The way I think about things is that I write down what I think I think about something, then argue with myself over it as I tweak the text, until I agree with myself and I find no more changes to make. I’ve done that since I was in high school, when I discovered I liked writing.
When it comes to photography, I started it in about 2003 purely from the aesthetic viewpoint: I wanted to take pretty pictures. Whatever that was. So I started reading about photography and take photos. They weren’t good and I didn’t know what I was doing. I didn’t even understand basic principles at the time.
By 2005, I had taken about 50,000 photos with my 350D and I started to notice a pattern in how I did it and what they looked like. Without knowing it I had developed my style. And that got me thinking: are my photos any good? What is a good photo? Why do I take photos? How do I read photos? What do I get from other people’s photos?
As I started photography again in the last few months after years of hiatus, I’ve decided to answer these questions. And since I’m going to write things down, I might as well share it with the world.
Not that I think my opinion matters or I’m right. I may well be wrong in what I think. I haven’t been trained in photography, I haven’t studied famous photographers. And I haven’t exchanged on the subject with anyone. These are my thoughts in isolation and they might not translate to anyone else.
I don’t know where I’m going with this. I might write 3 notes or hundreds. I might have a lot to say, or very little. Time will tell. I’m in for the journey.
#Photography #PhotographyTheory #Writing #Theory