Welcome back to Hohenfels Volks, THE place for our place! Given the lateness of the hour, I’ll dispense with the long post I had planned.
I’ll leave you here with some thoughts, quotes from some of the masters of photography. Some food for photographic thought!
Above all, I craved to seize the whole essence, in the confines of one single photograph, of some situation that was in the process of unrolling itself before my eyes.
Henri Cartier-Bresson
To photograph truthfully and effectively is to see beneath the surfaces and record the qualities of nature and humanity that live or are latent in all things.
Ansel Adams
It’s all so simple; no one believes me … you strike a pose, then you light it. Then you clown around and get some action in the expressions. Then, you shoot.
George Hurrell
Look and think before opening the shutter. The heart and mind are the true lens of the camera.
Yousuf Karsh
Here’s one taken from Scott Kelby’s blog. It’s from David Ziser’s guest post from June 18, 2008, but it sums up our journey so nicely.
We can’t be an “I know it all” photographer. We need to be an “I want to know it all” photographer.
David Ziser
By taking that attitude we provide ourselves with that extra drive to move beyond our self imposed limitations. Show your work and seek feedback, learn from it, and feel good about what you’ve accomplished. It makes learning something new easier and more fun. Most of us are into photography as a hobby or passion, because we enjoy it. Wanting to know it all encourages learning and helps to make the photography we love, so much more exciting. Can you remember the first time you got that shot? The one that had it all, correct exposure, sharp focus, and great colors? Wanting to know more makes every step of your journey an opportunity to enjoy that feeling.
Don't forget to visit David Ziser and Scott Kelby by clicking their links on the right! You'll appreciate their pics and learn something, too!
I hope you have a great weekend, and keep enjoying your photos! Remember to cast your vote for next week’s theme. The deadline for voting is tomorrow night, and for submissions is Monday night. Don’t forget to get your pics posted at the Hohenfels Volks Facebook page. Of course, commenting on both Facebook and here is always appreciated, too!
Showing posts with label yousuf karsh. Show all posts
Showing posts with label yousuf karsh. Show all posts
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Monday, November 14, 2011
Photography as Art
Greetings, Hohenfels, welcome to Hohenfels Volks, THE place for our place. A cold morning, frosty and foggy, greets us and brings in the week!
Today we’re talking about photography as art. Photography has several things that make it different from other arts. In some ways, photography can be more of a craft, or a science, or a way of recording things as they are. It can also be an art and art form. Much like the composer of incredible symphonies is an artist, so too, a photographer can be one, which is why we speak of composing our images.
Ayn Rand defined art as a concretization of a man’s values. She stated “Art brings man’s concepts to the perceptual level of his consciousness and allows him to grasp them directly, as if they were percepts.” While she viewed most photography as more of a recording, she felt that commercial photography was an art form. This was because most people view photography as a way to capture the moment, not to create a representation of what we value. She also felt that art should have positive subjects and values and that negative parts should be small and serve as a way to emphasize the positive attributes.
Most people can agree with the above. A see and shoot photographer doesn’t create art; they merely record what they see. Most shopping mall portraits are just canned poses and lighting, done on the cheap, with no eye toward impact. As artists, we visualize a scene, and either create it or make what’s there match our vision, and we create art. When we shoot to have an impact on the viewer, one that touches them somehow, we create art. Using our camera to share a feeling, or value, such as family togetherness or man’s generosity, we create art.
The next time you’re out trying to get the shot of a lifetime, visualizing the scene, setting it up just right, pause to think about its impact on the viewer. What does it say? What have you “concretized?” Even a simple portrait can have meaning; look at Leonardo or Rembrandt. A great way to develop the skill of making art is to look at art and figure out its impact on you, and then figure out how to make that kind of impact with your camera.
A fine example of photography as art is Ansel Adams. His work brought the concept of conservation and the beauty of the world to something we can perceive as reality. His series of photos documenting Manzanar relocation camp during the war is an outstanding example of showing the positive in the midst of a negative. Dorothea Lange captured the negative and sadness, but Adams really brought out the heroism there by showing how the residents made the best of things and created a life for themselves in the middle of this unbearable situation. Nobody can doubt that these folks were heroes! Yousuf Karsh did the same with his portraits of great people and great minds. When we look at the shot of Churchill taken by Karsh, we see the art there; we feel a sense of the man’s greatness and how the weight of his position and power he wielded made the man great.
Regardless of her politics, ideals, and viewpoints, and your thoughts on them, Ayn Rand’s view of art bringing thoughts, values, and ideas to life, is incredibly insightful. Her view makes us take stock of how we represent the world and how we share our take on it.
