Saturday, March 28, 2020

Photography is a process....

Photography is a process, not a result. - James Popsys

I follow UK photographer James Popsys on YouTube and was going thru some of his older videos the other day. I came across, The Photography tips I wish I'd known sooner..., and just before he ended the video he gave one last tip - "Photography is a process, not a result."

It took a few seconds for the full effect of the quote to sink in but when it did I realized how brilliant it is. Well, brilliant may not be the most appropriate word - maybe inspired is better. The more I thought about it, the more I came to like what he was saying and decided to see if I could expand upon it.

The Process

Ah... the process. This is the drug, isn't it? I look at the process, for me as a nature/landscape photographer, as looking for the next composition. Looking for new places to explore or simply finding new ways to look at old subjects. There are a few subjects - a couple trees and an old house, in particular - that I go back to time and time again. I am always looking for a fresh approach or the perfect conditions. This is what gets me out of bed at god awful o'clock on a weekend to stand on a beach in sub-freezing weather to capture a sunrise or arrive an hour or two before sunset so that I can find just the right spot to set up my tripod.

The process is what turns us into pack mules carrying gear to the top of mountains hoping to get the perfect foliage image or stand in the middle of a swift flowing stream for just the right angle on a waterfall. We lie on our belly in the mud to get an unusual perspective on an oft-photographed object. It is hard to explain to someone the high we feel when everything comes together and we know that we have witnessed something truly remarkable. We have taken a brief moment in time and immortalized it in a way that only we saw it.

For me, the process is all about feeding the soul.

The Result

I don't mean to make short shrift of the result - in this case your final image - but it seems, to me at least, to be almost an after-thought sometimes. Well, again, maybe after-thought isn't the right word but you know what I mean. The image is your showcase, the end-product.

We get back to our computer, upload images, sort thru and edit "the keepers." Then, most of us, post some of the best on various social media platforms and sit back to collect the accolades. Am I right? I mean, we fight the elements to capture this wonderful image and it would be selfish not to share it with the world. I may be getting myself into trouble here....

Whereas the process is about feeding the soul, the result is more about feeding the ego.

And so....

The point that I am clumsily trying to make is that photography is all about creating a lasting memory and, at least for me, that doesn't necessary mean creating a tangible product - i.e. a photograph. Can we think of the process as being a commodity and the result as being the product? In a sense, yes. I often use photography as a substitute for a therapist couch; when I have a camera in my hand the woes of the world cease to exist. I don't even have to press the shutter.

The perfect summation of the process can be found is a quote from Annie Leibovitz - "One doesn’t stop seeing. One doesn’t stop framing. It doesn’t turn off and on. It’s on all the time."

So? What do you think? Is the quote true? Is photography a process and not a result? I would love to hear your thoughts on the topic - leave me a comment below.



Wednesday, March 25, 2020

Interview with Photographer Gabby Salazar

For more interviews, check out my page - The Interviews Collection.

Gabby Salazar

I discovered Gabby a while ago after using Google to search for "female landscape photographers." At the time I was following many photographers on YouTube, Instagram and Twitter but noticed the overwhelming majority of landscape photographers were men so I wanted to try to promote some women. When I contacted Gabby initially she was traveling and working on her doctorate so she asked me to follow up at a later date. Fortunately for me, and you, we were finally able to connect and get the interview done.

Gabby caught the "bug" when she was just eleven years old - her father handed her a camera and she was hooked. It didn't take long before she was ready to share her gift with the world. In 2002 she entered, and won, the Youth Category at Nature's Best Photography and two years later was named BBC Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Quite an impressive start to a stellar career.

While preparing to write my introduction I looked at the galleries on Gabby's website and Instagram feed. What I saw was absolutely amazing photography but her work is about far more than just showing us the world's beauty. Gabby isn't a "landscape photographer" or a "nature photographer" or really any particular genre - if you ask me she does so much more. Her images are spectacular but they also reveal a lot about the subject and, I think, the photographer. She gives us grand vistas, wildlife, and intimate details. In addition to showing us the human element - man's dependence on the earth and efforts to help protect critical habitats. There is a purpose to her work that she takes very seriously and performs quite well.

In addition to being a superb photographer and ambassador for the earth, Gabby is a doctoral student at the University of Florida in the School of Forest Resources and Conservation studying environmental marketing and environmental philanthropy.

I am very impressed with this young photographer and encourage you to follow her - see the links below - but I think it is time to step aside and present my interview. I think you will enjoy it as much as I have.

The Interview

Personal questions

What is your favorite childhood memory?

