The Joy of Light
“Light makes photography. Admire it. Love it. But, above all, know light. Know it for all you are worth, and you will know the key to photography.”
George Eastman
I have always felt that photography, in the right hands, is an art form. However, sometimes it is hard to tell when, and how, the craft of photography can become an art and whether a particular image meets that criteria. I have often thought a lot about this in my own photography. And that is the subject of this Blog: how do I find the Art in Photography and how do I know when I have found it?
I hope you find my thoughts on the subject entertaining and, occasionally, informative.
You will notice that I have not included a way for you to directly engage in comments or argument about my comments. I don’t want to be in the position of having to police comments or censor people views or way of expressing themselves. I am too old for that. However, if you wish to engage with me directly go over to the “Contact Me” page and drop me a line. I try to answer all of the comments I receive and If I find feedback that helps me develop my own thinking I will write about it here.
Photography the Hobby
Reading over what I wrote in my post on “Looking at Art” it has occurred to me that possibly I’m becoming a snob! At least it may seem that way. I assure you it is not intentional. But all this talk about “art” may suggest that I don’t see any other purpose for...
Looking at Art
If we are seeking the connection between art and photography, perhaps we should not look just at the “photography”: perhaps we should also be looking at the "art". In any equation we have to treat each side the same. And so I have developed the habit of seeking out...
But is it Photography?
So here is the question this week: is it photography? Well, maybe I should back up a bit. This past week I received an e-mail ad for a new Topaz plugin called Impression. The blurb said that it could turn photographs into art. Well, I am skeptical of these claims....
New Year 2015
A new year is like a blank sheet of paper: wonderful to hold and daunting when you consider its possibilities. I remember buying my school supplies with my mother and I loved to get home and put all that new blue lined three ring punched paper into my shiny...
Thoughts on 500px
This website was conceived as a place to display my photography. It has transformed itself into a place for thinking about my photography and has become a wonderful tool for working out my own feelings about my hobby. It has been an excellent exercise and I expect it...
Out in the Woods
If you go out in the woods today you’re sure of a big surprise ....... well, if you're my age you know that song. It has to do with picnics and teddy bears. But I'm thinking that if you go out in the woods today with your camera you're in...
100 Images of Italy 2014
I have just returned from a month in Italy and it is good to be back. But now comes the work. In addition to all of the other things I have to do, I have 5300, give or take, photos to sort through and organize. No easy task. We travelled...
A Point of View
Photography, like life, is a matter of point of view. And sometimes the best photos are taken by looking at something from a unique perspective. For instance, the other day I was trying to emulate a photographer I admire very much by the name of Denis Colette. His...
Thinking of Water
I came across some images the other day that caught my eye. And as often happens that started a chain of thought. I'll deal with those images in a minute but first we have to take a step back before we can go forward. I have noticed of late a plethora of articles and...
Words to Remember
"Migrant Mother" by Dorothea Lange taken in 1936 as the depression raged across America I receive a newsletter every so often from the “Digital Photography School” out of Australia. I can’t remember signing up for it but that doesn’t surprise me. I spend a good deal...
The Italian Gardens
I have set myself a new project: to photograph the Italian Gardens in Hastings Park in Vancouver. I spoke of projects in my discussion of the Sofitel Grand Hotel in Amsterdam earlier. By setting goals one imposes discipline and fosters a...
The Old is New Again
When I began this website I was concerned about art and photography and how they are related. I knew that not all photographs are art, but I also knew that some of them were. And it made sense to me that If I want to make art with my pictures I had better understand...