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11/19/2007 12:10:53 AM · #26
Originally posted by yanko:

Originally posted by ursula:

I disagree, not strongly, but I disagree. Maybe I take things too literally, but, if the location is lifeless an dull (and you're not saying anything about the weather/light/situation changing), it seems to me it's a better idea to move on elsewhere. After all, if everything stays the same (lifeless/dull), even if an image "presented itself (or it's self)", it likely would be pretty lifeless and dull. Oh well.

Out of curiosity, is the actual quote (I'm assuming it is a quote), " .... the image will eventually present it's self."?


I tend to also lack patience but every single time I have spent time in a dull and lifeless situation I've gotten good shots. In other words there's never a dull and lifeless moment ever at least not on this planet. Sometimes you have to look a hard for it but it's always there. yakatme's post illustrates one such example.


Certainly, but pretty much all the examples here deal with situations that "look" dull/lifeless to begin, and then things show up and the place isn't nearly as dull/lifeless as it seemed to be. That I agree with, we don't see things right away, and it's worth taking time and all that (hey, I do, I can spend the whole day in one place just watching something or another, and often do). However, as you walk around and explore, if there are places that look dull/lifeless, and you stick around for a while, and they're still dull/lifeless, well, it might just be better to move on. Like I said, if you take it literally (if a place "is" dull/lifeless, not just "looks" dull/lifeless). He, he, just arguing for no good reason.

Except maybe one reason. I don't believe that much in chance when it comes to images, ESPECIALLY nature images. There's an awful lot of thinking and planning that goes into them, and it should be that way IMO. Anyway.

But then, I wouldn't call hardly ANY place "dull and lifeless". :))))

Message edited by author 2007-11-19 00:16:51.
11/19/2007 12:15:36 AM · #27
From somewhere out there (under one of those concrete block thingies)...


...came this:


But I will be the first to tell you that shooting here at the camp in Kuwait can be very dull and lifeless. Doesn't stop me from trying.. :-)
11/19/2007 06:59:20 AM · #28
Originally posted by ursula:



Out of curiosity, is the actual quote (I'm assuming it is a quote), " .... the image will eventually present it's self."?


Hmmmm, the verbiage does change the question, but not the idea.

I would say either or.
11/19/2007 07:18:56 AM · #29
Originally posted by AperturePriority:

Originally posted by Man_Called_Horse:

...When you are around an area that you are photographing, and the location is lifeless and dull, if you stick around long enough, the image will eventually present it's self.

My belief if that the image will very quickly present itself if you forgot your camera.


I could not agree more. If only I could download the contents of my mind's memory card.

Sigh!!
11/19/2007 07:33:26 AM · #30
11/19/2007 07:36:58 AM · #31
Isn't that the point of photography, to make something interesting when all all seems so ordinary.
11/19/2007 08:21:41 AM · #32
Sometimes lifeless and dull tells a story, too. There's a wetlands park I visit regularly. Last year this time it was teeming with migratory birds. This year the wet area is a shadow of its former self and there is little life to be found. To me, that's sad, and to tell that story without using before and after pictures would be quite a challenge.
11/19/2007 08:39:17 AM · #33
In regard to the comment I tend to lean on this statement by John Szarkowski...

“One might compare the art of photography to the act of pointing,” Mr. Szarkowski wrote. “It must be true that some of us point to more interesting facts, events, circumstances, and configurations than others.” (I seem to be posting that every other week)

Great photographers have the abilty to "point" at what appears to be ordinary and show or release what's interesting, beautiful or ugly in the subject.

The Challenge is finding the less obvious. Sometimes it takes time for something to appear in conjuncture with your location to offset it or highlight it's interesting point.

Or like Ursula said....somethings are just dull and lifeless (see:Iraq) and no matter of time can make them interesting.

Message edited by author 2007-11-19 11:38:36.
11/19/2007 09:22:24 AM · #34
...

Message edited by author 2007-11-19 11:23:22.
11/19/2007 11:04:57 PM · #35
Originally posted by pawdrix:



Exactly.

Fun.
11/19/2007 11:10:34 PM · #36
I think this is so true.

the art of photography was lost to most in the digital age. when you can get instant gratification and it doesn't cost $$$ every time you hit the shutter we all tend to just shoot the same shots over and oaver again.

we need to slow down and watch things, both in subject and light for there lies the art of the thing
11/19/2007 11:13:33 PM · #37
On the defensive a bit here :)

I guess, where I'm coming from is not that the idea of making something wonderful out of the ordinary, or of seizing the moment (like the little girl image), isn't outrageously interesting, and true; in my defense, if you look at my portfolio I think I do a fair job of that ...

... it is that I believe that another skill that's very important in photography (and in life in general) is to know when to quit, when to say, "No, this is not working! Let's go to something else." Added to that, I also believe that many moments are made more so than achieved by chance. Chance is so unreliable! And, for the most part, not particularily productive.

