by successfulbob | photography - art quote
Sunday Photo/Art Quote – Eugene Delacroix
Perfection is the enemy of creation.
“The artist who aims at perfection in everything achieves it in nothing.” – Eugene Delacroix
That said, one needs to have a solid grasp of the technology and science behind the capture of the image. The more one understands the science and how the film or chip receives information the easier it becomes to stretch and push creative boundaries. Not to mention the post-production capabilities in manipulating the information captured after the fact.
It’s a great time to be a creative in the photography industry. I am going to start using the terminology I first heard from Julianne Kost that helps describe what I feel I do now.
“Lens Based Artist.”
Your thoughts requested and encouraged.
Yours in Creative Photography, Bob
by successfulbob | inspiration, photography - art quote, photography creativity
Sunday Photo/Art Quote – Minor White
Minor White was a black and white photographer who was at the forefront of pushing boundaries of what photography was all about. Abstract images of landscapes which had a tendency to disorient a viewer were among his gifts to the photographic world. In addition to being a ground-breaking photographer, he was an educator and editor of Aperture Magazine.
As they might say on CBS Sunday Morning, ‘Here now is today’s quote.’
“One should not only photograph things for what they are, but for what else they are.” – Minor White
We should spend time reviewing those photographers who came before us for education and inspiration. As in the fashion industry, we might mine the past for ideas, not to copy, but to build upon in taking our photographic work to new levels.
Yours in Creative Photography, Bob
by successfulbob | photography, photography - art quote
Sunday Photo/Art Quote – Wynn Bullock
His work can be seen in over 90 museums around the world and I’ll bet you don’t know the name, Wynn Bullock. (check out some of Wynn’s work) I came across his name while keeping my eye out for quotes from photographers and artists for this blog. This was the quote I choose for this morning.
“When I photograph, what I’m really doing is seeking answers to things.” Wynn Bullock
I am always checking into what photographers are thinking about on the ‘why’ they create images. What got you started? What drives you to continue?
And the variety of answers astounds me.
So I’ll ask you. What do you get from photography? Why do you do it? How did you get started?
Share your answers here. The best reply (in my opinion) gets a half hour consulting session with me on the subject of your choosing.
Yours in Creative Photography, Bob
Wynn Bullock photo by Todd Walker – 1967
by successfulbob | photography - art quote
Sunday Photo/Art Quote – Bob Krist
Today’s Photo/Art Quote comes with, I’m sure, a bit of tounge planted firmly in cheek. But that’s just my opinion.
Bob Krist is a fabulous travel photographer, author of several books and contributor to National Geographic Traveler and Outdoor Photographer Magazines. Check out some of Bob’s work here.
“Carrying a camera on vacation pretty much means you won’t see anything worth shooting.” Bob Krist
Without the context of the quote I can take this meaning a couple of different ways. I’ll leave it to you to post your own thoughts as to the Bob’s exact meaning.
Youors in creative Photography, Bob
PS – Maybe if Bob sees this he can chime in with a slightly expounded explanation.
PPS – Here is a link to some of Bob’s books.
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by successfulbob | photography - art quote
Sunday Photo/Art Quote – Georgia O’Keeffe
I’m a fan of some of O’Keeffe’s iconic images of flowers, southwestern landscapes and of course flower studies. I don’t like everything she created which I found out when tracking down her images in various museums and books. But that’s OK.
Heck, I don’t necessarily like everything I create!
The fact that there are sections of her work that don’t do anything for me shows is that she was not afraid to experiment and try new techniques and explore new ideas. My guess is she would not have created the iconic pieces if it were not for her pushing through her boundaries of comfort.
“I’ve been absolutely terrified every moment of my life – and I’ve never let it keep me from doing a single thing I want to do.” Georgia O’Keeffe
Fear can keep us from being successful.
How?
In Sales, being afraid to ask for the order.
In art, being afraid of what other MIGHT say.
In life, worried about what MIGHT happen.
Our minds are trained and conditioned to play out worst case scenarios. It’s a defense mechanism that served humans well when we lived in cave-man times when fight or flight was essential to the survival of the species. We have moved beyond the need for that type of thinking as a species.
Push forward. Try something new. You never know what you might accomplish if you push through negative thinking.
This advice doesn’t mean you should ignore the ‘little voice’ that warns you of potential problems. That can save you lots of grief. Take the voice with a grain of salt and don’t let it paralyze you.
Here’s one more quote to round out this post from, I believe, Michael Jordan. “Don’t be afraid to fail, be afraid not to try.”
Yours in Creative Photography, Bob
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by successfulbob | inspiration, photography - art quote
Sunday Photo/Art Quote – William Eggleston
I share today’s thought from Eggleston who was one of the pioneers of the move to recognizing color photography a true art form. Remember as photography grew throughout the years any change to the medium was met with derision and skepticism. (can you say digital or Photoshop boys and girls??) As technology adds possibilities to processing our vision we get blowback from those who feel there is cheating going on… My personal feeling is can you get the image that is in your head output to another medium such as photo paper, metal or canvas or any material that helps tell the story the way you want it told. How you get there doesn’t matter to me.
Onward to the quote.
“You can take a good picture of anything. A bad one, too.” Willaim Eggleston
I share this idea with many people when I tell them I am a photographer and live in Sedona, Arizona. I almost always get this comment. “Oh, Sedona that’s a great place to be a photographer!” I always reply that yes Sedona is a beautiful place it’s not what makes for good photography. I’ve seen plenty of crappy photos of Cathedral Rock and I’ve seen some exquisite photographs of peppers and other ‘non-beautiful’ subjects.
We photograph the light. We photograph the shadows. We do it with composition and thought on color and juxtaposition of subjects within the scene.
I leave you with this thought. Are you taking (making) a good picture today?
Yours in Creative Photography, Bob
