I am working on materials for the reading group. I should be in bed but I would rather be reading the words of Minor White. What I am hoping to convey to the group is the use of photographic technique as a means of writing the visual language of photography rather than as a craft or technique for the sake of technique.
I get irritated when I see someone dismiss a photograph because they don't like it--meaning they don't understand it and are not willing to attempt to understand it. I tell people that you are likely to learn more from a photograph that you don't like than one that you do.
"Explore the whole fanciful world of “what does
this remind you of.” This is subjective and subject to all the mild dangers of
flights of fancy, unfortunately. Board the train of associations—unknown
destinations can become familiar in no other way." [I have got to tackle that statement because I
think it is important. What he is saying, in my opinion and I will admit
narrowness of mind and purpose here. We are very familiar with the clichés of
amateur photography, the mantras of camera club photography. The visual pallet
can only be advanced by venturing beyond that simplistic genre. Minor is saying
that we can move forward only by studying more sophisticated
photographs and understanding the associations created within those
photographs. By doing that we become familiar with the unfamiliar.]
No comments:
Post a Comment