man & nature # 13 ~ after the rain

Late day after rain • click to embiggenAs Joe Reifer takes a respite from the blog-o-sphere, I have taken to visiting Miguel Garcia-Guzman's Exposure Compensation on a daily basis. I would highly recommend it.

While Miguel does present regular entires about "new finds" that are worth checking out, its his BLOGS SPEAKING PHOTOGRAPHY blogroll that I find very interesting - and, no, it's not just because The Landscapist and Aaron Hobson's blog are on it.

By checking out a couple of the listed blogs a day, I have worked my way through the list. It is a wonderfully eclectic list and rarely fails to produce a daily surprise or two - highly recommended.

man and nature # 12 ~ stare

Green hose and wicker chair • click to embiggenStare.

It is the way

to educate your eye,

and more.

Stare,

pry,

listen,

eavesdrop.

Die

knowing something.

You are not here long. ~ Walker Evans

Update on Wednesday, June 4, 2008 at 08:15AM by gravitas et nugalis

Featured Comment: Kent Wiley wrote: "She never fails to let us know her P-O-V, does she Mark?"

my response - I can't get no respect. If it ain't Paul Maxim ragging on my ass, it's the wife trying to drag it back into the real world.

picture window # 11 ~ arrogance and self-confidence are not synonymous

Inside and out • click to embigenPaul Maxim has stated, "... Consider some budding photographer who has just taken an image of some mountain, perfectly reflected in a small lake at sunrise ... they feel they've produced something 'special' ... then they read your blog and discover that their picture is merely "Decorative Art" - not to be confused with "Fine Art" that real artists produce (like the Birch Tree Lodge image?).

With this statement, it seems that Paul is suggesting that I believe Birch Tree Lodge, or, for that matter, any of the pictures that I post, is/are Fine Art and that, therefore, I am a "real artist". To which, all I can say is- Man, I wish I had that kind of self-assurance / confidence about what I am and what my pictures are, photography / Art- wise.

The fact is that I do believe that my pictures resemble that of Fine Art, photography division, more than they do that of Decorative Art, photography division. However, the other salient (and, by far more important) fact (reality) is that, in the world of Art, it really doesn't matter what the hell I think they are. Nope, not at all. Not even a little bit.

Being considered an Artist and having your pictures considered Art are not "honors" one can bestow upon oneself. Like it or not, only the Art world at large (or in part) and time can render such judgement. Howl and scream as much as you like regarding the prejudices and strictures of that club (like I do re: the academic lunatic fringe), but the reality is there is no getting around or denying them.

It doesn't matter at all that I/you consider what I/you are creating is "special". In the Art world, what matters most is that others think what I/you are creating is "special". It's as simple as that. Deal with it.

Are part of my desire and effort expended in being "accepted" into part of that world? Yeah, sure. But, am I naive (or stupid) enough to think that achieving this goal is a given? No.

Now, it should be noted that Paul believes that I possess a fair amount of hutzpa - artistic arrogance, in his parlance - but I would have to be possessed by a megamaniacal amount of self-delusional hubris to think that all of my picturing utterances even approach the level of Fine Art, much less, achieve it.

decay # 20 ~ once again, just do it

Twisted stems • click to embiggenThanks to one and all for your comments on man & nature ku # 11.

I am especially encouraged and pleased by those who stated, in essence, that although they may not always agree with what I write and how I picture, what I write and picture does make them think. And, that ultimately, that thinking is /has its own reward(s). I am especially encouraged and pleased by this because it is a validation of how I live and learn - seeking out those things that I do not understand or recognize and endeavoring to come to my own conclusions or understanding about them.

In addition, I am especially encouraged and pleased by this because it would seem that most who visit The Landscapist understand that I have absolutely no desire whatsoever to don the Triregnum (the Tiara or Triple Crown), wield a crozier, wear the Ring of the Fisherman, and speak ex cathedra. To those who think that I am surreptitiously working the College of Cardinals to issue white smoke with my name on it from the next Conclave, I can only say, "Go forth and sin no more.", or, to use the vernacular, "Get a life (and leave a real comment)."

To the point, I just came across this article from which I offer these ideas:

The web is only about 15 years old, but already the conversation about it runs along tired old lines. Elites vs the people, amateurs vs professionals, hierarchy vs democracy - and on and on. For a medium supposedly defined by its transparency and openness, the critical discourse is surprisingly restricted ....

The most intelligent respondents to my writing, no matter how vehemently they disagreed with me, wrote under their own names. On several occasions, I dropped into the comments section and made equally heated rejoinders, also under my own name. I found those exchanges exhilarating. But what I also found was that, in almost every instance, the passion or stridency of my challengers was reduced the minute I acknowledged them....

Critics worth their salt earn their reputations by taking on established taste, whether it appears in stuffy form, or - less obviously - as a kind of adversarial posturing. It amused and then exasperated me that, week after week, I was vilified online as arrogant, elitist ... My blogospheric challengers almost always wrote in the lingo of the subdued commercial herd: "Siegel needs to take his head out of his ass" was a frequent sentiment. I had encountered the same attitudes in high school ....

