This video has been making the rounds on a few blogs.
I’ve watched it a number of times and while I’m not a big fan of Henry Wessel’s work, I do like some of it. I do love the video. His approach to photography is simple, direct, intuitive, and very impulsive. He states that the present is ‘chaos’ and that is what he seeks to capture.
My favorite part of the video is when he talks about his working technique. In particular the time lag between when he takes a picture and then when he reviews it. He will take the pictures, develop the film, print contact sheets, then store them away. Some 2 or more years later, he will evaluate the picture objectively and decide which ones to print. In this way, he is emotionally detached from the picture. He’s forgotten, perhaps, the situation and the feelings, leaving the picture to stand on its own merits.
This started me to thinking about my own images, given that I have just returned from an image gathering fiesta! I know that, at least for me, my images cannot be reviewed objectively at this time because the emotional aspect of taking the picture is still very fresh. In other words, I’m too emotionally attached. Heck! I still have sand in my pockets from the trip!
It is somewhat easy to determine the obviously good from the obviously bad; however, it is a more difficult task to decide between those with potential and those that are somewhat weak when you still have the emotional side, or attachment. Each photo is a child to which you gave birth and it’s rather difficult to toss the children out. They are born from your creativity.
I can, however, go back start working on my 2003 – 2006 images and culling the herd … if I have the energy to do so. It would be easy/easier to make good choices about which images to delete, or perhaps better, which ones to print or to put into a gallery of images. I can see how this would work, but I can also see how it would be a detriment to someone who is doing stock photography, or some time sensitive work, where time-to-market is essential. I believe that methodology would work well/better for fine art prints.
Will I give my photos a two year wait before evaluation? I doubt it, but it does give me incentive to go back a few years and start culling the herd.
That said, here are a couple from 2004 that I really like.
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An interesting idea: divorce our emotions from our art. I wonder if that is really what we want to do. While I understand the idea of getting some detachment, I wonder if losing the emotion may affect the quality of the product.
@Bob: It’s not detaching emotion from the art before the fact, but after. That is, having an objective look at your pictures without the memory of how the sun felt on your arms, the wind felt caressing the hairs on your neck, or how the air smelled that day. All of these things add to your _subjective_ feeling about the picture, not allowing you to judge the picture on the merit.
Regarding these two pictures, taken back in 2004, I still remember where I took them and have some recollection of the day, but it is much less than what I feel about my New Mexico trip.
Good points I think, this makes a lot of sense to me, quite often I am dissapointed with my results after being out shooting, (sometimes because they are simply awful) but other times because the photo hasn’t captured, like you say, the smell or the warmth experienced in the moment. One other thing I notice as a regular occurance when looking at blogs, is that when people havn’t been shooting for a while for whatever reason, they turn to the archives and post wonderful pictures with comments like ” I’ve no idea why I didn’t like this at the time”….perhaps this is why?
I like the way he does that, I don’t know that I could do that either, though. hmmmm, I think it would be easier to do when you’re already established and still not getting dramatically (hopefully) better with passing time.
I really enjoyed the video and I can see the subjectivity issue in looking at work too soon after it has been taken. What I also found interesting was his talk of ‘connectivity’ and ‘balanc’e when it all comes together and perhaps this can only be seen after an appropriate time lapse. You hear other experienced photographers talking about this rare connectivity and balance thing, which I guess is the holy grail of photography.
I haven’t read your writings yet, Paul, I’m still looking at the photos. You have out done yourself, sir. Happy to see you so active in photography.