Today I've spent quite some time on Flickr. I've been honouring the present of a Pro account I received from Gabriela. I've had a Flickr account since 2007. A camera since 2008. Let's say I like taking my time.
It was only last month -again with a wink from Gabriela- that I noticed there are a few photography groups on Facebook where people decide to go out and share tricks, pictures and a coffee in Buenos Aires. Probably the best use of Facebook so far. Despite some anecdotes unworthy of a post, all in all, a pleasant experience that has taken me to a next learning and engagement level. I had been simply taking pictures of nice things and now I am thinking where the light is coming from. It's a start.
As much as I've found many of my overseas tweeps inspiring with their pictures, I realise I needed to be next to other amateur photographers to play with, to pull myself out of my private albums and start being there.
Outdoors, I move confidently with my camera and do not mind making mistakes. Every now and then, I need to show one or two pictures to the person next to me and get some instant feedback. This makes a difference for my learning. Once the picture day is done, taking a look at the way others have worked with the same objects is so revealing, both about photographs and their authors. Full learning circle.
Back at home, I spend a long time pondering which picture to publish. Does everyone go through this? Will I get more fluent or more obsessed with details? I look at my older shots with critical eyes, but I've decided the learning journey has to be registered. Period. Moving on...
The pictures at the Recoleta Cemetery are probably my best so far. I must admit, though, the place is so inspiring even a beginner like me can obtain something good.
Everything I'm publishing now are raw pictures and some cropping. Just barely played with Picasa editor, but can't help feeling it's a huge time eater. Excuses? Perhaps.
Maybe I just want to learn by plunging into the informal practice pool. I'd like to wait until I sense my pictures point me to a need of technical advice, a few touches of editing or a little help from my friends.
I don’t know what it is about photography which hooks us. Maybe it’s the challenge, or the immediate satisfaction. Or the possibility to crop reality, or the possibility to frame reality. It might be the chance of seeing forever what we saw in the past, or the chance of seeing what we missed when we were there. Perhaps it’s just the desire to look at the world from a different point of view, or to describe the world through our own eyes. We must have inherited the genes of those men painting their world on cave walls.
ReplyDeleteI'd say: all of the above.
ReplyDeleteEverything you mention is mixed in this for me.
As regards immediate satisfaction, I still try to be happy with the pic I got. I still struggle at the shoot I originally intended. Important to clarify, in case somebody thinks I'm an expert. Far from it! For every pic I published, I've discarded no less than 10.
Anyway, I think the results are worth it. Now, come to think of this. Why didn't we start this journey before?