Question Of The Week, vol.1
The following is the first installment of an on-going series."The urge to create, the urge to photograph, comes in part from the deep desire to live with more integrity, to live more in peace with the world, and possibly to help others to do the same."
-Wynn Bullock , 20th century photographer
In an attempt to define ourselves as artists and also to learn more about one another, I pose the following question(s):
When were you first inspired to become a photographer? What, in particular, inspired you and how does that affect the work you do now?
From Arthur Weeks:
Here are some things that got me interested in photography:
1a) When I was going to college, majoring in studio art, there was a painting class where we were shown history of art slides before starting to paint.
One time, the slides started way out of focus, then they were focused as we looked. Paintings from hundreds of years ago and new ones were intermixed - it was impossible to tell by looking at the out-of-focus image, which ones were new and which were old. The surprise happened when recent abstract paintings popped into focus as I was expecting a painting from several hundred years ago and visa versa.
This got me thinking about composition as an independent thing from subject: after that class I was walking on campus and looked at the cracks in sidewalks, and started recognizing the underlying structure of strong abstract compositions in some of the cracks. So, I thought, why not just photograph this?
1b) An earlier art class project was to make a series of 26 photographs, each photo featured one letter of the alphabet, until you had the whole alphabet. This was pretty good for learning to 'see' in different ways (for example I made a side-view photo of my sister's poodle for a lower case 'n'). I didn't consider photography a significant art form at that time.
2) A traveling show of “new American color photography” was shown at the museum and it wowed me. I had never seen photographs with such saturated colors, off-beat composition and subject selection. The show was organized (curated) by Sally Eauclaire; she had 3 books printed of this series, some may still be in libraries.
3) My dad always photographed, making the standard family event photos. When I was 13, I went to the Experimental Aircraft Association annual fly-in with my uncle, who was interested in (and made a) home-built aircraft. Dad showed me how to use his Argus C3 camera (the brick) and I made Kodachromes at the fly-in. These were pictures to record images of airplanes that I liked; it was not about how photos can be interesting beyond the subject matter. That concept started after I was out of college.
4) When I first saw some Ansel Adams prints (20+ years ago) and realized how beautiful a photographic print can be.
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From Mandy Levy:
I was first inspired to become a photographer a few years ago when I visited Hilton Head, SC. The beach and nature scenes really made me want to start taking photos and capturing the beauty I didn't get to see everyday in Ohio. I love taking photos of people, animals and places but I think I am most inspired by nature photos. The majority of the photos I take today are of nature scenes, but I am trying to branch out and take pictures of other things.
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From Cindy May:
I wish I could say there was one ‘defining moment’ for me, but I don’t recall one as such. As far back as I can remember I’ve always enjoyed taking pictures – even before I owned a camera (in which case I painted a block of wood and pretended with that instead). Since I’ve taken up photography as a hobby, there are certainly photographers whose work I admire and which inspire me (like David Hockney and Martin Parr).
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From Jodi Hoye:
First, I'm not sure that I could be considered a "photographer", although I do aspire to be an artist in photography. My father was a photographer, shooting weddings and always posing me and my siblings on curving roads or at covered bridges. I think because I grew up with him taking pictures, I always thought it was "uncool". I didn't even think about getting a camera until last summer. One of my friends sent me a card with a print in sepia of a chair next to the woods. I loved it! At the same time, my parents sent me some money and I decided to get a camera! (I knew nothing about them, when I first took pictures I ignored the light meter because it was too much technology for me.) Now I see the world in a different way and am always looking for good pictures. I just LOVE to hear the click of my camera taking a picture!
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From chantal stone:
I always knew I wanted to be an artist, and as a child I would experiment in different mediums. I loved to paint, draw, create sculpture, even write, and I still enjoy all of these things. But when I was about 14 or 15, I was struck by the stark b&w images on a U2 album cover by Anton Corbijn. I decided to give photography a try, and my father bought me my first camera, a used Yashica fx-7 super.
I immediately fell in love with the medium. I took a few photography classes, and read every book I could get my hands on. I joined the yearbook staff and school newspaper and did all of the candid photos for each. My camera was ever-present around my neck.
Over the years, although my love for photography never died, my priorities shifted with family, kids, etc, so there were times when I would put my camera away for extended periods of time, but the passion was always there. A couple of years ago, I realized that my love for photography was never going to fade, so I picked up my then new Nikon, started shooting, and I haven’t stopped since.
The art we create is an extension of who we are. And who we are is simply a culmination of our experiences. My photography, as an art form, is how I express my thoughts, dreams, desires and fears. Through my photographs, I wish to relate my feelings and my understanding of the world around me. My only hope is that someone else can catch a glimpse of my perception of reality, and be touched by it.
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From Cheryl Brilmyer:
I have always liked photography. I skip the articles in magazines and have always been more attracted to the pictures, but there was not a particular “moment” that stands out for me which made me aspire to become a photographer. I would have to classify my inspirations as curiosity, creativity and my social network.
My brother’s friend in high school was interested in photography. He would share his work with my brother and my brother would share it with me. I would always think, “How does he do that?” I have always found ways to be creative throughout my life. As a kid, I would color, paint, and draw… the typical kid things. When I was in high school I liked to write poetry and enjoyed sculpting with pottery. Now my outlet is photography.
In college, my two roommates took a photography class. This is when I developed a greater interest in it. Although I was the subject of some of their projects, I wanted to be able to make my own images. In short, you tend to gravitate towards what your friends or social networks are interested in. It just took me a while to catch on.
I would have to say that I share some common likes with the individuals who have contributed to being my inspirations. For example, I gravitate towards using depth of field in my images. The similarities come with some differences which I tend to like more. I also love the creativity photography allows and the different interpretations of the same subject that each individual brings to the table. I strive to be creative all the time, even when shooting the most ordinary of things. Successful or not, I keep on shoot’n.
posted by chantal stone @ 5/21/2006 08:38:00 PM
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