12:17 pm »

Whick makes me wonder: could it be an example of dumbing up?
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