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  • Welcome to the new site. Here's a thread about the update where you can post your feedback, ask questions or spot those nasty bugs!

So long...

When you have a minute.... use that button... switch off the computer and go for a walk in the dark... sharpening your senses.... I mean really dark.... do not use a flash light, let your eyes do the job, after a while they will adjust.... I suggest a deep wood, something like that.... feel the sensation of your senses shifting from eyes to ears and eventually from ears to nose as well.... you will experience fear.... I hope!

Continue walking until you are comfortable.... do not stop walking until you can rest your mind.... might not be easy.... but when you walk, you should rest your mind and put out all your antennas.... let your senses take over.... the body will follow....

Best
G
 
I suggest a deep wood, something like that.... feel the sensation of your senses shifting from eyes to ears and eventually from ears to nose as well

Best advice I've heard in a long time - these were my own words of wisdom as a young twenty something trying to sort things out. Here we go again!
 
Best advice I've heard in a long time - these were my own words of wisdom as a young twenty something trying to sort things out. Here we go again!

....and it does work! The explanation is simple. Re connect what has been disconnected. At first you will walk too fast, eventually stumble along cursing like a docker, ready to use that flash light which you brought along anyways, but eventually, you will just slow down, speed is not of the essence, slowness is here. Be like a turtle, they are slow too.

From a modern perspective, you are essentially re programming your brain. Of course there is more to it, much older stuff, but this is a personal matter of belief and insight and can not be discussed. By allowing yourself to re connect with matters that are much older than human beings, you enable yourself to change perspective and focus.

Best
G
 

nicolas claris

OPF Co-founder/Administrator
La Désobéissance de l'Architecte

Worth reading!
La responsabilita dell'architetto
(though I prefer the French translation…)

Renzo Piano interviewed by Renzo Cassigoli
Read an intro: http://www.architonic.com/aiabt/renzo-piano-building-workshop/5202186

A wonderfull book, replace "Architecture" by "Photography" and "Architect" by "Photographer" and there it is…
Hmmm, ok, we're not all Architects nor photographers (I mean great ones), but may we be inspired by Piano's thoughts

It seems that I can't find any English translation… bizarre, bizarre…
Titles in Italian, Spanish, French and a trial translation in English…

La responsabilita dell'architetto
Responsabilidad del Arquitecto
La Désobéissance de l'Architecte

The responsibility of architects
 

Cem_Usakligil

Well-known member
Bonjour Nicolas,
Worth reading!
La responsabilita dell'architetto
(though I prefer the French translation…)

Renzo Piano interviewed by Renzo Cassigoli
Read an intro: http://www.architonic.com/aiabt/renzo-piano-building-workshop/5202186

A wonderfull book, replace "Architecture" by "Photography" and "Architect" by "Photographer" and there it is…
Hmmm, ok, we're not all Architects nor photographers (I mean great ones), but may we be inspired by Piano's thoughts

It seems that I can't find any English translation… bizarre, bizarre…
Titles in Italian, Spanish, French and a trial translation in English…

La responsabilita dell'architetto
Responsabilidad del Arquitecto
La Désobéissance de l'Architecte

The responsibility of architects
Great links, thanks. It seems that we have a lot around us we can draw our inspirations from. To me personally, one of the best possible inspirations is your friendship. Thanks for being there.

Cheers,
 

Cem_Usakligil

Well-known member
Hi Georg,

When you have a minute.... use that button... switch off the computer and go for a walk in the dark... sharpening your senses.... I mean really dark.... do not use a flash light, let your eyes do the job, after a while they will adjust.... I suggest a deep wood, something like that.... feel the sensation of your senses shifting from eyes to ears and eventually from ears to nose as well.... you will experience fear.... I hope!

Continue walking until you are comfortable.... do not stop walking until you can rest your mind.... might not be easy.... but when you walk, you should rest your mind and put out all your antennas.... let your senses take over.... the body will follow....

