Musings:
Random Thoughts of a Photographer
Every now and again I have a thought...no really.
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Uluru
Rules, OK.
Uluru (Aryes Rock) is one of the greatest Autralian
icons, but there are a lot of rules about what you
can photograph. |
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"Therefore you can climb the world’s
largest monolith, but leave your camera behind as
any shots taken while there, say of Kata Tjuta, or
even the car park, cannot be used because they imply
that you did the climb." |
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Nature's
Big
Some navel gazing on a narrow ledge overlooking
the Budawang Ranges, after making Last Light on
Yadboro. |
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"...no matter how important one gets, no
matter how much money one makes, no matter how many
book signings one has or photos one sells; in the
great hurricane of life we are each but a single gnat’s
fart." |
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Insult
to Photographers
Some people have no idea what a photograph should
be worth. I recently had an offer to buy my photos
for $4 a piece, FOR ALL RIGHTS! |
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"So, in return for neglecting the normal
operations of his or her business, the hapless photographer
receives $1200 gross and nets $164. Even assuming
only eight hours a day on the job, that's 69c an hour!
" |
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Dark
vs Light
There's been so much written about digital vs.
traditional photography that I'm loathe to add another
couple of hundred words...but then being loathe to
do something doesn't usually stop me from doing it.
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"It doesn't matter how you produce your
prints. Do what fits your lifestyle and what's appropriate
for your audience, whether that be MoMA or your Mom." |
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It's
the Light that Matters
Obviously you need a subject to make a photograph,
but it's more important to have the right light. |
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"Always keep in mind that, as a photographer,
you do not photograph objects, you photograph the
light reflected from them." |
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Shearing
Sheds
Sometimes I get invited to photograph fascinating
old buildings on farms. When I get there I meet equally
fascinating people. |
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"while in the ancient laundry, amid bottles
of developer and selenium toner, a Beseler 45 enlarger
stands proud, complete with cold light head and voltage
stabiliser." |
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Within
and Without
Ansel Adams talked of assignments from "within"
and "without", and so do I. |
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"After a few years I realised that, although
I refused to actually take on work for others, I was
effectively, accepting assignments from without. A
lot of people were determining what I did with my
time, and most of those people weren't me! " |
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When
the Elements Decide
Sometimes nature plays a hand in technical decisions. |
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"Setting up the camera to take the photo
I realised why the rock remained so wet. A wave broke
nearby, swamping my feet and the rock and drenching
the camera with spray." |
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A
Cropping Story
Some people advocate the printing of negatives
"full frame", I disagree. |
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"I cropped the image and was pleased to
find that not only did I have a print that was easier
to make but, more importantly, I also had a simpler
and stronger image." |
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A
Minute Passed
Sometimes there's nothing to do but think
about the image during it's exposure. |
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But what was I 'getting in'?...Where
was the interesting part?...Photography is as much
about leaving things out as it is about getting them
in." |
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Fuzzy
Water
I like the so-called 'cotton wool' affect,
but it's not always appropriate. |
| "
As predicted, in the longer exposure
the streaks have disappeared into a blur, which doesn't
show the affect I had in mind at all." |
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Why
Black & White
Everybody uses colour, why limit your options? |
"
Forget the 'golden hour', a colour photographer often
only has a few minutes of quality light, whereas his
monochrome friend may actually get an hour or so."
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The
Ephemeris
Some things are just too beautiful to photograph. |
| "I
rejected the camera and as a result I have the image
and the experience permanently imprinted in my mind." |
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Meaning
Can you affect people with your images or do photographs
only mean something to those who were involved? |
| "The
eye contact is intense and haunts me as if I were
staring across the decades at the woman herself." |
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Being
a Nature Photographer
This is a long article about what I feel is involved
in becoming a full-time nature photographer. |
| "For
centuries chemists and scientists searched for a method
of turning common materials into gold. In the 1800s
photography was invented and the search was over." |
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Captioning
Should photographers caption their images or should
we leave well enough alone? |
| "Edward
Weston did caption his photos, but with names like
Eroded Rock, Cow Tree Barn and Pepper #30 I think
it’s fair to say that he wasn’t trying to
add any meaning to his images." |
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Editioning
A short argument against the editioning of prints. |
| "By
all visual criteria this duck turd was unique. There
were (presumably) no others like it in the world and
never will be. But it was still a duck turd. Its rarity
added no value." |
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Style
and Related Matters
How does one achieve a distinct photographic style?
Actually I don't really know, but that doesn't stop
me writing about it. |
| "I
believe that "you see what you are", therefore
the only lasting and worthwhile style will be one
that reflects your personality." |
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Relaxing
this Landscape Photography
A short story about the thousand steps involved
in making a large format image, and some of the things
that can go wrong when you are in a hurry. |
| "Bugga" |
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The
Rise and Fall of the View Camera
An example and brief description of using one
of the main view camera movements. |
| "The
principals of optics described by Herr Scheimpflug’s
rule are the reason those large format calendar shots
seem to have an impossible depth of field" |
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Landscape
Photography
Is it socially responsible to photograph the landscape
or should we be documenting the worlds troubles? |
| "To
photograph the landscape during the thirties and forties
was considered by many to be irrelevant at best, and
inhumane at worst." |
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Emotional
Highs and Lows
A longish story about bad weather, friends leaving
and joy at the mountain light. |
| "I
began asking myself why I even bother walking to these
difficult places when there are great photos to be
made within metres of the car. Later that day my question
would be answered." |
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Take
Only Photographs
An excerpt from another photographer's story detailing
the clear felling technique he uses to prepare the
landscape for a photo. Then my thoughts on minimum
impact photography. |
| "By
now I hope you’re thinking, 'What the hell is
this Rob Gray bloke doing cutting down trees for a
photo?' " |
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The
VCR Principle
Australia's wilderness areas are ever decreasing
and what's left are under increasing pressure from
tourists, bushwalkers et al. Are landscape photographers
making it worse? |
| "As
landscape photographers, we bridge the gap between
the wilderness and the public. Thousands of people
can view the wilderness through our eyes without actually
going there and increasing the strain on the environment" |
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The
Size of the Rat
English mountain climbers have an expression for
that which drives them. How does it apply to landscape
photographers? |
| "Eventually
the discomfort caused by my rodent became larger than
that of leaving my sleeping bag. I dressed quickly,
grabbed my camera equipment and walked through the
chill air..." |
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What
is a Landscape?
A very short definition of what constitutes a
landscape according to Rob. |
| "You
show me an Australian landscape photographer who is
only interested in spectacular vistas and I’ll
show you a sad landscape photographer. " |
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Finally
I See the Landscape
The story of a solo walk in which I don't take
a camera (well not a real one anyway), and as a result
I get to experience the landscape for a change. |
| "As
long as I live I will never forget this moment. I
have no photographic record, just a memory, but it's
more real and vivid than anything I could create with
silver halides." |
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