Continuing the discussion about photography’s unique characteristics, let’s take a look at the next two properties which separate photography from other visual art forms and which, by the way, are closely related:  Speed and Timing.

In a recent workshop on Presence and the Art of Seeing Photographically, one of the participants remarked, “Photography is like no other art form I have tried.”   I got to thinking about that over the following few days and this next series of blogs is the result.  I'd like to look more closely at some of the properties that are unique to photography.

 There has been a lot of material written on this subject as photographers, essayists, critics, and purveyors of the art try to find a way to understand just where photography’s place is in the visual world.  If you have not already done so, pick up a copy of Susan Sontag’s book, “On Photography.”  In this critical look at photography, Sontag writes, “The painter constructs, the photographer discloses.”  

Henri Cartier-Bresson, considered by many to be the father of modern photojouralism, once said, "Complicated equipment and light reflectors and various other items of hardware are enough, to my mind, to prevent the birdie from coming out." 

He was of course not referring to wildlife photography but to his craft, the art of seeing photographically and responding holistically.  I have long maintained that good photography is not about the equipment, but rather, it is about the eye, your eye, and it was with that basic tenet in mind that I developed the current complement of workshops. 

A participant in a recent workshop asked specifically about making stronger images while traveling with her family this summer.   Photography, like any endeavour takes practice.  But more importantly, making good pictures also requires a shift in the way we think about image making.

There are two common mistakes photographers make when traveling that result in some rather unremarkable pictures.  Firstly, they often photograph landmarks – a famous building or bridge or statue from the same vantage point that countless other photographers have taken in the past.  Try to get into the habit of looking at a particular subject, let’s say it’s a statue,  from different vantage points.

For the past two years, Lynda and I have been exploring the use of canvas as a backdrop for our subjects.  Canvas has a historical significance in photography; for well over a century canvas has been used by photographers as a means of isolating the subject from their environment.

Before photography became main stream enough for the general public to attend at a photographer’s studio, early photographers took the studio with them to photograph their subjects on the spot.   This often included draping a piece of canvas over the side of a wagon or stringing the canvas up with a piece of rope.

Photography is a language born of stillness.  By learning to be present and to quiet the mind, you can begin to Develop A Photographer’s Eye.

Photography can take us on a remarkable journey of self-discovery – to a place beyond thought.  It is here that we begin to see a reflection of ourselves in our images. To get to this place, you must learn to overcome some of the obstacles we all have to “seeing photographically.”