...and it does work! The explanation is simple. Re connect what has been disconnected. At first you will walk too fast, eventually stumble along cursing like a docker, ready to use that flash light which you brought along anyways, but eventually, you will just slow down, speed is not of the essence, slowness is here. Be like a turtle, they are slow too.

From a modern perspective, you are essentially re programming your brain. Of course there is more to it, much older stuff, but this is a personal matter of belief and insight and can not be discussed. By allowing yourself to re connect with matters that are much older than human beings, you enable yourself to change perspective and focus.

Best
G
Thanks a lot for the meditative tips, I am definitely going to try them out. Unfortunately, here in the Netherlands we don't have any dark skies and deep enough woods where one can be so isolated from the civilization. :(

Cheers,
 
Hi Georg,


Thanks a lot for the meditative tips, I am definitely going to try them out. Unfortunately, here in the Netherlands we don't have any dark skies and deep enough woods where one can be so isolated from the civilization. :(

Cheers,

The Ardennes are just a quick and pleasant trip away from the Netherlands.
 

Jerome Marot

Well-known member
What did I want to achieve after all? Was I doing this for the fame, money, appreciation, self enjoyment, providing pleasure to others, what else? I simply did not know the answer to this. But I felt disappointed nevertheless. Apparently, deep down inside I was hoping that something would "magically" happen and all of a sudden my years of effort would be rewarded (as it happens in silly Hollywood films). But what and how exactly? And therein lies rub.

The problem was, again, the undefined expectation: what were the pictures supposed to deliver? When I could not answer that, I started to assume that my photography was worthless (i.e. did not deliver any results). As Ken has put it so well, my photography wasn't the failure but the path that I'd walked which had failed me.

I come very late to that discussion, but I think you asked the right question at the right moment. It has been a year since the question was asked. Did you find the answer? What do you want to achieve with your pictures? What are they supposed to deliver?

I would not be able to answer the question myself about my pictures. But you are right: It needs an answer.
 

Cem_Usakligil

Well-known member
Hi Jerome,

I come very late to that discussion, but I think you asked the right question at the right moment. It has been a year since the question was asked. Did you find the answer? What do you want to achieve with your pictures? What are they supposed to deliver?

I would not be able to answer the question myself about my pictures. But you are right: It needs an answer.
Sorry I must have missed this post. I did find some answers, but not all was to my liking. Did you think about it in the meantime? What are your thoughts?
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Hi Jerome,


Sorry I must have missed this post. I did find some answers, but not all was to my liking. Did you think about it in the meantime? What are your thoughts?

Cem,

You addressed the question to Jerome. Still, I'd like to venture an answer too. I need to consider and be honest with myself.

Asher
 

Jerome Marot

Well-known member
I think that your question is the one every amateur photographer faces one day or the other. I am saying purposely "amateur", because the "professional" has an obvious answer: what he is trying to achieve is simply a means of living.

But the amateur? Why do we take pictures (beyond souvenir snapshots, that is)? Or more precisely: why do we publish them (you may remember that I started a thread with that question… with little success)? What are we trying to achieve in showing them around?

I faced this question because, quite frankly, I have not achieved much. As everyone, I tried to put some pictures on the net to find out that there are zillions of more interesting pictures than mine. I went to courses to find out that the teacher was never interested in my pictures, only in whether they fit his idea of the course. I tried to hang some in exhibitions, only to find out that the public had nothing to say about them when they liked them.

As you noted, it is a case of bad expectations. I had been showing pictures in the secret hope that someone will recognize the emotion I had taking it. It does not work this way.

I am not alone with this problem. I think that all successful artists faced the same despair at some point (and the unsuccessful artists presumably even more, but we don't know about them). How many famous painters wanted to burn all their works at some point? How many became discontent with their success, realizing that the public had no interest in their paintings per se, just in seeing "that painting which costs a million dollars"?




People have no interest in your pictures. People may have interest in the subject of your pictures, when you photograph something which interests them in any case, but not in what you or I have to say. In your emotions. In your opinion. In your feelings.