But, IMO, here's the meat of it:

The responses of the crowd that I encountered on the web always boiled down to either we don't agree with you, or we do agree with you. Having an opinion, agreeing or disagreeing, is quick and easy; reading or writing criticism is a type of patience, just as art is a type of patience ....

As the truly dissenting bloggers out there might agree - and of course they exist - dissent is never in season. I hope those stubbornly contrary bloggers will persist, and use the internet to reform its worst aspects. I certainly intend to keep using the web, in the hope that it will develop into something less herdlike and banal. It will be quite a scrimmage. Technology may change, but humankind doesn't, and as a critic once said .... humankind cannot bear much reality.

I have emphasized "humankind cannot bear much reality" in response to Paul Maxim's question; "Consider some budding photographer who has just taken an image of some mountain, perfectly reflected in a small lake at sunrise somewhere in the Rockies (or Adirondacks, if you prefer). Yes, it's iconic, but they feel they've produced something "special" ... Then they read your blog and discover that their picture is merely "Decorative Art" - not be confused with "Fine Art" ... They read that "Decorative Art" isn't a bad thing, but it doesn't quite cut it with respect to getting people to think about what it means to be "human" ... So how does one respond to that?

Well, one way for a sentient person to respond - that is, in part, a person who questions "everything" (thinks for themselves) - would be to simply say, "Well, well, looky here. Somebody thinks that what I am doing is not Fine Art. Maybe I should explore this idea of Fine Art a little more. Maybe, just maybe, there's something in it. After all, I am always striving to take my art to the next level. What have I got to lose? If I disagree, I can just move on down the line in my pursuit of learning."

Here's the "reality" part in all of this - if, in reality, all one wants is to keep one's head in the sand (planted firmly in a dark place) and thereby feel happy as a clam, then, by all means, just do it.

man & nature ku # 11 ~ a sometimes thankless task

Birch Tree Lodge • click to embiggenSpeaking of questioning and/or dissatisfaction with photo blogs and blogging, Mauro raised the point that most often comes to my mind when I think about chucking the whole thing:

In blogs there is always some kind of imbalance. You, the producer, write about things that, from your point, have been already achieved. We, the consumers, read about things which, as in your case, can give us more insight, let us feel a little bit less alone etc.. It is a no win game for you and we always win some more bits of information.

There is, indeed, an imbalance in the blog-o-sphere. For the most part, when it comes to receiving comments, the blogger gives way more than he/she gets. In the photo blog-o-sphere, this is especially true when one writes about things other than gear and technique.

Many has been / is the time when I get rather, well ...let's just say, "disappointed" in the number of comments from readers of The Landscapist. I mean, with an average of over 400 page views a day, you would think that more than just a handful of "regulars" might have something to offer in return for the extended effort I make to share my thoughts, ideas, opinions, and ramblings on the medium of photography.

However, I don't take it personally and I know that many other bloggers experience the same thing. So, I try to keep it in perspective.

Despite this imbalance, I have lumbered on. Although, I'm not certain at this point whether that is strictly the result of inertia. As I mentioned previously, I do get something out of blogging, even if no one ever left a comment. My blogging about things photographic is my way of thinking out loud, if you will, and just by thinking out loud and writing things down, I have figured a few things out and have come to some kind of grip on things that I have not figured out.

And, if you haven't figured it out yet, I am all about communication and connection - that's why I picture. Initially, that's why I picked up a blogging pen. While there has been some connection and communication, I have had to console myself with other redeeming blogging values.

And, oh yeah, lest I forget, Mauro - thanks for the comments. I really appreciate it.

ku # 520 ~ therefore, I am

East Branch of the Au Sable, Jay • click to embiggenI engage in picturing on a daily basis. A camera (or two) is my constant companion in large part because I can't stop "seeing" things that I want to picture.

What is a little weird about all this picturing is that I would not in any way call it a "desire" to picture. Nor would I call it a "need". It's more like breathing - it's just part and parcel of my being (being = a verb and a noun). I like to observe. Sort of like Chauncey Gardener (Chance, the gardener), in the movie Being There, when he said, "I like to watch."

When I picture, I am usually just making a visual note of what I "see". What I "see" is most often that which most others do not or, perhaps, choose to avoid or overlook. Over time I have come to realize that this is quite simply how I "see" - I am not intentionally driven to see in a different manner than most, which is to say that I come by my "vision" honestly. My "vision" is neither a contrivance nor an adopted affection.

Now, none of the aforementioned could be called the "inspiration" for why I like "to carry around these little boxes" and picture. In fact, I am not certain that I need or have ever had any "inspiration" to picture, unless you count the personal pleasure and satisfaction I get from making "something" out of "nothing" - the pure act of creating - as inspiration. Without a doubt, I get plenty of emotional and intellectual pleasure from that.

And, yes, I really enjoy it when my pictures communicate to others at least part of what I feel and think when I am picturing a given subject. When viewing my pictures becomes an act of connecting with others - a sharing of my thoughts and feelings about what it means to be human.

While I do not seek praise from/for my pictures, I feel the greatest sense of accomplishment (and a warm, fuzzy sense of connection to others) when I hear comments such as, "I never noticed that before", "I never looked at it in that way", and, "I never thought about it in that way".

