by Wouter Willemse
Rereading previous posts, this blog seems a bit too vitriolic, angry at the world and putting itself (a.k.a. myself) in a moral superior position of sorts. Which is all wrong and pretty undesired.
Why all this anger, and what can anyone take from it? Is it all just me blowing off steam, or could there be a bit more to it?
The mere act of processing images seems to easily cause debate. There are those that feels it’s an “anything goes”-game. Others that feel it’s an unmissable part of photography. And finally those that will call all of it ‘photoshopping’, with a clear negative meaning that any change to a photo after the fact is faking it. Finally, a lot of people somewhere in between these 3 points.
The underlying and more interesting question is when a photo is really done. At what point in the chain of events is it complete?
Most of the recent posts are about making photos. The craft of creating a compelling image is a fascinating subject, as it touches both a technical side, pure craft, and a creative, imaginative side, which tends more towards the black arts of art.
There is also the side of being a viewer. Watch a photo, look at it carefully. Let your imagination, rational thoughts run with it. Find a superficiality or depth. Try to understand its maker and the message (if any).
Following the last post, which was about my go-to selection of film and developer if I want solid, dependable results, now a preferred combination at the sunnier side of things. Yes, moving on to slower films, and ending up with a more specialised recipe. More spicey, but sometimes a meal needs that.
Do you learn more from experimenting, or from following predefined steps? Yes, a rethorical question indeed. One of the nicest things about developing your own black and white film is that it allows for experiments. It keeps it fun, since there is always some other thing to try.
But sometimes, you do need some predefined steps to get to guaranteed results. Sometimes, you just need to get results, instead of fooling around. Experiments should leave one with a couple of solid recipes to keep around for those times you need predictable outcome.
As with so much hobbies these days, a lot of forums and sites see their fair share of fanboys. Their only effort seems to be discrediting any other product than the one they use, whether they have any actual knowledge on that product or not. And vice-versa, everything their product does is at the top of any game, the most innovative, original, advanced… the best. The one and only best.
Are photographs memories? Often you will read they are. But isn’t that the marketing department trying to make us buy more gear? Or is that too cynical?
Photos aren’t memories, but for sure they can help us remember precious moments. They can help rejuvinate the memory of loved ones, special places or events. But pitching photos only as memories might be selling things short.
To make good photos, you need a good camera, knowledge to operate that camera and nice scenery. That is what many believe. And It’s pretty far from the truth.
If I say portraits are easier if you have good people skills, you probably won’t be surprised. For wildlife photos, you’ll need knowledge about the habits of animals. And sports photography without understanding of the rules and nature of the game: a tall order. For documentary photography, a knack for story telling will help a lot.
OK, that title is a silly and somewhat unnecessary innuendo. I admit that, though the less dirty mind might just wonder… the length of what?
Well, that focal length that seems natural to you, of course.
Today, May 4th, in the Netherlands, it is memorial day; a moment to remember in silence the high price paid for the freedom we enjoy today. Tomorrow, on Liberation Day, we celebrate this freedom. And we’re really lucky to live in one of the most free countries in the world.