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pachyderm
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Last Login: Yesterday @ 9:44:38 PM
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| I just picked up a new book "Developing vision & Style: A Landscape Photography Masterclass" by Joe Cornish, Charlie Waite and David Ward - all well known UK landscape photographers. In this book two of the questions asked are: What does vision mean to you?
How would you describe your vision? I'm going to try to answer this question over the coming week as I read though the book. I just thought everyone might enjoy thinking about these questions as well.
Robert M. Teague---------------------------------------------
Website: www.visionlandscapes.com
Blog: visionlandscapes.spaces.live.com
"Fujifilm remains true to its heritage and to the acknowledged superior image quality delivered by professional photographic film products." -- Fuji Press Release
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lion
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Last Login: 6/7/2008 2:49:31 PM
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LOL...well, this is the kind of response for which I get banned or start pissing matches in other sites. So guys, this is just my opinion... 
I have not read the book so I am unable to comment on how the authors have developed their ides. But this is exactly the kind of thing that I feel makes photographers look like they are trying too hard at being "artists".
Asking what does your vision mean to you? Is like asking what dooe your right arm mean to you? I believe that "vision" is something you either have or you don't. That is a part of your make up and is more instictive than rationalized.
Of course, it is possible to refine that vision through practice and seeing how others have dealt with similar subjects, but to try to give it meaning is like trying to give meaning to my lungs..
Heck, we all know of one photographer who not only thinks he has great vision, but actually has a workshop that teaches people vision.....yet IMO 90% of his photographs are boring.
I think better questions would be to ask what is it that inspires you to photograph? If this is going to be a book about self introspection, then we should ask ourselves: Why do we see the world in the manner in which we see it? WHat is so special about our vision that should attract the attention of a viewer?
IMO, these are the important questions with which I have been wrestling for the past two years. Furthermore, does obtaining a style that results from a particular photographer's vision mean that said photographer has stop growing in his art?
I mention style because I think it is more pertinent to the second question. Does it really matter how you describe your vision? I think not, it is like asking how do you describe your nose? If style is a product of vision, then the more self introspective question is to ask how do you define your style? More stressing is the question: Once you found a style, do you plan to continue making the same photographs for the next 20 years?
I had a lot of time to think about this after an illness and I don't mind saying that not only did I not want to make photographs, I almost quit photography all together. The answer to this was what women have known for centuries, the cure for depression is shopping! So I went and bought a new camera...LOL..... No, just kidding!
In reality what brought back my enthusiasm for photography was realizing that as photographers we have gotten into a rut. We blindly follow rules imposed to us by the gallery and art world and we don't stop and take the time to think about them. We worship the negative as if it was a sacred thing instead of just an intermediate step to create art. We bow to galleries and empower them to dictate our future, they want editions, here we go and do editions, they want minimalistic photography, lets go buy a Kenna book and copy him. We are told we need exposure and here we go and spend money on ads. Bottom line, THERE ARE NO RULES, do what you love and let the viewer judge your efforts.
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leopard
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Last Login: 7/30/2008 1:56:13 AM
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I have to say I agree with it.
The only thing is about style and vision. In my mind they are two separate things entirely and you can have one without the other. Vision is a way you see and style is something you gain over years or practicing your art form. Almost like a signature, that when one see a piece they will be able to say, hey that is a, name the artists.
The problem in photography is that everyone wants to copy what is selling, and does not spending enough time developing their own style and to look at their inner self to see their own visions.
lets take Kenna for example, I know many photographers that outright copy the look and feel of this work and calls it their own. I think they believe that since Kenna is the best selling photographer, from what I understand, they believe that by copying what he does they can make a dime off his back.
How is that creating your own style or following your own vision?
Photographers must start to see within themselves in order to develop their own style. vision is something you either have or you don't as it is a way you see things through your own eyes, not others.
Anyway that is how I see it.
Kevin Saitta
My Blog
ArtSoft the artist solution...
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tiger
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Last Login: 2/26/2008 11:31:12 PM
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Aha, the two a*** refugees... 
I will post something here I guess, but I will need better time.
Best regards,
Eirik Berger
Longyearbyen, Svalbard
Just recently launched:
www.monochrome.no
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pachyderm
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: Yesterday @ 9:44:38 PM
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| I wonder if sometimes we don't mix Vision and Style together, when really they should be separate. A quote from the book I just read this morning, by Charlie Waite - considered the dean of nature photographers in the UK: Our vision should dictate our style and the entire image-making process. If the latter does not reflect the former then our work will seem hollow and without meaning. There will be a dislocation between intention, execution and outcome; the image will be found wanting. I'll expand on this a bit later, but for now would enjoy hearing everyone's thoughts on the subject.
Robert M. Teague---------------------------------------------
Website: www.visionlandscapes.com
Blog: visionlandscapes.spaces.live.com
"Fujifilm remains true to its heritage and to the acknowledged superior image quality delivered by professional photographic film products." -- Fuji Press Release
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