The starting line for SoFoBoMo is nearly upon us. When it was announced with a May 1 start date, some months ago, I thought that that was a long way off. Now, it seems very near. 8 days. I find myself making more frequent trips to David DuChemin’s website, Pixelated Image, reading the articles that he has written, and thinking about my own photographic vision.
I can say, with a great deal of honesty, that I’ve never been taken with any particular photographer. That is, I’ve admired the works of others such as Alain Briot, Moose Peterson, Joe McNally, Freeman Patterson and, of course, Ansel Adams; however, I don’t own a single print from any of these artists. David’s work is different, or perhaps it is his writing. I feel that he is writing from the soul and it resonates with me, seriously.
He talks almost exclusively about vision. Vision driven photography; Vision-driven workflow, etc. It’s an idea that I’d never really considered before, but it makes a great deal of sense to me. His vision driven photography works a bit like this:
- Decide what it is that you want to say. Perhaps you’ve received it as an assignment from a client, or made it up yourself.
- Create a possible shot list that will help to realize this vision.
- Choose the tools (camera, lenses, filters, flashes, etc) that will help you to attain this vision.
- Scout the location, if possible, looking at light, angles, etc. Again, with your vision in mind. Do you need to have an overall warm feel, cool, bright, subdued, glowing, etc? What are you trying to say with this body of work?
- After you’ve taken the shots, continue with your vision in Lightroom or Photoshop all the way through post processing.
This certainly has given me lots of thought cycles about what it is that I want to say during my SoFoBoMo project. I think that I need to go sit in my field and ponder it. I have a vague idea, but not a clear vision of it. After reading his articles, I want to get a clear vision of what I want to say before I actually start to say it, which may cause a slight delay in my start date … which is what the fuzzy month allows, anyway. Having this vision ahead of time will make things easier, more cohesive, I think.
Perhaps this sounds like I’m over complicating things and taking this too seriously. I don’t think so. I think that it is just the first brick in a path that I wish to continue to walk upon. Perhaps this is my first step in my journey of 1000 miles.
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18 Responses to “Vision-driven photography.”
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Well, look, this is my first SoFoBoMo, so let’s assume I don’t know what I’m talking about. But, from where I sit, I would simply use a ‘vision’ to decide what NOT to do (meaning, mixing shots of animals with people with cars in both black & white and color and wide angle lenses mixed with telephotos, and so forth would NOT be the way to go). Limit your possibilities somehow. Pick one topic, pick one lens, pick one ‘look’ and then shoot and see what happens. The ‘theme’ or ‘vision’ might come into being after you’ve done all the shooting.
For my SoFoBoMo, when I chose b&w HP5 shot at 800 with a 28mm lens, it was just to eliminate other possible choices. My ‘stated’ theme was ‘street photography in the valley of the Sun.’ Well, after only one evening’s experiment, I realized that ISO 800 wasn’t fast enough, that NIGHT photography was more interesting than simply street photography, and that the juxtaposition of a gritty B&W ‘look’ shot in a relatively affluent area was making a statement all its own. In other words, the vision morphed while I watched. Now, I’m thinking of shooting ‘Street Photography in the Valley of the Sun when the Sun is gone…” or something. I’m sure it will evolve even more.
Your own sense of color and composition will carry you through. From your posts, if you simply use this area near your apartment and dive deep, I’m quite certain it will be amazing. Great actors prepare and prepare and prepare and then, on the day, try to forget all of that preparation and just be as organic to the moment as they can. They trust their instincts, informed by their research.
@Chris: The organic approach, so to speak, was exactly what I did last year. It worked quite well. This year, though, I wanted to try something different. I am very interested in this vision-first style of photography. I’m almost positive that I will use the field across the street, but what do I want to say about it? How do I want to portray it? Exotic? Mysterious? Common?
It’s rather exciting. I’m pretty sure that I’ll use only one lens, two at the most. Last year, my favorite section, Yin & Yang, could have been an entire topic. It was/is fascinating to me.
Paul, thank you for such kind words. The thing that most photographers long for is to have their work resonate with others. Kind of you to be so open about this, thank you.
I don’t think you’re over complicating this, not at all. I believe in this totally. I think of this constantly, what do I want to say with the pictures in my photo book? This can be quite challenging because lots of pictures will not fall into the scope of the theme, even though these would be pictures of bicycles, in my case. I will check out the writing from David DuChemin you linked to, sounds very interesting. Thanks for the link!
I have a question for you (at the risk of playing devil’s advocate), and it’s this: Do you already know how you feel about your subject well enough to go and make pictures of that?
I fall down completely when I try to set out with a vision that I want to fulfil in an image because what happens when I photograph things is that often when I photograph them, they tell me something I wasn’t expecting, and any plans or preconceived notions and expectations I had go right out of the window. Photography can actually be about finding out about things, so the concept of setting out with the final result previsualised feels awkward for me. Do you think it’s just a different approach?
