There’s a series of photo I’ve loosely linked together under the title of “Treasures Beneath.” These are photos taken of subject matter I’ve found usually at my feet, beneath the normal line of sight. These are simple “treasures” I’ve often overlooked in the past. Some I’ve already posted and others you may see somewhere down the blogging road.
In this photo of young ferns it’s the light which makes it work, as is often the case. But there’s a question. Is it worth taking a photo such as this at all? That question has been playing in my mind since I read a piece by Mike Johnston on The Online Photographer blog.
“…One thing that struck me strongly in reviewing that notebook now is the nosedive in interest—”content-quality,” maybe we could call it—that my pictures took when my attention switched from things that I thought were worth taking pictures of to experiments with the photographic process itself. It’s quite pronounced, and it’s discouraging. At a specific point in my exploration I started to try out different films and developers, different lenses, tripods and monopods, and so on, and the quality of the pictures themselves goes all to shit. Before that I was taking pictures of things and people that interested me. After it, I was taking pictures of tree trunks and leaves and things local to me that looked vaguely scenic. The pictures are worthless.”
Hummm…”tree trunks and leaves and things local”…sounds like me. :-) Now Mike’s statement was in the context that having image permanence or achieving interest by others in your photos was among your goals. I believe many personal photos have a time limit or expiration date to them. They meant something to us, the photographer, at the time they’re taken, a mark of our momentary interest or developmental efforts, but since we’re not static that meaning of the moment may change or completely disappear.
I do like how Mike goes on to say:
“In the future, neither you nor anybody else is going to care a whit about how saturated your reds are or how little noise you’ve got in the shadows. They, and you, are going to care what’s in the pictures—the stories behind them, what they meant to you, why they were important. I simply believe that if we were to try to second-guess posterity, it would make our work better.”
In my mind it seems to keep coming back to the story behind the images — something I’ve “heard” from Ray Ketcham for some time. Ray, Matthew Connors and Sabrina Henry are even involved in supporting a new site, “Rear Curtain” as a place to feature photographic stories.
Certainly lots of material for thought and I highly encourage visiting/reading the entire Mike Johnston post as well as visiting Rear Curtain. Me, I’ll keep thinking on it a while.
Update: Republished from 6/22/11 to today to correct an internal site link error.
”tree trunks and leaves and things local” may not work for Johnston, he seems to connect more with different subject matter, but it works for you and is definitely worthwhile. If a subject moves you to photograph it it’s worthwhile regardless of what it is. We’re all different, we all have our own vision, and that’s what makes it interesting.
I agree. There’s a whole world at our feet and right in front of our eyes that we often don’t slow down enough to notice. You did a fine job of noticing and presenting this fern Earl.
PJ, well, I hadn’t planned on stopping with the “tree trunks and leaves and things” photos at this particular moment, but I do believe when given an opportunity we should examine why we do what we do and be open to change — whether from inside or outside influence.
Thanks!
Difficult question, indeed. I do enjoy looking at a beautifully captured image of something from the woods, but for some reason I don’t really connect. It has surely to do with life experiences, the environments we have been living in. If you can’t relate, you don’t connect. It might be beautiful and interesting, but there’s no story, to you that said. It’s like speaking different languages. I love the French, it sounds beautiful (depending on who’s speaking, of course), but I don’t get a word.
Ove, yes it is a difficult question. Thank-you for your thoughtful comment. It’s not possible for any photo to relate to everyone, since each of us have our own unique environments and experiences. I personally don’t believe a photographer should make photos with an objective to please others over pleasing themselves — unless they’re being paid for it. :-)
I find “these nature photos” to be pleasing and beautiful to my senses but to be honest I don’t find them deeply fulfilling to me as a person or artist. I’d rather be telling “stories” with my photography but I’m still questioning, or perhaps learning, how to accomplish this in a manner that works for me.
Have a good weekend my friend!
Since I am not a big fan of Mike’s (I know. Radical.), I take everything he says with a spoonful of salt. In my mind, he takes great pride in being almost impossible to please with what anyone else is doing. (By the way, I have never seen a photo of his that touched me deeply.) Photos like yours, on the other hand, please me enormously. Take that, Mike!
Anita…you rebel, you! Thanks I appreciate the kind words. :-)
While some of the longer stories may not be obvious, our photographs are reflections of ourselves and what we choose to show the world. I also like how Ove put it. So rather than try to say the same thing in different words, I say read Ove’s comment again above. :-)
Mark, can’t say I disagree on any points. For any photographer, there’s always a state of flux of changing from where they were, to where they’re at in the moment and to where they’re going next…even if in small increments. When I look back in my archives I see a lot I’d change or do differently now. That’s why I say many photos have an expiration date…today they relate, tomorrow maybe not.
Thanks and have a good weekend!
I believe there will always be someone who will be drawn to an image due to its’ color, patterns, textures, and light but not necessarily a story, if there is one. Your image of the ferns pulls me in due to it’s light and my love the nature. The story line for me is about being in a forested area with beams of sunshine coming in. It brings up memories where I can smell the musty earth and the coolness of the morning. As Ove says, it speaks my language. So for me, any image can tell a story, or more than one story, and pull me in.
The technical aspects we acquire as we grow in our photography is our tool for creating images that tell stories. So to me, “Yes, they are worth taking.” I think we have the opportunity to learn about the world around us, and about ourselves, from each image we take.
Monte, thanks! Worthy of being taken or not I’m certain to keep making them…I’m pulled and can’t long resist. Have a good weekend, Monte.