I shoot all manner of things, some of which might be considered cliches. I shoot flowers, because I'm a gardener and I like flowers. I sometimes want to preserve the look of a bloom at its peak, much like photographing a person in their best years. I shoot people in coffee shops and on the street, because I take delight in capturing a moment in a life -- perhaps a fleeting expression or a gesture. I shoot wildlife because I like tramping around in the woods, and I find animals attractive. I shoot my granddaughter, Grace, because I want to record her life. I shoot cars because I'm paid to do so. And when I get an assignment from the Times photo desk, I shoot whatever the hell they ask me to shoot. In between all that, I shoot anything that strikes my fancy and that might make an attractive picture.
There's one thing I never do. I never consider whether or not someone else might consider my choice of subject matter to be cliched. I don't give a damn if they do. Paul On Mar 31, 2011, at 4:04 PM, AlunFoto wrote: > I see where you come from Collin. > However I think one man's cliche can be another man's: > - Honest attempts to learn the craft > - Personal joy, or even fetish > - The closest motif at hand in a photographic epiphany > > Or whatever. > > Jostein > > 2011/3/31 Collin Brendemuehl <[email protected]>: >>> You post very few images so if that has any relation to your >>> production at all, you must take your photography very seriously >>> indeed. But one thing is a bit unclear to me; are you bothered by >>> others posting pics you consider cliche, or are you bothered by your >>> own development as a photographer? >>> >>> Jostein >> >> The question of personal offense (being "bothered") seems to be pervasive. >> I think that was answered earlier so I will leave it to you for further >> discovery. >> >> As to my personal development ... it's not so much a matter of progress as >> of time to pursue it. I've got some projects in mind but time just gets in >> the way. Over the past few years my unemployment has retracted the >> resources to pursue doing more and better. >> >> Perhaps, if I can afford it in my retirement, I'd like to hire a plane to >> fly into some un- or seldom-explored area of Yukon or Alaska and shoot with >> a variety of formats. >> >> It appears that some type of elitism is being read into my remarks. I can >> see how that would happen. Photography is a joy and it ought to remain so >> for all of us. That's why we are here, coupled with just a tad bit of brand >> loyalty. I would hope that the general statement *might* be taken in >> concert with the specific ones. If not, well, then I'll have to explain >> myself a bit more. >> >> But you know, the critical comments that I've recently given -- written for >> both compliment and for encouraging improvement -- have been well-received. >> Nobody thought of them in any negative fashion. I would hope for the same >> with a more generalized statement. >> >> As to the quantity of work that I post: No, it is not much. I don't shoot >> a lot. The last snow shots were just for a break from house cleaning. They >> didn't say much if anything. They only recorded the day and did so in a >> manner somewhat commensurate with the modern trend of "social history" which >> concentrates on the minute details involving individuals rather than the >> major social events. So I shot mostly leaves and buds instead of hills and >> fields. (It was an intentional subtext.) >> >> >> Sincerely, >> >> Collin Brendemuehl >> http://kerygmainstitute.org >> >> "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose" >> -- Jim Elliott >> >> >> >> >> >> >> -- >> PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List >> [email protected] >> http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net >> to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and >> follow the directions. >> > > > > -- > http://www.alunfoto.no/galleri/ > http://alunfoto.blogspot.com > > -- > PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List > [email protected] > http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net > to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow > the directions. -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
