Pro-tip: How to be a great photographer
Shoot a lot, and don't post anything that turns out like this.
But it's not just for artists. This applies to you too, Ms. I-put-every-picture-I-take-on-Facebook. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then that photo dump you just took is a novel. A really boring one.
Check out this very cool almost-surreal series on Orange City, shot by freelance photographer René Clement, a dutchman from New York. On his last trip out here, Alvin and I helped him with a couple of shoots. I ran the fog machine for the hog-fight scene, which was a lot of fun. But the way it ties in with the rest of the post is that René, who's the consummate professional, spent days in advance gathering people, props and a location. He spent all evening setting up for that shoot and waiting for the right light, used a high end Nikon DSLR for test shots,* then shot just three rolls of medium-format film. Only one photograph will make it into the book.
Be like René. Only share your best work.
*Yes, his "polaroid" camera is worth several times the cost of my baby, a D80 I bought used. But they're both the same artistic tool.
I understand where you are coming from artistically, but--as one whom you might consider to have taken a "photo dump" last semester--I think you should also consider the motive behind why a person puts pictures on Facebook, etc. I put all my photos on Facebook (well, not ALL, but most) so my family could see 'em. Clement, as a pro, has the funds and the motive to not publish all his photos. That way, he can be selective on who sees his photos, how many prints are put out, etc.
ReplyDeleteSo basically, I think you should cut us amateurs a bit of slack. But not too much. There's plenty of people who post things that make me think, "WHY did you put this up?! Who cares about that photo..."
Well said, Sarah.
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