And now I should take my own advise, and say, "This is not working, time to go elsewhere." :)
11/19/2007 11:21:55 PM · #38
If you give a bad photographer a $5000 dollar camera and a gorgeous subject he/she will most likely shoot bad images. on the other hand if you give a good photographer a disposable camera and a gorgeous subject the images will most likely be very good. The point? it's not the subject it's the way you see it and present it to the world.
11/19/2007 11:25:34 PM · #39
Originally posted by ursula:

On the defensive a bit here :)

I guess, where I'm coming from is not that the idea of making something wonderful out of the ordinary, or of seizing the moment (like the little girl image), isn't outrageously interesting, and true; in my defense, if you look at my portfolio I think I do a fair job of that ...

... it is that I believe that another skill that's very important in photography (and in life in general) is to know when to quit, when to say, "No, this is not working! Let's go to something else." Added to that, I also believe that many moments are made more so than achieved by chance. Chance is so unreliable! And, for the most part, not particularily productive.

And now I should take my own advise, and say, "This is not working, time to go elsewhere." :)


I agree with what you said.
And the part where you say it is important to know when to quit. This is very important.

It is little off topic but i have a younger brother. Who I assume is more intelligent than me. But he does not know how to use his brain. He does not understand how much effort he should put and in what places.
Ultimately he wastes much of his energy on doing unproductive things.
I on the other hand believe that one should put his efforts on right places. And it is very much important to know how to manage your energy. So I am much more productive in life and have done much better than him so far.

About the image will present itself. I could not find time to go to places to shoot. So mainly tied with house and office. I am trying to find something interesting to shoot, and i have to tell, if it is not impossible it is really very difficult to find things to shoot which could make winning photo on dpc.
The best I could do was arrange few apples and thats all.

If the place does not have potential it is better to spend energy on something else. Rather than believing that an interesting image would eventually present itself. What if that eventual thing is so far away and then you only have very few intreresting shot.
To summarize manage your efforts find interesting places to shoot.
11/19/2007 11:34:18 PM · #40
"if it is not impossible it is really very difficult to find things to shoot which could make winning photo on dpc. " --zxaar

This is a very dis pleasing statement. Stop worrying about winning ribbons and worry about making good images, images that please you.

By the way zxaar. I reviewed your port, your images are unique, and beautiful and not heavily manipulated. These are 3 areas the DPCers don't seem to like.

Just my opinion.

Message edited by author 2007-11-19 23:41:17.
11/19/2007 11:48:10 PM · #41
Originally posted by iamkmaniam:

"if it is not impossible it is really very difficult to find things to shoot which could make winning photo on dpc. " --zxaar



I was forced to make that statement because I feel at dpc it is the yardstick.
I personally am very selfish and ask myself what do I gain from participation here. And always my answer is if I did not learn, I failed. Thinking life after 5 more years I feel these ribbons lose their values. But the knowledge always stays.
11/19/2007 11:53:37 PM · #42
i disagree with the original premise that a location will eventually present an image.

to me, it's a matter of vision and motivation. if your eyes are open and you are inspired, you can find an image anywhere. 'seek and ye shall find...'

it is a bit different when you HAVE to find something in a challenging situation (dull and lifeless, subjectless, whatever). you have to open up your imagination and free your vision so that you can see beyond what may be stalling out others. sometimes, finding an image is simply a matter of faith, knowing that it's there (the way Michealangelo 'knew' there was an object trapped in the marble and that he had to guide his chisel to free it).

---- on another note ;-) --------

its is the possessive form for the pronoun it

it's is a contraction of it is.

so, when you see it's, read it as it is; if it doesn't make sense, then the apostrophe is probably not needed.
11/20/2007 03:51:09 AM · #43
Originally posted by Man_Called_Horse:

...When you are around an area that you are photographing, and the location is lifeless and dull, if you stick around long enough, the image will eventually present it's self.


OK, the image is not right here. If that were the case then a number of photographers dumped individually in the same uninspiring place and situation could be relied upon to come up with the same picture.

Continuing with that, if they all went in to get pictures then pictures they would take, probably. I submit that the pictures would be different and, while many might be drawn to the same or similar motives, different photographers would take pictures of different things/scenes etc., or at least present them from different points of view. Actually, all this is pretty much obvious. You enter some 'lifeless and dull' place or situation and you look for a picture. It doesn't 'present itself'. You find it. Oh, and it's an image, not the image, unless everybody gets the same one.

All I'm really doing here is quibbling about the language of the original statement quoted above. If the idea, with which so many surprisingly agree, indicates anything, it may be that apparently uninteresting places are worth investigating nonetheless. My revision of the quoted passage would read something like:
Do not dismiss locations through apparent lack of interest. Look for something there. Seek out such places in order to exercise your ability to see better their photographic potential.

