The Artists Eyes and the Photograph
What is Seeing for Photography?
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turn around to repeat scan, move, focus
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Like most people, I focus on one thing at a time, concentrate on it, or move my focus quickly around my field of view (FOV) to another thing. Then I will either concentrate or move my head/body to change my field of view, move my focus around to one thing and decide whether to process it (lengthy concentration) or move on to another thing in the current field of view. These actions all happen nearly instantaneously.
What attracts my focus?
Movement or contrasting elements or very bright warm colors, and also flashing. Outside of seeing, sound will attract me to use my vision/sight.As an artist, I have an additional form of seeing. Many artists have the ability to see larger assemblages at once. This seeing is impressionistic, initially without detailed focus. Seeing artistically requires more time, relaxed, meditatively realizing shapes and lines and tone within the broad FOV. Awareness of feeling and mood can become part of vision. Comfort, culture, temperature, meaning, and instinct are also floating in awareness during seeing.
Is seeing something learned?
Yes. Not for snapshots, but for "good" photographs. Practice, study, and learning is required to make aesthetically good photographs. After a beginner becomes more aware, attuned and relaxed, the composing of good images is possible. Composing becomes settled and the image is then recorded, either technically in the camera or organically in the mind to be completed later when conditions are right or in post production. This image in the mind could also become painting and sculpture, or part of an interactive installation.
Is making a photograph technical or mental work?
Making a photograph is a technical activity; therefore, familiarity with the technology must be gained through practice and study. Knowing the technology allows planning and readiness. There is planning, or forethought to do before shooting too. At this point I’m ready to go make images because I can “see” the image I want in my mind and plan, with knowledge, how to make that image happen. Other factors like weather and temperature are involved, but once the camera gear is comfortably second nature and seeing is achieved, the image can be made somewhat automatically...after thought.
Does seeing involve post production of the image?
You bet. Digital manipulation is a continuation of the craft of the artist. Just like a poet uses words to texturize a poem or story, and a composer uses notes with attack and delay to create texture and volume, the artist has tools to arrange the light and texture of the photograph, painting or sculpture. Making the image is the first step. Afterward, the possibilities are unlimited.
Does a photograph have to be printed to really See it and be considered photographic art?
No. Printing is only one of many options for sharing photography, though exhibition of photographs at the professional level almost always includes printed media.
Is photographing sports and other fast action also Seeing as a photographic artist?
Yes. Once you learn to see you can begin to learn to shoot faster and adapt your learning to a particular skill set related to any style of photography. Sport shooting is fast like snapshots, but with knowledge of composition and your gear guiding your learning of slowing down fast moving scenes in your mind with predictions before the shutter release.
What about photos documenting things that happen?
Again, like action photography, documentary shooting uses the same skills learned through Seeing and practicing. The focus of making these images is to record something of interest, or the story, as seen by the artist with the camera. Documentary images also have a process value as well as the historical value; a greater community purpose.
If making photographic images is my activity of choice, having a fun adventure while making good photographs is the goal. The adventure is in the investigation, the challenge, and the discovery. I learn as well as plan while having fun each time an image is recorded. I am amazed and surprised by the results of my efforts, sometimes seeing a play within shapes and tones and details only later. If someone sees my image and it moves them in a certain way, that's a bonus.
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