“The discipline of creation, be it to paint, compose, write, is an effort towards wholeness.”
― Madeleine L'Engle, Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art
Not a photographer but lessons to teach us all. Madeleine L’Engle is perhaps better known as the author of “A Wrinkle in Time.” L’Engle wrote her first story at age five and began keeping a journal at age eight but was a shy, clumsy child, and was thought of as stupid by some of her teachers. Her most famous work, “A Wrinkle in Time,” was rejected more than thirty times.
I personally hold the view that photography allows the photographer to explore inwardly while expressing outwardly connections discovered. Not every expression will be successful, understood or well accepted and few will be the “final word” as we each continue to evolve and grow. We are complex and our knowledge of what elements of ourselves go into our own composition continues to evolve. But we should continue to express ourselves because our “failures” offer the most opportunity for growth in our effort towards wholeness.
The image above is composed of four elements, from bottom to top, a tidal pool, a beach, the ocean and the sky. The photo was made at Saint Simons Beach, GA.
Your four lines of writing, which I have read several times, encapsulate so much, Earl. How we evolve, where our creativity comes from, how our ‘failures’ are often the first imperfect glimpses of a new thread of work. When we first embark on our personal visual journey there is no destination in mind, and for me there still is no style, destination, or plan. I leave home with my camera ‘in-hand’. My eye leads me – i never know what my next image will be, or to which genre it will belong. A beautiful image too.
Andy, thank-you! It sounds like our approach to photography is much the same. I’ve no predetermined style or final destination. I’m not even certain if I find the photos or the photos find me, although I’m leaning more to the latter these days. :-) I’ve accepted in both life and photography that I’m a sea of shades of grey with few black and white absolutes. This allows me to play and experiment with various photo techniques, probably to the detriment of perfecting none. Note the keyword in the previous sentence is “play.” Take care!
Congratulations on another excellent photo Earl. Most appropriate for such a ‘reflective’ post. And you know that for me as well, photography (and art) is all about discovering connections, which in turn, as L’Engle said, “is an effort towards wholeness.”
Cedric, your recent posts about art and connections and the related follow-up comment conversations have been playing in my head over-and-over like a favorite tune and was a strong influence on the thoughts expressed in this post. In fact, I probably should have added you as a co-author for this one. :-) Your sharing of how you personally connect and view art has helped me understand or uncover some of my own “connections.” Your influence is deeply appreciated as are your kind comments about this image!
This is well said, my friend, “our “failures” offer the most opportunity for growth in our effort towards wholeness” Wow on the image! Photography is seen as an outward view of the world but it is an inward view. Photography has changed me in so many ways.
Thanks, Monte! I’m not sure if photography changes us or simply provides us with a wonderful tool we can use to understand ourselves a bit better. In either case, I totally agree with your sentiment. :-) Take care, be safe and enjoy the upcoming holiday.
Great post Earl. Honestly, as far as the reflection, I have often wondered if I am too scattered. I seem to start things, stop them, pick up something else, move on and maybe return, maybe not. It has led me to feel a lack of consistency, if that is even a desirable thing. We often read about finding one’s own vision, but seems it involves a lot of stumbling around in the dark.
Mark, thanks!
I see successful photographers on the Internet who have found a target niche and have developed a signature look and feel for their work. By focusing they’ve been able to become “experts” or “masters” of their trade and in many cases are in much demand. But I often wonder how much of this focus is their vision and how much is simply dedicated practicality. Most of the advice on how-to-be commercially successful in photography prescribes this method. I do admire their dedication as well as the abilities and the works of many of these photographers. However, It seems I’ve been waiting for a long time for my “vision” to guide me to my own niche but at this point, I’ve accepted it’s not in my cards to be this focused.
Mark, what you described as scattered seems pretty normal to me and perhaps stumbling is just how you’re viewing your process of discovery and creativity? Hey, if it makes you feel any better, from the viewpoint out here none of your “stumblings” are at all apparent. ;-) Hope you have a great upcoming “4th” holiday!
Thanks! You too on the 4th!
A little late to the party, but hopefully not too late. I wholeheartedly agree with that point of view, about exploring, or perhaps expressing outwardly what is inside of us. There are times when I am photographing something that I think: What am I trying to say here? What do I like about this? Yet, other times I just respond to the beauty or the interest that I see, not for any particular reason that I could even state. It’d probably fumble around quite a bit to get a why. Most of the times, though, it really is just a pleasant get-away from the world of thoughts, calculations, responsibilities, etc, into the world of feeling and expression – in other words, I just love doing it and am so grateful for that!
A very thought provoking post, Earl.
Thanks, Paul, nope never too late. I believe much of the time when making a photo we may feel a connection but not be fully aware what the connection is. We may come to better understand of that connection later and then emphasize that in the final version of the image. Of course it doesn’t happen every shot for me. With so many of the photos I make whatever I saw at the time is either no longer speaking to me or there is some technical problem with the image. I guess it’s like fishing. You don’t catch a big fish every time you drop your hook in but it sure is exciting when you do. :-)
Great analogy, Earl. Yeah. There are times when I load the photos onto the computer and think, with several different inflections: What was I thinking about when I took this picture and, like you, that particular feeling has passed on and I don’t remember; however, sometimes, later on after reviewing the pictures, maybe months or even years later, I’ll recognize something interesting about it – probably not the same “thing” that caught my interest in the first place, but, interesting nonetheless. I guess that’s part of the fun for me.
I’m glad that I don’t catch fish every day because then the fun of catching them just becomes an everyday thing.