If you want people to respond, go photograph what interests them, not you. This is what the pros do. They take portraits of the customers themselves in an advantageous light, everyone loves to buy a picture of himself like that. They take pictures with nice colors and muted shapes to fit in everyone's living-room. And they take pictures of fast cars, celebrities and scantily clad women. If you want to get the maximum number of people interested, if you need millions of views and comment on your flickr account and paying customers, this is a sure go. Search for "ipanemic" on google and flickr to find out. Not that the guy does not have talent, mind you.

A picture of Paris Hilton naked crotch is worth 100000$, whatever the quality. A wonderfully composed, shot, printed, enthralling piece of art is worth nothing. Unless the artist is as known as Paris, of course. But then the picture is worth something because of the artist, not by itself. It is never about the picture.





So what is the answer? What are we trying to achieve? What could we possibly achieve if no-one is never to be interested in our work, ever? What is the point of taking pictures that no-one will ever watch?


...


Should we simply stop?​


...


Did the famous painters who burnt their canvas stop or did they continue painting?​


...



Can you stop taking pictures? Do you want to spend the rest of your life without a camera?


You see, we cannot answer your question, because the question itself is wrong. You will not "achieve" something with your pictures. If you want to "achieve" something, take the pictures that people want, not the ones that pleases you. Take pretty living room decoration and scantily clad women. It is about the subject. It is not about "achieving" something.




Photography, painting, sculpture are something that some people do without really being able of stopping. It is like a compulsion, just not so damaging usually. It is not about showing the pictures to someone, getting their opinion or their appreciation. That never works. It is not about publishing, it is simply about the process of taking pictures.

Did you hear about Vivian Maier? Look it up here: http://vivianmaier.blogspot.com/. This is the story of a woman who took photographs all her life, amongst the finest in street photography. She took more than 100 thousands of them. On medium format, when film was expensive. She never had them developed. It was not about showing them, it was just about taking them, about the process of taking photographs. She never achieved anything with them, she died unknown in poverty. The negatives were found after her death.

So it is just about the process of taking photographs, not about achievements. Taking pictures is fun.

But there is a warning for you. There is something which is special about photography, it is that we can too easily be distracted from the simple pleasure of taking pictures by the pursuit of technology. We have too much equipment. Instead of simply enjoying looking at the world through that little frame of a viewfinder and trying to catch the decisive moment, we worry wether we have the right lens, the right tripod, the right gear, whatever. Not that equipment is not nice per se: I do appreciate the smooth function of a camera or a lens, just as I appreciate the craft that went into manufacturing a nice tool. But sometimes we must step back and consider what we like. Take a camera, a simple lens and walk around. Climb a mountain. Frame the world.

Sell some of your equipment if you wish, but keep one camera and one lens. You'll need it.
 
Here is a recurring emotion I have been wrestling with for over a year. My photography is a total failure and I am extremely disappointed. I have tried to break this downwards spiral and there have been brief periods of time during which I have been fooled to think that perhaps I was doing something meaningful and that somebody out there might have enjoyed my work after all. How wrong have I been! Eventually, there was nothing to soothe the pain of utter disillusionment after trying so hard for so long. I now give up. This is my farewell to photography and also to OPF (in case anybody around here still cares).

Really???

How is it a failure? Money making issue?

Honestly, who the **** cares what others think of your passion. It's your passion.

Sorry for my bad language.

Hope you don't truly intend to throw it all away........
 

Cem_Usakligil

Well-known member
Hi Jerome,

I think that your question is the one every amateur photographer faces one day or the other. I am saying purposely "amateur", because the "professional" has an obvious answer: what he is trying to achieve is simply a means of living.

But the amateur? Why do we take pictures (beyond souvenir snapshots, that is)? Or more precisely: why do we publish them (you may remember that I started a thread with that question… with little success)? What are we trying to achieve in showing them around?

I faced this question because, quite frankly, I have not achieved much. As everyone, I tried to put some pictures on the net to find out that there are zillions of more interesting pictures than mine. I went to courses to find out that the teacher was never interested in my pictures, only in whether they fit his idea of the course. I tried to hang some in exhibitions, only to find out that the public had nothing to say about them when they liked them.

