The Photographer’s Lexicon
Friday, September 22nd, 2017
I like the way this is explained, but I can’t remember who explained it in these words – a photograph is the sum of all the movies you ever watched, all the music you ever enjoyed, every photograph you ever saw, all the books you ever read and the loves you’ve won and lost. A photograph is the sum of all that preceded it’s creation from the mind of the photographer.
That’s pretty close to how I remember it being said. And, wow, that’s a profound explanation for what I’d describe as a ‘real’ photograph of any merit. Any creative process passes through the filter of a human mind that sets the situation and chooses the subject. Even snapshots are a result of that filtration of a lifetime of experiences.
But knowing about that mental filter is not enough of an explanation if you want to know the secret of making good (or great) photographs.