When I was five or six years old, I was walking alone on some trails behind my grandmother’s house in rural North Carolina. I heard something large moving through the woods and it startled me. I was a bit scared, so I stepped off the path and hid behind a tree. A few moments later, a herd of around two dozen white-tailed deer bounded by. I remember being filled with wonder. I think I keep traveling and photographing because I’m always trying to recapture that feeling (and I often do when I’m in nature!).
(Joe: What a great memory to have! I can imagine the fear and I certainly can relate to trying to recapture that excitement.)

What are the five foods you can’t live without?

Coffee, Cheese, Kale Salad, Grapefruit, Hot Sauce

What is your favorite thing to do when you aren't shooting?

I love cooking. I try to recreate dishes from all of the places I have traveled.

If you could spend an hour with any famous person, past or present, who would it be and why?

I would like to spend some time with Marianne North, a Victorian biologist and botanical artist who traveled extensively throughout the tropics to paint plants in their natural habitats. She had amazing adventures, often on her own, in the 19th century. I think it would be fascinating to hear about her travels and about what it was like to be a female explorer at the time.
(Joe: You seem to be walking in her footsteps, just using a different medium.)

What is something that most people don’t know about you?

I really love opera!

What do you think about when you are alone?

I often think about climate change and some of the large environmental issues that we are facing as a species. I contemplate what role I want to have in helping address some of these issues, even if it’s just at a small scale.
(Joe: I think you're doing a great job, so far!)

What would you like to be remembered for?

Being kind.

Professional questions:

Why photography and when did you first get the “bug”?

When I was 11 years old, my father gave me a camera and took me to a friend’s backyard bird garden to take pictures. I peered at a blue jay through the lens and was hooked on photography in just a few minutes. Since my family did not have the resources for me to travel to faraway places, I mostly took pictures of nature in areas near my home. In 2002, I submitted one of these images to Nature’s Best Photography and was thrilled to be named the Youth Photographer of the Year. The image was of a honeybee flying into a sunflower and was made just a mile from my home in North Carolina. I was still using film at the time and can remember waiting for hours in the hot sun to capture a bee at just the right moment! The recognition that I received from Nature’s Best Photography changed my life – the award encouraged me to keep pursuing photography and the visit to the Smithsonian exhibit opened my eyes to the power of photography to inspire change. Since that time, I have documented conservation efforts around the world, spoken out on behalf of wildlife and wild places, and taught photography to other young people as a way to connect them with nature.
(Joe: I would like to thank your father, on behalf of those of us who get to enjoy your work.)

What is your greatest achievement in photography?

I really enjoy mentoring younger photographers and am thrilled when they go on to publish their work, win awards, and use their images to promote conservation efforts. A number of my mentees have gone on to do really amazing things and I hope that I’ve helped them along the way.

If you could share a gallery show with anyone past or present, who would it be?

I’ve always been very inspired by the work of Eliot Porter and would love to share a gallery show with him.

Where do you draw inspiration from when you shoot, what’s your favorite part about the process and what is your least favorite?

I draw inspiration from my surroundings. I like to visit natural areas and spend a lot of time exploring them before I even start taking photos. My favorite part of the process is spending time in nature and my least favorite part is sorting through images on my computer.
(Joe: I certainly agree with you - wouldn't it be great if we could just hand off our images to someone else to process?)

What is your favorite location to shoot?

I love taking photos in cloud forests, regardless of the location. I find these montane ecosystems to be particularly inspiring because they are perpetually covered in mist and clouds and because they are home to a rich diversity of plants.
(Joe: I loved your "Cloud Forest" gallery and encourage everyone reading this to check it out.)

What is your favorite piece of equipment?

My Canon 180mm macro lens. I can always find something to photograph with this lens, whether I’m deep in a jungle or on the streets of New York City.

Do you have a favorite image? If so, what makes it so special?

I do not really have a favorite image. There are many images that I cherish because they remind me of special moments, but those images aren’t always my ‘best’ images or images I would put in my portfolio.

How did you get your start and what advice would you give to someone just starting out?

If you are just starting out, you should be open to critical and constructive feedback. Ask a variety of people to review your portfolio and take their feedback to heart, even if you do not agree with all of it. I also think it’s useful to attend photography presentations (or watch presentations online) from photographers who specialize in different genres of photography.
(Joe: Terrific advice, Gabby!)

Bonus question:

What are your Top 5 "Deserted Island" albums?

  • “Blue” by Joni Mitchell
  • “Buena Vista Social Club” by Buena Vista Social Club
  • “Das Lied von der Erde (The Song of the Earth)” by Gustav Mahler
  • “Graceland” by Paul Simon
  • “Pavarotti: The Greatest Hits” by Luciano Pavarotti

Links:



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