A Lesser Photographer

Be Honest, Not Truthful

Mon, 21 May 2012 08:56:02 -0500

Photography may be at its most powerful when it tells a story. But is that story more powerful when it’s a truthful story? I think that’s a false pursuit.

Erin Feldman, of Write Right, quoted Jason Fried recently on Twitter from his Inc. column:

“It’s not about telling a story. It’s about telling a true story well.”

He’s talking about business writing, but a story is a story. And the truth is, in storytelling, there is no truth.

Art is the perception of an artist, usually objectified. That perception will not be the perception of the viewer. The more unique the art/artist, the further from the viewer’s perception the story will be; no matter how honest the artist is to their own vision. The story is not truthful. But that doesn’t mean it can’t reveal truth.

What’s required is vigilance in the consumer of art to either seek what’s real or decide not to seek what’s real and just enjoy the art for art’s sake.

Seth Godin had his own take on this today that may state it better than anyone:

“There’s no such thing as a true story.”

Pass It Along

Mon, 14 May 2012 03:01:27 -0500

Often, the best way to learn more about something you’ve been practicing for years, is to teach it to someone else.

Most of us have something we’ve learned about photography that’s unique. A lot of us have blogs. Putting the two together could make photography a lot better.

Site Updates

Tue, 08 May 2012 03:01:00 -0500

Just a quick note about some changes around here:

Essays: After blogging daily for a little while, I think there’s a lot more value in the way I was doing things before: putting much more thought and time into the posts (no more daily blurbs - there’s too many blogs like that already and you deserve more consideration for your time).
Exclusives for Newsletter Subscribers: The links, news, podcasts and quotes normally posted here daily will be available exclusively for the weekly newsletter subscribers. I love the subscribers! Become one.
No More Tumblr: This blog will be leaving Tumblr soon (none of your links/bookmarks will change - I’m just changing hosts), so if you subscribe through Tumblr, please subscribe to the RSS (or, even better, the newsletter).

Mikes on Mics Podcast

Mon, 07 May 2012 06:34:00 -0500

I recently went on the Mikes on Mics podcast to debate this article I wrote about productivity for creatives. The podcast came out today, so download it here and join the debate (you’ll recognize a lot of my arguments come from the manifesto).

A note for after listening: Seth Godin confirmed by email I was right about him (so there)!

"I only really shoot family photos."

Fri, 04 May 2012 03:01:11 -0500

My inbox is filled with email that includes some variation on the quote above. Honestly, I can’t imagine a more important subject.

Go Ahead and Buy Expensive Gear

Thu, 03 May 2012 03:02:00 -0500

Constraints breed creativity. But what if the constraint that happens to bring out your creativity is a film camera? A $4500 film camera? That’s what happened to street photographer Eric Kim. He knew film gave him a creative edge over digital. That was his constraint. He also wanted a camera that would last a lifetime, so he invested in Leica. No more upgrading every 2 years; one camera, one lens for an entire life.

This is an odd corner of minimalism, best referred to by Patrick Rhone as Final Choices (also check out Sensible Defaults by Jamie Phelps). The basic idea is that instead of buying lots of mediocre stuff (as we usually do) and replacing that stuff every so often, it’s better to buy one thing that’s the very best and longest lasting.

Lesser Photography concerns itself much more with creative constraints than financial constraints, so if film really does help boost your creativity more than anything, by all means get the life-long investment. Of course, most people would probably get even more of a creative boost out of a Holga and a trip to Hawaii.

Update: Some missed the message of this piece, which is probably my fault. To clarify: re-read the last sentence over and over until the point sinks in, because it’s dead-on accurate.

"How Digital Photography School Became a Multimillion Dollar Online Business"

Wed, 02 May 2012 02:34:55 -0500

Just in case you wanted to know how these things work:

“People in the blogging and online marketing world know Darren Rowse from Problogger. Many, however, don’t realize that Problogger is an industry sideline where Darren shares what he learns from his primary business, which is the multimillion dollar web venture Digital Photography School.”

On the Right Track

Tue, 01 May 2012 03:03:02 -0500

I looked up the definition of art today:

“Art: the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination.”

And I was so ready to read about cloud services, “glass” and going pro.

What Film Does that Digital Can't

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 03:02:01 -0500

Lesser photography doesn’t necessarily mean analogue photography, it just means finding ways to boost your creativity by recognizing the power of constraints, editing and storytelling.

For some photographers, that means choosing film over pixels. Why? There are still some things film does better, while remaining a constraint.

There are obvious technical differences that makes film a great choice for long exposures and easy panoramics, but more intriguing are the differences that affect more than can be measured.

Eric Kim recently wrote about why he switched over to film for his street photography projects (via Mike McKniff). He noticed that not focusing on individual images in a monitor helped him concentrate on the story he was trying to compose. He could also refuse to delete an image when asked, because it wasn’t possible. His camera doesn’t need to be upgraded every few years - in fact, it will last the rest of his life. But over all, he reports a sense of mindfulness that comes from the process of telling the story and developing the images by hand that seems missing from digital.

Mahesh Venkitachalam wrote about why he’s a better digital photographer, because of his slide film use (via Peter Wingard). Slide film is an unforgiving mental boot camp that forces you to consider everything you know about exposure and composition before every click of the shutter. You can’t hide the holes in your photography education when using slide film. It’s a learning process that can’t be taught any other way.

One more thing digital can’t do: be archived.

Freedom Is..

