Thoughts on Photography

Diamond in the Rough - Joe Rosenthal

Last year, Meg and I took a weekend trip to our state capital, Raleigh, North Carolina.  Here we visited the NC Museum of Art.  It's not a bad museum, but I don't remember too much of it.  I do, however, remember finding this great little book of photography called "Regarding Manhattan" by a photographer I'd never heard of before. 

Turns out, this guy is somewhat of a local, living and working in North Carolina and the surrounding states.  Well I bought that book for $12.  A steal really.  I almost felt guilty as it seemed to be the cheapest thing for sale in the gift shop. 

Well, today I randomly stumbled upon a photography site and quickly realized it was this photographer Joe Rosenthal, whose book I had purchased.  This guy really is a great photographer.

Check out his site:  www.johnrosenthal.com

Be sure also to spend some time reading his writings on photography.  I've not come across better writing about photography than this. 

Diamond in the Rough, Victoria N

I know NOTHING of this photographer other than their profile name on Altphotos.com.  The name could be that of a woman, or that of a place.  For me it doesn't matter.  All that matters is that the photography I am seeing is very special. 

What strikes me most about the photographs I have seen from Victoria N is how casually perfect they are.  Each image seems to have everything in the prefect place to create an image that is pleasing to view, without feeling that this perfection is forced. 

Often I see very good photography, but am at the same time left with a feeling that it's just a little "too perfect."  These all-to perfect compositions taint my experience with the image.  Somehow I find myself "seeing" the image, rather than "feeling the image. 

With Victoria N's imagery, I am "feeling" as much as I am "seeing."  The casual perfection of the images strikes a chord somehow that evokes emotion as well as intellect.  The expected is trumped by something subtly unexpected in the images. 

As is often the case with great art, the experience is difficult to put into words.  So instead, I'll just provide a link the Victoria N's Gallery. 

Diamond in the Rough - Piotr Czechowski

The greatest tool in photography is one's ability to see.   Truly great photography is done by those who can "see" a potentially great image and then use photographic tools to translate their vision into a compelling photograph.  The more I engage myself in this hobby of photography, the more I realize that "seeing" is more a gift than it is something to be learned.  It is more art, than science.  With this in mind, I want to share the work of another photographer that, upon coming across his galleries, was like finding a diamond in the rough. 

I first came across these galleries a couple of years ago on Pbase.  I saved them to my favorites and have been excited to see them growing with images recently.   

When viewing these galleries you will see a film photographer who has moved to digital equipment while seamlessly keeping the look and feel of his original work.  You will see echoes of great photographers from the past interspersed with uniquely timeless images from today.   You will see strong moods and emotions captured in a way only a photograph can. 

I encourage you to take some time and visit galleries of Piotr Czechowski. 

Diamond in the Rough - Slade Zumhofe

I love discovering new photography on the internet.  I'm talking here about photographers previously unknown to me that, upon seeing their work, cause me to pause and reflect on the power of the individual image.  It's a gift to create an image that holds a viewer's interest more than a passing second or two. 

When I come across imagery like this, I save the link to revisit again.  What I have found is, over time, my appreciation grows for the depth of talent these photographers have acquired.  This is the first entry of a weekly post highlighting those photographers that inspire me.  With so many images now online, it is a rare pleasure to come across a photographer's work that leaves a lasting impression.  For me, discovering these photographers is like finding a diamond in the rough.

About a year ago, I discovered some of the most beautiful black & white photography I've ever seen.  It continues to live up to my first impression.  The images are beautiful in their tonality.  But, more than that, each image has a compositional balance that is so pleasing to view.  A recent on-line photo class I've taken describes the concept of balance this way:

The element of balance is the most illusive and abstract of the design techniques. There are no rules to achieve balance in a design. It is possible to use the techniques you learned in the previous lessons and the image may be out of balance, which translates into an image that is not totally pleasing to view, but we're not quite sure why. It is also possible to not follow any of the techniques taught in the previous lessons and achieve balance and a pleasing image.

How is this possible? The answer is because there are intangibles, elements that are not teachable, that are intuitive. That is the reason why everyone isn't an Ansel Adams, Pat O'Hara, Jack Dykinga, or Bryan Peterson.

Consistently great photography is a gift. But, consistently good, excellent, and occasionally great photography can be achieved through diligence and by creatively applying the techniques that we've discussed.

- Tony Sweet

With this idea in mind, I encourage anyone who is interested to spare yourself some uninterrupted time and visit the galleries of Slade Zumhofe.