urban ku # 62 ~ a church in Essex
Friday, May 11, 2007 at 08:14AM 
A church in the village of Essex • click to embiggenYesterday, on Royce Howland's Sodium Vapor Night Life picture Bill Gotz wrote; 'What is the definition of grand or iconic or pretty ... I often see stuff on this site that that I regard as grand, iconic and at least beautiful if not pretty. And strong denials that it is so. Do I have a different understanding of these words. What's wrong with me? (Or you?)'
My response: It is true that on ocassion a picture of a grand (sweeping scale) and iconic (executed according to a convention or tradition) nature is published here on The Landscapist. Why not? Those who hang out here are an open-minded bunch and I know of no prohibition against it. Although, I must state that most pictures do not have conventional icons (that which is the object of great attention and devotion) as their referent.
Re: 'beautiful' - of course, as the blog subhead implies, all of the photography seen here aims at being true, not at being beautiful because, what is true is most often beautiful. I consider the 'beauty' that unites all of the pictures here to be an underlying affection for life in all of its manifestations.
At least that's how I see it.
Reader Comments (5)
I must say that I think the phrase that you have used of late "affection for life in all of it's manifestations" is about as close to explaining the reason that I photograph as I have ever been able to come up with Mark. It's all about love really and wanting to squeeze out all the juice while I've got the chance.
I like that summation, too. As I followed up to Bill in my image post thread, my intention was not to disparage certain types of image, as I enjoy shooting "grand, iconic, pretty" pictures myself. Nor to play the pigeon-hole game to elevate certain images -- "this image is not X", "this image is better because it is X".
Rather it was about finding new ways to approach "been there, done that" subjects... like Mary says, to squeeze out all of the juice.
I'm an idiot. I didn't know what iconic meant. (Art. (of statues, portraits, etc.) executed according to a convention or tradition). I thought it meant something closer to: something that creates a strong impression thereby creating a new symbol or meaning in the mind of the person experiencing it. Is there a word for that. One of these days I'll figure this language thing out.
On the subject of grand "(sweeping scale)" I was thinking of grand more like: sublime, sumptuous, wonderful, magnificent, glorious, and ambitious.
I assume when you use the word pretty you mean something that isn't really beautiful. The words cliched and cute might work here to, right?
It was something wrong with me. (Not you.) I now understand you. I get it.
I think I never said "I think Sodium Vapor Night Life is a fascinating photo", so: I think Sodium Vapor Night Life is a fascinating photo.
Bill:
Now that you understand him, please send the guidebook.