Notes from the Woods

seeing · environment · exploration · photography

No photography day?

Written by Mark

Born and raised in Detroit, c. 323 ppm CO2, Mark Graf is a Michigan photographer, naturalist, and diver whose muse is summoned by exploring the endless connections in nature; land, sea, and sky.

Monday, July 17, 2006

Today is supposedly declared no-photography day by one individual that seems to have received a bit of press about the idea on the net.   Here is the link to the news article that gave her a lot of attention.   The commentaries about this are quite funny at times, everyone from wanting to protest the day by purposely taking pictures to those in celebration.  While I can understand part of her concept, I think she misses the point that a lot of people SEE MORE through photography.   I know we can become so absorbed into making images that perhaps we overlook some of our surroundings, but I never think it is case of underappreciation.  I consider it more of a focused concentration (pardon the pun) or perhaps ‘selective appreciation.’   When you are underwater shooting macro, sometimes you have the habit of so much concentration on a small portion of a reef, that a large shark could swim right over your head and you would miss it.   Then again, you could be looking for sharks and miss the great critters below you as well.

Well, I didn’t make any images today – instead I went through some older slides and dug one up of one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to.   I look at this and say – how could I not make this image?  It allows me to not only appreciate being there, but to reflect upon what a beautiful place this is many years later.

McWay Falls, California

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2 Comments

  1. Jorgen

    I totally agree. If she really is desparate to meddle with other peoples affairs, she should make a “no snapshot”-day: a day where one does ones best to capture the magic to be found in the motive rather than just point-and-shoot.

  2. micki

    Thank you! I thought I was the only one who did not join the No Photography Day bandwagon. I find that since I’ve been shooting with an SLR, I notice and appreciate so much more of my surroundings than I ever have before. And now I share those visions with my family and others. I don’t feel that I’m every missing something because I’m appreciating something else. That can happen with or without a camera in front of my face.