I would feel compelled to find Ansel’s tripod marks to mimic his shots, and of course fail, in my efforts at such a location. Talk about feeling intimidated! 🙂 It’s how I felt the first time I visited Yosemite’s high country along the Tioga Pass road. Course maybe you don’t suffer such feelings of photographic inadequacy! 😉
Kathy, in a POTD from a long time ago (before the current format on WordPress so I can’t easily look it up) I posted an image of the White House Ruins in which I purposely tried to mimic Ansel Adams composition. It was challenging because I did not have a copy of his image with me, I was just trying to match it from memory as sort of a game to have a bit of fun. Ansel Adams was a great photographer, but he should never be considered the last word on the best way to frame and process an image of a particular subject, no matter how iconic his photos have become. I only feel really challenged by photographing the same subjects as him if I am in fact trying to copy his work, which as in this example I only do for fun. There’s no point in reinventing the Ansel Adams wheel but there is always a point in showing the same “wheel” from a new perspective or in new light etc. And by the way, all photographers, good or bad, should always feel a degree of photographic inadequacy. Always trying to get a little better is how we grow. And for me, feeling I’m just not quite as good as I ought to be is what keeps me interested in what I’m doing. The minute I feel completely comfortable with my photographic skills is the minute I will start my search for a new avocation.
White House Ruins #2
I would feel compelled to find Ansel’s tripod marks to mimic his shots, and of course fail, in my efforts at such a location. Talk about feeling intimidated! 🙂 It’s how I felt the first time I visited Yosemite’s high country along the Tioga Pass road. Course maybe you don’t suffer such feelings of photographic inadequacy! 😉
Kathy, in a POTD from a long time ago (before the current format on WordPress so I can’t easily look it up) I posted an image of the White House Ruins in which I purposely tried to mimic Ansel Adams composition. It was challenging because I did not have a copy of his image with me, I was just trying to match it from memory as sort of a game to have a bit of fun. Ansel Adams was a great photographer, but he should never be considered the last word on the best way to frame and process an image of a particular subject, no matter how iconic his photos have become. I only feel really challenged by photographing the same subjects as him if I am in fact trying to copy his work, which as in this example I only do for fun. There’s no point in reinventing the Ansel Adams wheel but there is always a point in showing the same “wheel” from a new perspective or in new light etc. And by the way, all photographers, good or bad, should always feel a degree of photographic inadequacy. Always trying to get a little better is how we grow. And for me, feeling I’m just not quite as good as I ought to be is what keeps me interested in what I’m doing. The minute I feel completely comfortable with my photographic skills is the minute I will start my search for a new avocation.
Great post, Larry! Thank you! I agree about the inadequacy driving the need to improve…feel that often!