On Abstracts

13 Sept 2024

I am captivated by textures, how each element is repeated and varied until we have the whole. While sometimes a photographic technique creates the transformation, nearly all of my photographs are special only to me. Thankfully, there are a few that I believe are successful in communicating something more to others because they are approaching a compelling abstract

I argue that abstraction is when the subject of a photograph is not the literal object shown and more than representational metaphor. At first glance, this may seem like an obvious statement, but in practice few ‘abstract’ photographs accomplish this. Without subject beyond the literal object, we’ve only created a pattern. An abstract is not about getting in close and eliminating context, that is merely adding an abstracted quality.

“Abstracting so far from the particular that the scene is of everywhere and nowhere, and thus is boring, worth just a glance” – Robert Adams

Without enough information, the mind wants to solve the puzzle presented by the image. So what is left after the mystery is solved? How much fun can be had by re-reading Where’s Waldo over and over? In a fast paced attention demanding environment, such as Instagram, that may be all we need to strive for. The audience spends a fraction of a moment before scrolling on, enough to solve the puzzle, and rarely will return

We have to transform the scene before us without it becoming devoid of meaning or failing to invoke an emotional response. The audience brings their memories and expectations of the world into the experience of interacting with our photography. This engagement is what breathes life into our photographs. I cannot imagine higher praise for the work that I wish to create

“So help me find opportunities which offer friends unclosed photographs which will present them a chance to close circles out of their roundness” – Minor White

Can We Be Better?

7 July 2024

When we look at a negative, how do we know what it can become? When do we realize what more it can be? And somewhere in the process of creating a photograph an inevitable question arises: when do we call it done?

Photography offers us the unique situation of revisiting and refining, sometimes even reinterpreting, our work. Imagine a painter taking a work back because they would like to change the color scheme! As photographers we have the ability to approach each print with different ideas and goals. Yet, amidst this flexibility lies a challenge – we are not unlimited. We do not have enough time to explore every permutation and combination of photographic techniques for every photograph.

I printed Bird Dog Spider to a point that I was satisfied with given my technical abilities and enthusiasm. I had raised the lens during capture so that the rocks would better portray the sense of looming weight, but this placed the spider in the center of the lens circle. I had not given enough thought to my technique and as a consequence I had deemphasized essential story elements in the frame. During printing, I became too fixated on bringing the eye back to the spider. I was overly concerned with keeping the print light enough to contrast the spider against the sand. The print was good, I showed it to some friends who thought that it was good to exhibit.

It’s a fun feeling walking into a show and seeing two generations of Westons discussing your image, hands moving in the air to spatially describe their words of critique and opportunities for refinement. What those exact words were I will never know, I was greeted by friends before I could get across the room. I would never trade away those hugs.

I contemplated on what I could do to bring this image to a higher tier: more contrast and switching from semi-gloss to glossy papers, this is a dramatic image afterall. How can I better define the spider, split contrast burning? There is a gap between my technical abilities and where I want this photo to go. These considerations expanded the image’s potential, but also highlighted a gap between my current skill set and realizing what this image could be. How can I identify what I need to learn other than a generic ‘get better?’ I am privileged enough to be able to ask for help.

I had seen Zach talk with his dad about my images and I know that there’s so much for me to learn. I am immensely grateful to Zach for helping me learn how to bridge some of the gaps in my ability and for techniques that save time on the early stages of getting a print in the ballpark of where it should be. There was no magic, but simple approaches applied by a mind that could see more potential than I. A fresh mind that saw more story than the spider and eyes that have seen how to apply technical methods in their right places. That experience helped me to see better ways of combining the tools and controls at my disposal to create images that better communicate my goals. I am always interested in how others approach their task, it sets the stage for the outcome, and I find that viewing the end result is too detached from the problems addressed along the way. And that fixating on one aspect, no matter how important it may initially seem, should not place immovable guardrails on creatively playing with an image.

Viewing the two prints next to each other is startling to me. How could I have ever accepted the first as good enough? Well, without comparison it is easy to accept and move on. I am concerned that without the experience of mentors who have meticulously worked in traditional darkrooms, identifying our experience gaps will become increasingly difficult. Eventually we may  begin settling for analog photographs that are only good enough or passable. Then again, they figured out how to have high standards before, and we have the internet now for us to learn from too.

I had the privilege to ask Roman Lorance what advice he would give for our generation of photographers. ‘Do the work’ Lorance advised, a simple directive that speaks of the discipline and dedication required to bridge the gap between good enough and exceptional. As we navigate our paths, whether in the simplicity of a small darkroom or the vast expanse of digital tools, we must do the work to create each iteration to compare and learn from. It’s through these experiences that we grow, evolving our craft to not just capture images, but stories and emotions that resonate deeply with our audience. It’s a continual journey of exploration and refinement that brings us closer to that elusive moment when we say confidently, ‘this is it.’

Until we change our mind