For me, "Photography is the capture and projection of the delights of seeing; it is the defining of observation full and felt." ~ Walker Evans. And, I really enjoy that I can, "Make visible what, without you (me), might perhaps never have been seen." --Robert Bresson

In a very basic sense, I feel both "validated" as a person and connected to the human race when my pictures "speak" to others.

And, in a very real sense, I can say, "I picture, therefore, I am."

urban ku # 188 ~ it just is

It was a sunny day • click to embiggenIn another example of an item / topic making its way around the internet, Joe Reifer's Going deeper may require more abstract excursions blog entry is, as they say, sweeping the nation.

It seems that, at least in educated circles, his notion about photo blog blather, blabber, and banality has resonated with those for whom photography is more than entertainment. References to his post can be found all over the place, including one that held a big surprise for me (read to the bottom of the entry).

For those of you who have not taken the time to read Joe's entry, let me give you the simplified Cliff Note summary - Joe was looking for inspiration regarding "what inspires so many of us to carry around these little boxes". In his quest for such, he found precious little of it in all the usual internet photo blog places. So, he's going to look for it somewhere inside himself.

Simple enough. Or, is it?

IMO, Joe wasn't asking a photography question at all ... unless you understand that his referent (photography) is merely a metaphoric device for the connoted (implied) subject of his question. At its root, Joe's question is about life - what it means to be human. Nothing less than a sentient being's quest for meaning - a life worth living.

In photography terms, it seems that Joe just want to make pictures that have meaning and convey a truth about what it means to be human. In seeking to do so, he is looking for a connection to others who are seeking the same thing in order to establish a bond that helps create and foster a synergistic energy that invigorates the spirit and motivates the mind and body so that he can "just do it." IMO, Joe is pursuing nothing less than the basic human desire to be part of a tribe and to be of some worth to the community.

OK, you say, but enough of the commie-pinko, anti- American, socialist, pointy-headed, liberal BS. What inspires you to carry around these little boxes?

For me, the desire / need to carry around these little boxes is 2-fold.

The first inspiration, and by far the hardest one to "understand", is undoubtedly subconscious. I would even call it preternatural - what some might call a "gift". Simply put, I was born to "see". I can't explain it any other way, that is, unless you want to delve into the science of genetics/DNA - which I will, in a purely anecdotal way.

There simply has to be something to the fact that 4 generations of Hobson men were / have been "born to see".

My grandfather (generation 1), unbeknownst to me (generation 2) until after his death, was a skilled and avid amateur photographer. Even though I have absolutely no conscious memory of him ever making a picture, I do have several albums of early childhood family pictures - all taken, processed, and printed (BW & color) by him. I discovered his interest in photography after I had begun my own, so it's fair to say that his photography background had absolutely no (conscious) influence the development of mine.

The same can not be said of my son (generation 3) Aaron's interest (and unbelievable success) in photography. He grew up with at least a tangental awareness of my photographic endeavors. But, despite that reality, he evinced absolutely no interest in picture making until little over a year ago, when he purchased a camera and, within 8 months time, found his vision with his Cinemascapes, which are now being exhibited, written about, and collected all over the world. Keep in mind that Aaron has had NO training in things photographic or things Art. None. Nada. Zip.

It is also worth noting that Aaron's day job is as graphic designer / art director - a position that he did not want to apply for when it was advertised because it required a college degree. He has only a high school GED - I pulled him out of high school after his sophomore year because it was such an incredible waste of his time, energy, and talent. Aaron apprenticed to me doing design work, something for which he seemed "gifted", and, in doing so, built a design portfolio that simply blew away all those of all the college grads who were vying for the position he now holds.

Now, here comes the somewhat, to me, scary part - my grandson Hugo (generation 4), son of Aaron. Simply put, this kid, at 3.5 years old, has a visual awareness and acuity that gives me the willies, goose bumps, and standing hair on the back of the neck. He is the very living, breathing definition of a true visual / picture thinker. Where this will lead him is, at this time, anyone's guess but I do worry about his future education experience.

For those of you who made it this far, thanks for bearing with me. I share this personal experience with you for 2 reasons:

1) I say phooey on those who think that Artists are not "special". In a very real way, it is a "gift" that not everyone shares in. A "talent" for Art is a very real thing and, at least when it comes to reaching the highest level of artistic expression, a preternatural disposition (no matter when it emerges) for "seeing" really does matter. And...

2) I wonder if any of you have a similar experience, personal or observed in others.

PS - stay tuned. Tomorrow, the conscious part of what inspires me to carry around those little boxes.

still lfe # 7 ~ less is more

Natural grace • click to embiggenThe wife left these 2 flowers on my office floor as possible fodder for my decay series.

They have indeed been pictured and added to that series. However, I was struck by the simple and pure grace of the stems and wanted to picture just that essence and character. So, I pictured them in as simple and pure a manner as possible.

Just as the referent is simple, the connoted is as well - nothing "heavy", just the beauty of nature with a little bit about the nature of beauty thrown in for consideration.