Seeing “Iris”
When I look at “Iris” I am taken back to my beginnings in photography. It was a pivotal image, launching me into the happy pursuit of capturing moments and places. But today another idea comes forward, a lesson learned from old equipment that has so much relevance today. When I work with students, almost everyone has a set of zoom lenses allowing them to capture every millimeter of distance possible. And watch how these lenses are used. Rather than move in or out with their bodies, they zoom. Your body stays here, and the zoom lens does the work. One of the unsung benefits of the old fixed lenses I had, and continue to use, is that I moved where I thought the finished composition was. In my gut I felt that the final images were more intimate if I walked into the water and made a photograph about the iris, the fog, and the feeling of the little pond, than if I stood dry and distant, and zoomed to the iris.
you become part of the photograph, in a way — certainly in the experience of making it…..giving the piece more of your own personal touch and creativity……and the adventures you have making these pictures must be more memorable than standing from afar — leaving you w/ more interesting and exciting stories to share as well as personal thoughts to reflect back on w/ each image…
Bessie said this on September 18, 2008 at 2:10 pm |