Oh, and you can go to interesting places too :-)

Message edited by author 2007-11-20 03:52:58.
11/20/2007 07:00:29 AM · #44
Originally posted by raish:

Originally posted by Man_Called_Horse:

...When you are around an area that you are photographing, and the location is lifeless and dull, if you stick around long enough, the image will eventually present it's self.


OK, the image is not right here. If that were the case then a number of photographers dumped individually in the same uninspiring place and situation could be relied upon to come up with the same picture.

Continuing with that, if they all went in to get pictures then pictures they would take, probably. I submit that the pictures would be different and, while many might be drawn to the same or similar motives, different photographers would take pictures of different things/scenes etc., or at least present them from different points of view. Actually, all this is pretty much obvious. You enter some 'lifeless and dull' place or situation and you look for a picture. It doesn't 'present itself'. You find it. Oh, and it's an image, not the image, unless everybody gets the same one.

All I'm really doing here is quibbling about the language of the original statement quoted above. If the idea, with which so many surprisingly agree, indicates anything, it may be that apparently uninteresting places are worth investigating nonetheless. My revision of the quoted passage would read something like:
Do not dismiss locations through apparent lack of interest. Look for something there. Seek out such places in order to exercise your ability to see better their photographic potential.

Oh, and you can go to interesting places too :-)


Verbiage is not the issue, question, whatever.

"The"image or, "an" image is neither here or there.

Quibbles over minor variations of words within the sentence from the OP does not ruin the idea. The idea is still the same.
11/20/2007 07:36:02 AM · #45
Originally posted by Melethia:

From somewhere out there (under one of those concrete block thingies)...


...came this:


But I will be the first to tell you that shooting here at the camp in Kuwait can be very dull and lifeless. Doesn't stop me from trying.. :-)


While I'm not sure that the image will magically present itself, I firmly believe that continuing to look for interesting angles, light and details will produce results, much as you've been able to achieve here.

Some of Freeman Patterson's exercises work in much the same way.
11/20/2007 08:58:56 AM · #46
Originally posted by Melethia:

But I will be the first to tell you that shooting here at the camp in Kuwait can be very dull and lifeless. Doesn't stop me from trying.. :-)

Originally posted by Mr_Pants:

While I'm not sure that the image will magically present itself, I firmly believe that continuing to look for interesting angles, light and details will produce results, much as you've been able to achieve here.

I agree with both Deb and Mr Pants in that it takes work and the passion to look as well as having the "eye" which is what photography is all about to me.

What I do believe is that a photographer by definition will see things in that dull, lifeless scene that "regular" people won't, and that's why that person is a photographer.

I'm certainly no great shakes as one, but I do okay, and love the way I can see things, and then capture them. This is just an ordinary old dead bloom on a plant on the back porch and it has snow on it. I see beauty in this.

[thumb]615049[/thumb]

And that has something to do with it as well, IMO. I don't know if "regular" people would think that this image is good or not. What do you think?

I like it, so it doesn't really matter, but I know plenty of people that would wonder why I took that shot.
11/20/2007 09:18:35 AM · #47
I defiantely have to agree, however it should be prefaced that it is entirely dependent on the photographer and more importantly there dedication and attitude. I have seen some of the most lifeless static pictures from the most beautiful places in the world and contrastly have seen some of the most amazing photos of what people would consider the most boring of subjects. I think that is what is great about DPC and challenges in general. They force you to think, explore and create all of which lead to having the ability to turn the ordinary to the extrodanary.
11/20/2007 09:18:58 AM · #48
I find a great many scenes remain dull with no delightful revelation no matter how long I wait. So if a scene looks dull, I get closer. Everything is interesting if you look hard enough.

Landscape photographers often start shooting macros of lichen if the weather is crap.
; )

11/20/2007 10:38:59 AM · #49
Originally posted by Man_Called_Horse:



"The"image or, "an" image is neither here or there.

Quibbles over minor variations of words within the sentence from the OP does not ruin the idea. The idea is still the same.


OK boy I'll have to make it simple.

I disagree with the statement you originally posted because images do not present themselves, you have to find them.
11/20/2007 11:31:37 AM · #50

"e301 Woulda made this cool"
Pedro

P-ness and I spotted/noted this little alley in Munster and spoke about hanging around for enough time to let something develope in the space, ergo our hat's off (title) to e301.

I don't think the OP comment covers every single space, location or every happening but it's a general idea that applies to some scenarios, quite well. It's an interesting point or concept that should be understood, in context and kept in your arsenal, as a photographer. Some people will get it, some people won't and applying it is another story, altogether.

How would e301 have made that cool???

My little girl image, "Princess Sun" was an attempt to answer that question. Timing, major luck...hanging around that spot for half an hour, having a gut feeling that the space would at some point provide a little magic...............................

Message edited by author 2007-11-20 12:52:32.
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