Photography and Fishermen

Thought that I would separate this thought of mine, into a new thread. Feel free to add your thoughts to it.

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Critiquing an photographic image related to fishing, here on the forum, helped me come to this realization :

. . . Being an accomplished photographer is a little like being a serious fisherman. There is a lot of preparation and visualization of the best location, methods, rods and lures for the type of fish you want to catch - - - once you get to your starting point you will need a lot of patience and may have to wait a long time for results, may have to move to different areas in the stream or shimmy your boat a bit or move it up stream or down stream to get better results, you may have to work the line or change technique, line weight, bait, or lure in an attempt to improve your advantage. And sometimes - with all that patience and effort, you may come away empty handed. When it does all come together though - there is nothing more exhilarating or satisfying, and you find great satisfaction in showing everyone else your accomplishments, and because of your extra efforts they find your story or final results compelling as well. . .



Like "the big fish that got away", there can always be photographic stories as well - some true, and some embellished, exaggerated and fabricated. What is fact is that we will all end up with those perfect settings that are gone by the time we've changed a lens or moved to a different spot.

With every serious photographer, there will be a thousand missed shots - some of which we can go back and try again on a different day - - - and even many missed "National Geographic" moments that can never be repeated.

That is part of the appeal of being a photographer.


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BTW - after writing this, I did a Google search and it appears there have been many photography/fisherman comparisons over the years.

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Robert,

For a vertical market, the fashion or wedding photographer, for example, its a combination of having in mind the right gear, technic and efficiency for that class of work, the discovery of what the client needs and how one can use one's creativity to deliver more than what's expected. So there, your advice of preparation is most apt.

For art photography, (aside from the planned constructed image), no specific camera type is needed and timing is far less important. The key is to work with craft, being opportunistic and making the best of everything and anything one can see, wherever one wishes to be.

With good craft, a competent photographer can take impressive, collectable pictures at mid-day with harsh light or in a coal mine with light from a lantern. The camera can be anything from a pinhole, a thow-away Fiji film camera or a Phase One 80 MP marvel. nothing matters except whether or not one has the craft, chutzpah and agility to get the picture one's mind creates given what is about us.

I teach without any camera, just a frame made from the fingers to scout the neighborhood and the craft to hunt for an angle that works. I use this myself when viewing a place for the first time. This is the essence that is essential. Everything else great to have, but the ability to hunt anyway and exploit opportunity is paramount.

Asher

With good craft, a competent photographer can take impressive, collectable pictures at mid-day with harsh light or in a coal mine with light from a lantern. The camera can be anything from a pinhole, a thow-away Fiji film camera or a Phase One 80 MP marvel. nothing matters except whether or not one has the craft, chutzpah and agility to get the picture one's mind creates given what is about us.

Click to expand...

I do not believe that any person will have much or consistent success just by aimlessly pointing a camera (point and shoot or MF digital) at something - - - or by throwing a bunch of objects aimlessly on top of a scanner. There is the odd fluke, but generally is a result of much experience, preparation and vision. Good craft and competence as you have stated. Skilled and prepared fisherman have far greater success that someone like me who just goes down to the river and throws my line in the water and waits and waits and waits at the same spot.

I teach without any camera, just a frame made from the fingers to scout the neighborhood and the craft to hunt for an angle that works. I use this myself when viewing a place for the first time. This is the essence that is essential. Everything else great to have, but the ability to hunt anyway and exploit opportunity is paramount.

Click to expand...

I think what you have said fits in very well with the comparison I have made. There is preparation and visualization with your "finger frames" (which I have also used), and searching and movement to get the best perspective. Sometimes great preparation as a fisherman, results in a quick catch as well and a string can be used as a rod (comparing to any form of camera, enlarger, or scanner being used). It is the skill of the learned photographer/fisherman that provides consistent and appealing results.

Far less - if not any success, results from going up and pointing a camera and firing without any consideration to anything - - - just that you like what is in from of you (what you eye sees or how you are feeling). Yes creative images can be made just by pointing and firing at anything at any time of day, from time to time - but whether when shooting or after the fact, there always needs to be vision and purpose and effort if it is going to find success with others. If I am the only person who finds enjoyment with my work - that is the day I stop shooting - - - that being based on the fact that I do not photograph for therapeutic reasons.

So I don't agree with your applying the comparison only to wedding or fashion photographers (vertical market). When considering the fishing analogy, I was actually thinking of wildlife, landscape, scenic, art and street photography - - - much of what I am currently involved in.

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