Comments on: Authenticity vs. Ground Breaking

By: Chris Klug

Chris Klug — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 03:31:14 +0000

I struggle a bit with the following inner dialogue: “am I posting this image because I like it or because I think the people who read the blog will like it?”

‘Nuff said.

By: Andreas Manessinger

Andreas Manessinger — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 20:46:45 +0000

An absolutely stunning image. Great.

As to the topic, yes, I think just doing is the best you can do. In fact, I really suppose that most of these problems come up when someone tries to commercialize his art, Suddenly you need a “style”, suddenly you are expected to never fail, always be interesting, always original and “true to yourself”, and so on and so forth.

That’s really an unrealistic expectation, and one has to understand that it is not a necessary condition for making art, it is simply a side effect of art being commercialized. It should be ignored, otherwise sanity is in danger

By: Markus

Markus — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 21:16:17 +0000

May I dare to extend Martin’s list?
* Get interested in different things, also outside of photography
* Learn, not only but also your subject matter
* Find your goal, your vision
* Intensify all those steps…

By: Martin Doonan

Martin Doonan — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 01:11:30 +0000

Top three things to improve your photography:
1. Takes lots of photographs
2. Look at lots of others’ photographs
3. Repeat

By: Anita Jesse

Anita Jesse — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 22:11:52 +0000

I think that, unfortunately, many of us are terrified to discover ourselves. It’s so much easier to tinker with gadgets instead. That way it’s so much easier to imagine we are who we would like to be, not who we are.

The photograph is filled with mystery.

By: Ove

Ove — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 20:28:14 +0000

I read something on this recently, I can’t recall what or where, but it hit the same chords within me as what you write about here. It was about following others or making your own way. I believe the consensus was that either way might be right, you chose what feels right to you. Common sense, in my opinion. I’m not sure whether there are more followers nowadays than before. It might be that the followers are seemingly more visible due to blogs and sites like Flickr, and that might increase the need for step-by-step guides in how to improve and make your voice heard. We all want to be heard or seen, but we have different tool sets to achieve it. And I guess, different audiences too. That’s my take on it.

By: Juha Haataja

Juha Haataja — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 20:08:57 +0000

The photograph stopped me for a while, had to look at it carefully to find out why it works so well. Nice!

By: Ray K

Ray K — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 19:31:17 +0000

I understand exactly what you are saying here Paul. I have experienced the same observations in the world of complementary art. My take on a lot of it is “Sometimes nothing to say, translates into make it different”. Authenticity will come through in images and any art if it is real and from the vision of the artist. Style isn’t something you put on it is something that is inside you. This is what I see, this is the way I see it, this is what I have to say. To many times it get translated into this is different so it is cool.
If your vision and heart aren’t ‘authentic’ and a part of you, the original becomes just noise. I am not even sure I could take 139 ways to become real, as it wouldn’t fit me unless I made my own list.

By: Paul

Paul — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 18:06:05 +0000

Thanks, Dave. I’ll have a look at it probably after I finish reading Death of a hero, birth of a soul.

By: Paul

Paul — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 18:05:12 +0000

Earl, I don’t think that you are missing the point. I would certainly agree with you. I was speaking more to the idea of trying to find something ‘different’ rather than trying to find yourself. The vendors are offering us gadgets. It’s just what they do. It’s what they are in business to do. Why else would cameras and lenses keep improving?