> Date: Mon, 20 Feb 2012 19:34:08 -0600 > From: Darren Addy <[email protected]>
> I have no idea whether Tom's comment was tongue-in-cheek or not, but > it goes to the heart of what I found fascinating about Ansel's comment > - the ability to be a super-critical curator of our own photographic > work. Ansel Adams produced more negatives than even he could keep up > with, in terms of getting prints that both interested him and were up > to his high standards. > It wasn't tongue-in-cheek. I can see what people like about the image, there are numerous compositional elements to like, but overall I don't find them pleasingly arranged. It's like some of the Beatles music. In my opinion, much of it is superb, but there are occasional songs that don't tickle my ear and that I never choose to listen to. It's that way with all artists and art forms. 1) I dislike that the mooon is so close to center. 2) I feel that the composition is cramped at the edges of the town on the left and right sides. 3) I get the sense that the image is slightly unlevel and slanted to the right. > In our digital age, our ability to produce images (in big numbers) > probably far exceeds the time that most of us have to get the most out > of them via post-processing. So what do we do? Perhaps we show the > ones that appeal to us sans-post-processing (or at least a minimal > amount). I wonder how many of us will/would do with digital > post-processing what Ansel did with this image: continue to work to > better it for years after the image was created ? > I'd much prefer to go out and take new pictures than continue to manipulate an existing image for years. To me that would be a sign that maybe I was trying to make something out of something that wasn't up to snuff. Interestingly, Adams said this about the day the photo was taken: "I made a few passable negatives that day and had several exasperating trials with subjects that would not bend to visualization. The most discouraging effort was a rather handsome cottonwood stump near the Chama River . I saw my desired image quite clearly, but due to unmanageable intrusions and mergers of forms in the subject my efforts finally foundered, and I decided it was time to return to Santa Fe . It is hard to accept defeat, especially when a possible fine image is concerned. But defeat comes occasionally to all photographers, as to all politicians, and there is no use moaning about it." Our individual tastes will decide whether we think that day ended with a glaring success or a bit of a failure. I believe he fell victim to the same failings with 'Moonrise'. > Like Ansel's mastery over the darkroom processes and materials, we > will no doubt grow in our mastery of the post-processing tools and > techniques given time. As we struggle to keep up with the backlog of > images we recently created, how many of us will go back and REwork a > favorite digital image created years in the past, to get the most out > of it? > It depends on the image. I've scanned images taken 10/15 years ago and have improved upon them. However, I find far more enjoyment in the pursuit of new images than I do in the reworking of old ones. Some think it's a small world, but it's a pretty big place when you actually try to photograph it. > Much of this is a moot point, since so many of us produce work only > for screen: Flickr, etc. Translating our work to actual prints is > something that fewer people do (myself included). > The intent is the same however, regardless of the medium. > There is also something to be said for the Opposite of hyper-critical > curation: Sharing ones work that is not, even perhaps by our own > standards, top notch. (Particularly if one is seeking critique in an > effort to grow, rather than just receiving the kudos that we know we > so richly deserve.) > :) > Unfortunately I think far too much of that happens. It too often leads to kudos for images that are not deserving and dupes the photographer into believing they've succeeded where they did not. To me, if one is serious about their photography (define serious), they will grow in skill and judgement all most naturally. That image I was ecstatic about 20 years ago... well I now see it's failings and would not show it had I made that exposure today (or would adjust it). Interesting topic. Tom C. -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
