Him vs. Me
Have you ever 'known' someone through their writing, then met them, turns out you didn't 'know' them at all, or don't really like them now that you really 'know' them? C'mon, I'm not the only one… Well, regardless, that happened to me recently. Let me explain:
I had an amazing opportunity to meet a VERY well-know photographer who made a stop in our great city of Minneapolis (won't name names just in case he ever finds my blog while looking for inspiration, which he won't because he doesn't take stock in my kind of photography… ) anyway… I thought I was paying good $$$ to get to hear his "Pro" tips and tricks first hand. Instead, what I got was "If you wanna take great pictures, point your camera at great things," i.e. the Taj Mahal before sunrise, the colorful streets of Italy, a lone castle on a tiny island off the coast of France. And if it doesn't look good, fix it in Photoshop. Really?!?!? Okay mister my-wife-takes-me-on-trips-around-the-world-because-I-have-all-the-time-and-money-in-the-world, not all of us (300-400 people in the convention center) live like that. As a matter of fact, the majority of us don't live like that. So how 'bout cutting the fancy story telling short and sharing your PHOTOGRAPHY tips & tricks. And if you're really good (or at least as good as I thought you were) you shouldn't need to be 'fixing' things in Photoshop. I'm pretty sure Ansel Adams didn't use Photoshop. Can you tell I was a little disappointed?!?! That said, I did walk away with a few good tips, as well as a little ego boost, because much of what he went over in his "Pro" seminar, was stuff I already know and do. So, maybe I'm being too hard on him. And maybe I'm being too hard on myself. Maybe I know enough 'tricks.' Maybe I just need to practice more. …I can do that ;)
But I do have to say that I believe a photograph is what you make it; not necessarily what you're standing in front of, or what you point your camera at. My goal in photography is to make the ordinary, (sometimes mundane life of a stay-at-home mom) extraordinary. To make the everyday, beautiful. So, mister you-wanna-take-great-photographs-point-your-camera-at-great-things, I will. But not what you consider "great things." I will continue to MAKE great photographs, as I point my camera at my most favorite, most beautiful things of all : )
“A great photograph is one that fully expresses what one feels, in the deepest sense, about what is being photographed.” ― Ansel Adams
Thanks for letting me get that off my chest. Needless to say, I was a little disappointed with this teacher and photographer that I'd put on a pedestal. I've learned my lesson. Now I'd like to share some of my favorite things, doing some of their favorite things over the last couple weeks. And I'll let you decide what makes a great photograph. : )
I had an amazing opportunity to meet a VERY well-know photographer who made a stop in our great city of Minneapolis (won't name names just in case he ever finds my blog while looking for inspiration, which he won't because he doesn't take stock in my kind of photography… ) anyway… I thought I was paying good $$$ to get to hear his "Pro" tips and tricks first hand. Instead, what I got was "If you wanna take great pictures, point your camera at great things," i.e. the Taj Mahal before sunrise, the colorful streets of Italy, a lone castle on a tiny island off the coast of France. And if it doesn't look good, fix it in Photoshop. Really?!?!? Okay mister my-wife-takes-me-on-trips-around-the-world-because-I-have-all-the-time-and-money-in-the-world, not all of us (300-400 people in the convention center) live like that. As a matter of fact, the majority of us don't live like that. So how 'bout cutting the fancy story telling short and sharing your PHOTOGRAPHY tips & tricks. And if you're really good (or at least as good as I thought you were) you shouldn't need to be 'fixing' things in Photoshop. I'm pretty sure Ansel Adams didn't use Photoshop. Can you tell I was a little disappointed?!?! That said, I did walk away with a few good tips, as well as a little ego boost, because much of what he went over in his "Pro" seminar, was stuff I already know and do. So, maybe I'm being too hard on him. And maybe I'm being too hard on myself. Maybe I know enough 'tricks.' Maybe I just need to practice more. …I can do that ;)
But I do have to say that I believe a photograph is what you make it; not necessarily what you're standing in front of, or what you point your camera at. My goal in photography is to make the ordinary, (sometimes mundane life of a stay-at-home mom) extraordinary. To make the everyday, beautiful. So, mister you-wanna-take-great-photographs-point-your-camera-at-great-things, I will. But not what you consider "great things." I will continue to MAKE great photographs, as I point my camera at my most favorite, most beautiful things of all : )
“A great photograph is one that fully expresses what one feels, in the deepest sense, about what is being photographed.” ― Ansel Adams
Thanks for letting me get that off my chest. Needless to say, I was a little disappointed with this teacher and photographer that I'd put on a pedestal. I've learned my lesson. Now I'd like to share some of my favorite things, doing some of their favorite things over the last couple weeks. And I'll let you decide what makes a great photograph. : )
