When I started in photography – or more accurately, when I “started taking pictures” – I was all about capturing the moment. I have taken hundreds (maybe thousands) of snapshots in my life.
Don’t get me wrong – snapshots are great, and I love looking back on places I’ve been, relatives, holidays, etc. Maybe I’ll sound snobbish by saying this, but I’m more focused (HA! see what I did there?) on true photography these days and less on just snapshots.
Snapshots record an image – but it’s usually a story that’s intensely personal to you (your grandmother who passed away last year, the kids in your 8th grade class that you never see nowadays, etc.). If you’re showing someone else a snapshot, you have to explain it.
Photography is different – true photography tells its own story. Maybe the story has a slightly different meaning to each person that views it, but there’s something essential there that is instantly accessible to everyone. Photographer Elliott Erwitt said, “The whole point of taking pictures is so that you don’t have to explain things with words.” Ansel Adams said “There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer.”
There’s lots more to say about this, and I’ll cover it in future blogs. And I truly hope you enjoy my attempt to create beautiful photographs that you’ll see on this site.