ISO 1600, f/5.6, 1/60 at 37mm
Bamberg, Michaelsberg Church. This "concretizes" two things, the importance of faith, and the importance of preserving the past to pass on to our children.
So, get out and “concretize” some values of your own. Make us feel something, bring a thought to life! Remember to share your pics and post your questions at the Hohenfels Volks Facebook page, and or by commenting here!
Today we’re talking about photography as art. Photography has several things that make it different from other arts. In some ways, photography can be more of a craft, or a science, or a way of recording things as they are. It can also be an art and art form. Much like the composer of incredible symphonies is an artist, so too, a photographer can be one, which is why we speak of composing our images.
Ayn Rand defined art as a concretization of a man’s values. She stated “Art brings man’s concepts to the perceptual level of his consciousness and allows him to grasp them directly, as if they were percepts.” While she viewed most photography as more of a recording, she felt that commercial photography was an art form. This was because most people view photography as a way to capture the moment, not to create a representation of what we value. She also felt that art should have positive subjects and values and that negative parts should be small and serve as a way to emphasize the positive attributes.
Most people can agree with the above. A see and shoot photographer doesn’t create art; they merely record what they see. Most shopping mall portraits are just canned poses and lighting, done on the cheap, with no eye toward impact. As artists, we visualize a scene, and either create it or make what’s there match our vision, and we create art. When we shoot to have an impact on the viewer, one that touches them somehow, we create art. Using our camera to share a feeling, or value, such as family togetherness or man’s generosity, we create art.
The next time you’re out trying to get the shot of a lifetime, visualizing the scene, setting it up just right, pause to think about its impact on the viewer. What does it say? What have you “concretized?” Even a simple portrait can have meaning; look at Leonardo or Rembrandt. A great way to develop the skill of making art is to look at art and figure out its impact on you, and then figure out how to make that kind of impact with your camera.
A fine example of photography as art is Ansel Adams. His work brought the concept of conservation and the beauty of the world to something we can perceive as reality. His series of photos documenting Manzanar relocation camp during the war is an outstanding example of showing the positive in the midst of a negative. Dorothea Lange captured the negative and sadness, but Adams really brought out the heroism there by showing how the residents made the best of things and created a life for themselves in the middle of this unbearable situation. Nobody can doubt that these folks were heroes! Yousuf Karsh did the same with his portraits of great people and great minds. When we look at the shot of Churchill taken by Karsh, we see the art there; we feel a sense of the man’s greatness and how the weight of his position and power he wielded made the man great.
Regardless of her politics, ideals, and viewpoints, and your thoughts on them, Ayn Rand’s view of art bringing thoughts, values, and ideas to life, is incredibly insightful. Her view makes us take stock of how we represent the world and how we share our take on it.
ISO 1600, f/5.6, 1/60 at 37mm
Bamberg, Michaelsberg Church. This "concretizes" two things, the importance of faith, and the importance of preserving the past to pass on to our children.
So, get out and “concretize” some values of your own. Make us feel something, bring a thought to life! Remember to share your pics and post your questions at the Hohenfels Volks Facebook page, and or by commenting here!
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Some Inspiration
Below are a few inspirational quotes about photography by some of the greatest photographers of all time. They really add some perspective on what we enjoy so very much, at least for me!
Enjoy...
Look and think before opening the shutter. The heart and mind are the true lens of the camera.
Yousuf Karsh
There is a brief moment when all there is in a man's mind and soul and spirit is reflected through his eyes, his hands, his attitude. This is the moment to record.
Yousuf Karsh
Those people live again in print as intensely as when their images were captured on the old dry plates of sixty years ago . . . I am walking in their alleys, standing in their rooms and sheds and workshops, looking in and out of their windows. And they in turn seem to be aware of me.
Ansel Adams
The negative is the equivalent of the composer's score, and the print the performance.
Ansel Adams
A portrait is not made in the camera but on either side of it.
Edward Steichen
Photography is a major force in explaining man to man.
Edward Steichen
Here's wishing you loads of images and a wonderful weekend!
Enjoy...
Look and think before opening the shutter. The heart and mind are the true lens of the camera.
Yousuf Karsh
There is a brief moment when all there is in a man's mind and soul and spirit is reflected through his eyes, his hands, his attitude. This is the moment to record.
Yousuf Karsh
Those people live again in print as intensely as when their images were captured on the old dry plates of sixty years ago . . . I am walking in their alleys, standing in their rooms and sheds and workshops, looking in and out of their windows. And they in turn seem to be aware of me.
Ansel Adams
The negative is the equivalent of the composer's score, and the print the performance.
Ansel Adams
A portrait is not made in the camera but on either side of it.
Edward Steichen
Photography is a major force in explaining man to man.
Edward Steichen
Here's wishing you loads of images and a wonderful weekend!
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