Twin Red Trilliums, original capture April 1, 2002
A few years into selling prints, I began to ask myself this very question when it comes to my photographs. Provenance being basically a historical record of the origins of the image, and if printed, the media and process used to produce the print. If the piece changed hands, then there is also traceability on the ownership. I don’t think I have ever had someone ask me what type of paper was used (other than if it was archival), or even what camera was used for a specific photograph. So I really questioned the value of keeping track of such information.
As I began to produce more and more prints, and became better in my processing of them, I started thinking about how an image printed today looks so much better than the same one from 6 years ago. Maybe it will be even better in the future. I hope so.
The composition hasn’t changed, but the post capture handling of it certainly has, as well as the technology available to produce more vivid prints. So it became readily apparent to me that there can be a significant difference in my growth as a photographer, as well as the quality of my work between the time of capture, and the time of printing.
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Fern spore abstract
There is something to be said for abstract photography… you are not confined by your own preconceptions about reality and known subjects. But to the contrary, you leave yourself open to the possibility that someone just may not “get it” as is often stated about abstract art. Heck, I have been known to stare at pieces in museums and say those very same words, and I consider myself fairly open to the idea of abstract and conceptual art. It wouldn’t be there if it didn’t mean something to someone.
I say that’s ok. It may not lead to someone wanting such an image on their wall, but not everyone wants waterfalls, mountains, or animals on their walls either. I have my own images of known subjects on my walls that I am simply tired of looking at. Yet in many abstracts, I see something new each time I study them.
Connection to an image may not be a connection with the literal subject – it may be with the color palette, the shapes, or just the overall design and feel. Your audience may be reduced from general mass appeal, but the connections that do form may be stronger than you could have ever imagined.
When an image you create is something developed from within, and also makes a strong impression on another , even if just only one other person – I say that is a photograph worthy of existence.
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Three Trees, Kodiak, AK
I have this bluetooth gizmo for my car that allows me to use my iPhone hands-free. It acts as an FM transmitter so audio broadcasts through my car’s speakers. It also allows me to play any music I have on my iPhone, use Pandora, or any other audio service through my car stereo. The downside is that due to some FCC regulation changes a few years ago, they have limited the power of these devices, resulting in some slight static. It is better than most I have tried, but the static is still noticeable. It doesn’t make much of a difference when using it for the phone, but sometimes I do find it annoying when listening to music.
Last week I was listening to a limited edition, red vinyl only release called “Field Recordings” from Rocco DeLuca that I picked up when he was here in Detroit back in November 2010. (He is an incredibly talented guitar player and soulful singer, I recommend everyone check him out) Once I got the vinyl transformed to digital, I have been listening to it constantly on my computer, and then took it to my car. Well, the rip I did from the vinyl is crystal clear on my computer, but I was limited in clarity by the transmitter in my car.
Read More“My triumph as a counterfeiter was my defeat as a creative artist.”
- Han van Meergeren, artist and forger
Frozen Raindrop
Han van Meergeren was a Dutch painter who became a famous forger during the early 1900s and especially during World War II. He refined his technical painting skill so thoroughly, that he became quite wealthy by forging works of well known Dutch painters at the time. He paid attention to every minute detail, from buying authentic 17th century canvas, to mixing his own paints from the formulas of the masters, to studying their lives and catalogs of work, to further define his commitment to “authenticity.”
His life story becomes even more interesting when he gets entangled in dealing art with the Nazis.
Because he was increasingly scorned by art critics, van Meergeren set out to show he had every bit of genius as the masters he forged. His ultimate masterpiece was planned to be a forgery of a famous painter called Vermeer, but his plan ultimately backfired.
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Burning questions
One key aspect of my approach to my nature subjects usually originates from a question, or series of them. While one may wish to be all knowing, it is quite hard to accomplish in actual practice. Shocking I know.
This particularly applies to the interesting patterns I may find in the woods that I enjoy making abstract photographs from. Sometimes after I photograph something, the answers come later on, leading to a bit of education. More often (much more than I like to admit!), the photograph remains as a reminder of those questions.
In the case with this photograph, I came across a burnt pile of wood in the middle of the woods near my home. Aside from wondering how the wood was burned to begin with (kids? lightning? meteor? magic staff blast?), I was quite curious about the pattern formed. It was hardly uniform, and I really didn’t know what type of wood it was. For sure it has something to do with the thermal decomposition of the cellulose in the wood. So questions about this pattern lead me down the path of learning about cellular structures in wood and the interaction with temperature.
I don’t always get the specific answers I am looking for. The pursuit and appreciation of the unknown are part of the journey. I suppose once I no longer have any questions left, I can stop photographing.
The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing. – Albert Einstein
This macro photograph was made in the woods along the Clinton River, Sterling Heights, Michigan. The photograph was captured by a Nikon D700, 14 bit RAW file, Nikon 200mm f4 macro lens, and post processed using luminosity masks in Photoshop CS3, and the plugin Topaz Adjust on a Mac Pro.
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