As you noted, it is a case of bad expectations. I had been showing pictures in the secret hope that someone will recognize the emotion I had taking it. It does not work this way.

I am not alone with this problem. I think that all successful artists faced the same despair at some point (and the unsuccessful artists presumably even more, but we don't know about them). How many famous painters wanted to burn all their works at some point? How many became discontent with their success, realizing that the public had no interest in their paintings per se, just in seeing "that painting which costs a million dollars"?




People have no interest in your pictures. People may have interest in the subject of your pictures, when you photograph something which interests them in any case, but not in what you or I have to say. In your emotions. In your opinion. In your feelings.





If you want people to respond, go photograph what interests them, not you. This is what the pros do. They take portraits of the customers themselves in an advantageous light, everyone loves to buy a picture of himself like that. They take pictures with nice colors and muted shapes to fit in everyone's living-room. And they take pictures of fast cars, celebrities and scantily clad women. If you want to get the maximum number of people interested, if you need millions of views and comment on your flickr account and paying customers, this is a sure go. Search for "ipanemic" on google and flickr to find out. Not that the guy does not have talent, mind you.

A picture of Paris Hilton naked crotch is worth 100000$, whatever the quality. A wonderfully composed, shot, printed, enthralling piece of art is worth nothing. Unless the artist is as known as Paris, of course. But then the picture is worth something because of the artist, not by itself. It is never about the picture.





So what is the answer? What are we trying to achieve? What could we possibly achieve if no-one is never to be interested in our work, ever? What is the point of taking pictures that no-one will ever watch?


...


Should we simply stop?​


...


Did the famous painters who burnt their canvas stop or did they continue painting?​


...



Can you stop taking pictures? Do you want to spend the rest of your life without a camera?


You see, we cannot answer your question, because the question itself is wrong. You will not "achieve" something with your pictures. If you want to "achieve" something, take the pictures that people want, not the ones that pleases you. Take pretty living room decoration and scantily clad women. It is about the subject. It is not about "achieving" something.




Photography, painting, sculpture are something that some people do without really being able of stopping. It is like a compulsion, just not so damaging usually. It is not about showing the pictures to someone, getting their opinion or their appreciation. That never works. It is not about publishing, it is simply about the process of taking pictures.

Did you hear about Vivian Maier? Look it up here: http://vivianmaier.blogspot.com/. This is the story of a woman who took photographs all her life, amongst the finest in street photography. She took more than 100 thousands of them. On medium format, when film was expensive. She never had them developed. It was not about showing them, it was just about taking them, about the process of taking photographs. She never achieved anything with them, she died unknown in poverty. The negatives were found after her death.

So it is just about the process of taking photographs, not about achievements. Taking pictures is fun.

But there is a warning for you. There is something which is special about photography, it is that we can too easily be distracted from the simple pleasure of taking pictures by the pursuit of technology. We have too much equipment. Instead of simply enjoying looking at the world through that little frame of a viewfinder and trying to catch the decisive moment, we worry wether we have the right lens, the right tripod, the right gear, whatever. Not that equipment is not nice per se: I do appreciate the smooth function of a camera or a lens, just as I appreciate the craft that went into manufacturing a nice tool. But sometimes we must step back and consider what we like. Take a camera, a simple lens and walk around. Climb a mountain. Frame the world.
....
This is a very well formulated post and I will have to read it a few times and let it sink. I think that you have touched many issues there which strike a chord in me. Thank you so much.

...Sell some of your equipment if you wish, but keep one camera and one lens. You'll need it.
This is a very good advice, you are a wise man.
 

Cem_Usakligil

Well-known member
Jake,

Really???

How is it a failure? Money making issue?

Honestly, who the **** cares what others think of your passion. It's your passion.

Sorry for my bad language.

Hope you don't truly intend to throw it all away........
No, I am not going to throw it all away. Hot headed I might be, but a total fool not yet.
 
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