Monday, December 28, 2009

The Eyes have it!

With all the recent technical talk I've done on Facebook it was great to step away from it over the holidays and just see again.

The camera is a tool. Nothing more, nothing less. I can guarantee you, carpenters don't sit around and discuss the finer points of their hammers. They just build stuff.

We, as photographers, should just take pictures.

Chase Jarvis (famous Seattle commercial / fine art photographer) has said it many times, "the best camera is the one you have with you." In other words, it's all about the vision, not the tool. For years fine art photographers have used toy cameras (AKA the Diana and Holga) to create a unique images void of technical mumbo jumbo. Polaroid, too. Enter now, the iPhone, and other smart phones with built in cameras.

Saturday afternoon, needing a visual fix, we ventured out into the world to see. It was a good trip with our eyes wide open. We didn't go to anyplace exotic, just wandered about Connellsville, PA, using our vision and the light as guides. Remembering once again, anyone can buy a camera, but that doesn't mean you have the vision to create images anyone will want. True vision must be nurtured, feed and allowed to grow over years of practice.

I hope you all had a great Holiday and I wish everyone the very best for the New Year!

And BTW, the camera I had with me... was a Canon G11. Spiffy little thingie.


Rust formed on a 55 gallon drum


Tower and clouds


X marks the spot


When the cows come home

Water rushing over a rock

Tuesday, December 08, 2009

Another week closer to Christmas!

Wow, that was the fastest Monday I think I've ever seen! Meant to do a blog post all day but just too busy. It's that time of the year. Albums are coming in and going out. Sent out four this afternoon. Two more are awaiting pick up at Post Office tomorrow, err, later today! Still have several more books to design, but alas, they won't be back by Christmas. Still time to get some signature prints done however, thanks to the archival Epson 3800 printer a few feet away from my desk. Several meeting scheduled this week, too. And scouting for a commercial job we're shooting next week. Lot's going on in these last few days of the year.