John Lind wrote:
I'm still wandering in the wilderness trying to find one. In the mean
time, I approach every project or subject with some thinking about what
unusual, unique or bizarre perspective, point of view, or composition
would _work_ to express something special about the subject(s) that cannot
be expressed otherwise. Thoughts about unusual and bizarre combinations
of hardware to accomplish it pop into my head. The hardware that's needed
follows the visualization to execute it. Maybe that is a "style" but
(IMO) it hasn't been consistent and recognizable as such. Perhaps it's
because I'm letting subject material dictate the style for it too
much. Then again, I wouldn't want only a hammer and approach everything
as if it's a nail, because it's not! See? I'm wandering around again,
still in the wilderness.
John, I don't think that letting the subject suggest the style or technical
approach is wrong at all. I think it's the only way. I'm not there yet,
mind you, but if the subject--maybe to be more specific, the *light* on the
subject--isn't the starting point, the result seems to be inevitable
sterility. If the technique leads, it's the technique we look at. Far,
far more appealing is the photograph that let's me experience the
photographer's reaction to the subject. That connection, be it emotional
or intellectual, leads me into an image more than all the compositional
rules put together. Thankfully, that's a generalization I don't have to
test very often, because the photog who is good enough to let us relate to
his work as he related to it is usually pretty accomplished in all areas of
the art. Take you startling flower shot in the last TOPE, for
instance. I'll bet you didn't say to yourself, "Now how can I use the
ultra wide with an extension tube?" I'll bet that you wanted to see into
the heart of that flower and present the viewer with a reality he hadn't
seen before. Then you realized that the lens/tube combination might work
to accomplish that goal. (It did so spectacularly well, BTW.) If I'm
right, then you definitely don't have to worry about having a style. It
may be like the purloined letter: right there in front of you all the
time. Just my $.02 worth.
John
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