Something in the Water

What is it with creatives right now that everyone seems neck deep in artistic introspection? David duChemin is spending the week re-evaluating his photography, shooting things way out of his normal range and not mentioning one word about gear. Zack Arias recently posted a widely viewed video on his inner struggle as an artist (I posted a link to this a few days back). And I've been tearing through books on the creative process and doing my best to see things...differently.

In one of the final chapters of The Photographer's Eye, the author writes about the kind of image we are trying to create and asks: Are we making an image to appeal to the most people or making an image that is unconventional and pushes the viewer? For a long time, I've found myself in that first, group. There isn't necessarily anything wrong with that, but it IS stunting. Of course I want people to like my images, but I don't want them to be liked because they've seen them before. I once had a comment on one of my images where the viewer said, in a very complimentary way, that the shot looked like an Ansel Adams. But, I don't want my images to look like an Ansel Adams, I want my images to look like a David Shaw.

But what does a David Shaw image look like? Now that's tricky because my vision is constantly shifting and I don't want my images to look how they do right now, I want my images to look how they will be when they are the best I can make them. Thus I'm trapped in a viscious circle of constantly trying to be better than I am. This circle is a dangerous, often frustrating, but at times glorious place to be. As I spin in my circle, pushing my photography, I accumulate thousands of really, really bad images and a few that allow me to spin off in a new and better direction. With those few, I get to see things differently, see things better. And the more I push, the clearer my vision becomes.

Now all of this is not to say that I think we should ignore other artists to pursue our own vision. That, I'm sure, would lead us into a very dark place. Rather we need to see the images of others, explore them, learn from them, even emulate them. But the moment we start immitating them we've lost our own art. I know, I 've fallen into that trap and while down in the hole, I had lots and lots of company.

We need other artists to provide feedback, to be honest, and not ingratiating. We need the community,and the spirit that comes from being among others of the same mind. We need expertise, in our fields, and to constantly push ourselves to see the world with greater clarity.