@David: Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
@Ove: I think that you will enjoy his writing as well as his photography. Let me know what you thought, or perhaps better yet, let him know!
@Julie: I do have a notion of how I feel about my subject; however, I am always open to letting it tell me more. I usually discover a lot more as I am photographing, or even after I have finished photographing the subject. I don’t plan to follow a rigid script or anything like that. Last year’s book, in the end, was a total surprise for me. I started with only a location and an idea. Nothing else.
I love the whole discovery aspect of photography, yet, I want to start out with a theme, or a vision. I want to try to conceptualize ‘why’ this place interests me. How do I see it? After I get into it, deeply, there may be other reasons unearthed.
I think what you’re saying echoes something Twyla Tharp wrote in her book about being ready for luck. She was talking about Avedon and his portraits, and about how he didn’t plan the actual shots he was looking to take, but he prepared the backdrop and his gear as much as possible so when it was time for the session he could forget about what he was going to do and just react. I think it was the notion of previsualising an actual shot down to filter and lens and time of day that jarred in my brain – fair enough if you’re on a mission to show something in a certain way but it seemed to take a bit from the creativity that happens when you react with a subject, face to face.
I think we’re mostly converging on this one…
I don’t see a conflict here.
IMO, I think the concept of vision driven photography operates at a higher level while the organic approach/process may be used to hone the vision as part of the photographic work flow process.
Like in any process you measure (photos), you adjust and you measure again until you get the results (Vision) your seeking.
your = you’re
I can’t think of any other way to take photos as opposed to taking snapshots for family and friend events. Photos are about looking out to capture a bit of the essence of what is inside one’s own psyche. Vision – tunnel vision – uncovering the unconscious. I think this is what makes some photographers, artists.
I have learned that where I get into trouble with the concept of vision is when I try to verbalize what I want to do. The more I spell out my intentions in words the more paralyzed I become. I think it makes perfect sense that each person will hear or read “vision” with a different interpretation.
Anita, I agree that it only leads to paralysis when one puts too many limitations into art (and life). It is enough to have the vision and trust that following the vision will result in arriving at a destination. Rilke, a poet from the past in Europe once commented to a younger man attempting to be a poet to not look for the answers too soon. It is enough to live the questions. The answers will come in their own time. This is true even with work. Trying to push things into square pegs only results in frustration which leads to doubts about “self” and one’s abilities.
@Anita: The vision that I’m talking about could be as little as a single word, like joyful, light, dark, somber, effervescent, etc. This could lead me to choose certain tools, such as lenses, backgrounds, filters, etc. in order to capture that ‘word’. It wouldn’t inhibit anything and, of course, I’d still bring all of my tools along with me.
I would agree that to try to define it down to the letter would be, for the most part, counterproductive, but I do see lots of value in a starting point. It, to me, is better than going out and not having a clue as to the ‘why’.
When I worked as a lighting designer we would work from a visual ‘metaphor’ image; a red rose against blue velvet, a fly caught in amber, etc. Ideally, the metaphor would evoke the show we were working on, but it was more substantive than something etherial such as ‘happy.’ ‘Happy’ is a start, but when you’re trying to figure out where 400 lighting sources go and what color gel goes in each one, being more specific is really useful. In photography, though, I agree with Paul that being less specific is better, because you are building that idea frame by frame, and so the decisions are made one at a time.
This is a fantastic discussion.
I wrote a post on my blog on Friday that will post tomorrow (Monday) but it happens to address some of these kinds of things. I think what is important is that the How and the Why remain seperate but linked.
How all of us create is unique and what works for one will not work for another, but if we’re driven principally by the need to express and we consider that vision, even if it’s only vague, as we create – I think our work becomes stronger.
The other thing I think is vital is to remember that our vision is often not something we can completely uncover before we engage in the process of expressing it. For many of us the act of shooting is part of the process of uncovering our vision – it’s organic and not so easy to make into a three-step process. This is as true at the capture stage as it is in the digital workshop and to make understanding your vision perfectly a pre-requisite to engaging in the process would be a mistake.
The whole thing can be driven by our vision without being completely aware of all the nuances of that vision.
David, I agree that “our vision is often not something we can completely uncover” as to do so will turn it from “vision” into a dried up container where possibilities are boxed too tightly. There is something compelling about the ephemeral nature of vision, about pointing towards. Though we print photos, the photos themselves can be used to point towards rather than to simply record a static fact.
Paul and David –
Paul, thank for initiating this terrific discussion.
David – Thank you for stating my feelings so clearly. I know enough about how I function to know that by concentrating on seeing and shooting I can at least have hope of uncovering my vision. One of the most fascinating aspects of any creative process is that we are all unique and find our way using different paths.
Now, this is what I call a community! Thanks to all of you for putting in some very fine comments and thoughts!