I still love black and white.I have been doing so much colour work these days..it feels good to step away from it for a moment.Have been looking at old Andre Kertesz country landscapes.Just beautiful stuff.I am happy to strip away the colour and just see the essential form and structure of a thing.And ya..I have always been a sucker for those grainy films..agfa , recording film, Tri-X pushed all to hell .That sort of thing.
Doing the look on the 'puter is okay.Feels a bit less magical...I wonder if I am alone on that one.I embraced the technology long ago, as only part of me is a hopeless romantic.The other part is lazy and enjoys the ease of digital. It's also way cheaper .
The underlying requirement for effective photography is the desire to tell a story..To deliver the story well requires authenticity .Some of the best images I have seen of late are by amature photographers. Somehow their authenticity is on display (An eye takes years to train,and not everyone has the ability to see light.)
After years of honing my skills as a commercial photographer in Toronto ,I became able to shoot what I needed to shoot.I really enjoyed giving a thing a "look". Loved it .Every shoot was a challenge .
Art , authenticity, voice...These were a bit distant some of the time , drowned out by the daily demands of my commercial work.I think this is why I love the work of amatures...and I am not speaking of aspiring photogs here..I mean real non-pros.Like my mother for instance.She has no clue about photography..and that is precisely why I love her work.It captures stuff in a great way.Enviable really.
The greats are great...and the beginners are also great.
Anyhow ,once we have spent 20 odd years working professionally ,we can't undo it.We can only play.And this play is where the magic lies.
I am really enjoying my 'play" these days.I should stop calling it work.
No comments:
Post a Comment