Monday, November 26, 2012

The Psychology of Photography - Published by Theme

 
 
Occasionally, I like to back up and think about why I (we) photograph. I put an enormous amount of time and thought into my photography, and it rewards me back more than I put in. Theme recently published a thoughtful article on the subject.
 
(Click Here) to read the story on Theme. Be sure to watch the TED video. There are graphic images in the video, but they're strong, meaningful ones.
 
Sometimes the "philosophy of photography" can seem dull and overly-introspective to me. I've read some books (including some famous ones) that I forced myself to finish, and then concluded that I was no smarter at the end than the beginning. So, I like short, thoughtful pieces like the one above.
 
A couple of concepts that stuck with me are that photography is a way of "...crystallizing one's own experience..." and a way to "...to less ignore the life we live in..."
 
Another touchpoint of this article and video is that good images force us to act. I believe that all good art evokes emotion (I'm not sure who said that, but it's not my original idea). That emotion is not always positive or good. And, I also believe that emotion drives action. So, I can go along with this concept.
 
Finally, the piece makes the point that a good image is made by the photographer, the camera, the object, and most importantly by the viewer. The viewer must get the point for the communication to have been effective.
 
I found this brief piece interesting. But, enough navel gazing. Let's get out and make some pictures.
 
DMC-365.blogspot.com
 
 

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