mysteryscribe
TPF Noob!
- Joined
- Feb 1, 2006
- Messages
- 6,071
- Reaction score
- 3
- Location
- in the middle of north carolina
- Website
- retrophotoservice.2ya.com
- Can others edit my Photos
- Photos OK to edit
You know over the years I established my philosophy about photography. It just was there one day. I have no idea what if anything was the basis of it. It just kind of happened. Now I find that through this and other forums where I actually interact with other photographers, I am seeing my own thinking more clearly. It isn't changing it, but made me more understanding of it all.
I don't expect that understanding why you think or act as you do doesn't make much difference in the long run. It is nice to get it all straight in my failing mind. Getting all my defecation in one bag I guess.
I heard a term recently uttered by a photographer, not here, about documentary as if it were a curse word. Got me thinking about how i saw things.
So here it is, and of course I would like to hear yours since I am absolutely sure it will differ from mine.
I believe a photograph is about the subject.
It is my responsibility to show that subject, animal mineral or vegetable honestly and with as much skill as i can. It is not my place to change the basic subject by altering how it appeared in my camera when I see it.
Now that leaves me with some basic things to reconcile. Even before photoshop we removed zits and stray hairs. I like to think that those were not part of the subject but rather temporary conditions. Which leaves lots of room for people to remove scars and straighten teeth I guess. I never have and probably wouldn't now.
I always knew how to remove age lines or at least lighten them, but I never did more than shoot a slightly softer lens. Not much kindness in putting a super sharp lens on a 60 year old woman's face.
Do you move a coke bottle from a landscape for instance. For me NO. For others there is no problem since it to is temporary. Not really part of the scene.
I once owned a star filter. You know one of those that caused all the light to flare in a star patter. I used it twice then tossed it. Something about it just didn't seem right.
I like flat light portraits that are all about the person in the shot. But again that's just me.
So, I am an unrepentant documentarian. With a long list of exceptions of course. I never did get the zen of it all.
So how about you, have you been able to define yourself yet. By the way it only took me thirty years to figure out a name for it. I always shot the same way just couldn't quite figure it out before.
I don't expect that understanding why you think or act as you do doesn't make much difference in the long run. It is nice to get it all straight in my failing mind. Getting all my defecation in one bag I guess.
I heard a term recently uttered by a photographer, not here, about documentary as if it were a curse word. Got me thinking about how i saw things.
So here it is, and of course I would like to hear yours since I am absolutely sure it will differ from mine.
I believe a photograph is about the subject.
It is my responsibility to show that subject, animal mineral or vegetable honestly and with as much skill as i can. It is not my place to change the basic subject by altering how it appeared in my camera when I see it.
Now that leaves me with some basic things to reconcile. Even before photoshop we removed zits and stray hairs. I like to think that those were not part of the subject but rather temporary conditions. Which leaves lots of room for people to remove scars and straighten teeth I guess. I never have and probably wouldn't now.
I always knew how to remove age lines or at least lighten them, but I never did more than shoot a slightly softer lens. Not much kindness in putting a super sharp lens on a 60 year old woman's face.
Do you move a coke bottle from a landscape for instance. For me NO. For others there is no problem since it to is temporary. Not really part of the scene.
I once owned a star filter. You know one of those that caused all the light to flare in a star patter. I used it twice then tossed it. Something about it just didn't seem right.
I like flat light portraits that are all about the person in the shot. But again that's just me.
So, I am an unrepentant documentarian. With a long list of exceptions of course. I never did get the zen of it all.
So how about you, have you been able to define yourself yet. By the way it only took me thirty years to figure out a name for it. I always shot the same way just couldn't quite figure it out before.