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 03:01:03 -0500

The best books get you to rethink your approach to life, career, country…you name it. Hugh MacLeod’s first book Ignore Everybody was just such a book for me back in 2009. It was the kick in the ass every creativity-driven person deserves at least once.

Today, his newest book, Freedom Is Blogging in Your Underwear, was waiting for me on top of my mailbox. I tore through it in no time. It’s an ode to the platform that brought him fame, fortune, freedom and family (in more ways than one).

There’s something here for photographers to learn. As a group, photographers have been quick to reject the blog as a platform, opting for online galleries, portfolios and sharing services. None of these options helps to tell a story quite like a blog can. None of these options builds an audience like a blog can.

There’s a freedom that comes with being able to fully tell a story and owning your platform. Blogging is due for a resurgence; but only among the smartest of photographers.

Specializing in Mediocrity

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 03:02:46 -0500

The latest excuse I’ve heard from “advanced amateurs” to justify buying expensive equipment and ignoring creativity is “I specialize.”

Wow! Just like a pro (only without those pesky clients and market forces).

I understand the attraction of confining yourself to a niche of photographing dung beetles or retro bottle caps exclusively. It’s comforting. You get to call yourself an expert. When you start ordering all kinds of macro equipment for your beetles…that’s when you lose me (and trap yourself in your niche).

Is there anything less artistic than comfort? Is there a quicker way to kill creativity?

Tell your story. Then, move on to the next story. There will always be something more interesting to photograph.

Priorities

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 03:01:36 -0500

If you know the difference between the Canon 5D Mark III and the Nikon D4, and you’re not a pro…what exactly do you consider a good use of your time?

OK, that was a bit harsh. But when I was a spec monkey, it never occurred to me that every minute I spent reading camera reviews was a minute not spent creating something. Cumulatively, I lost years.

Let my lack of priorities amount to something. Get out and shoot.

Can a Story Be Told with a Single Image?

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 03:01:01 -0500

Sure it can. But would it be as compelling as a story with a handful of carefully chosen photos combined with words?

Of course, an iconic image demands attention and, often, a backstory. But such an image is rare, even for legendary photographers.

The real question should be: why do we set ourselves up, by default, to tell single image stories?

Great Minds

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 03:01:14 -0500

Eleanor Roosevelt:

“Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people.”

This quote has been a great inspiration in determining what I choose to read about on photography blogs these days. Of course, I often replace the word “people” with “things” whenever a Nikon vs. Canon debate crops up.

No Photographer Has Arrived

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 03:02:03 -0500

Before taking any advice from a photography blog (including this one), magazine, book or workshop, it helps to remember:

No photographer has arrived. It’s all a journey and everyone needs to get better.

I’ve never met an “expert” that wasn’t dead wrong about something. I’ve never met an “amateur” who couldn’t teach me something.

An All-Text Photo Site?

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 03:01:00 -0500

Every once in a while, I get email about why I don’t plaster this site with my photos. After the TWiP episode, I got a few more. Here’s the lowdown:

This site first started as a way to document my lesser photography experiment and I published the photos from that experiment frequently (check the archives). But as the site matured, I wanted it to be about ideas and your photos, not a showcase for mine.

I even considered creating a Flickr group for us all, but this didn’t stand up to the philosophy I was preaching. After all, Flickr groups don’t allow for much in the way of storytelling.

So, for now anyway, I think the solution is to call attention to your stories - your blogs. This book is about to come out, singing the praises of the blog and I couldn’t agree more. It’s the best place we’ve devised yet to tell a good story, using a variety of media. Post your links below or send them in for the newsletter. I’d love to see what stories you’re itching to tell.

Mikes on Mics (Part 1)

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 03:01:21 -0500

I was on a recent episode of Mikes on Mics (download it here) getting acquainted and talking about Mac-related issues. Consider it prep for an episode that debuts a few weeks, in which I get in an hour-long, knockdown, drag out debate over the issue of productivity for creatives (which I wrote about on another blog).

There’s not a lot of photography-specific content involved, but it’s a great chance to get to know the two Mikes, who I read/listen to daily. Although we fight, we only do it because we love…and have a few drinks while recording.

Everyone with a camera thinks they're a photographer

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 03:00:34 -0500

Right?!

Well, what if they are? What if how you measure skill and success in photography is of no importance to the majority of photographers, or viewers for that matter? What if it has nothing to do with money earned, equipment used or the set of rules we’ve all agreed on?

If you photograph, you are, by definition, a photographer. The definition of a successful photographer isn’t as clear.

The Pros Vs The Storytellers 2012 Edition

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 03:01:00 -0500

The 2012 National Magazine Award Finalists have been announced. I see the usual suspects for photography honors: National Geographic, New York Times Magazine, Harpers and TIME.

What I don’t see on the list: Popular Photography, Outdoor Photographer, Shutterbug, Photo Techniques, JPG, Aperture, etc., etc.

It seems real stories still matter.

This Week in Photo

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 23:53:17 -0500

Big thanks to Frederick Van Johnson for going against the grain, embracing lesser photography and having me on the latest episode of This Week in Photo. Download the episode here.

For listeners of TWIP, you can download the Lesser Photographer manifesto here and please consider signing up for the newsletter, so we can keep in touch. If you’re on Twitter, I’m all over that as well.

I’ve been a listener for years, often disagreeing on this blog with many of the guests. Frederick shows some guts for having me on and I’m grateful.