Comments on: Photographs, and the recent lack thereof http://www.dancingwithwords.com/2006/12/28/photographs-or-lack-thereof/ Living the dance, dancing the life. Tue, 13 May 2008 00:20:57 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Dancingwithwords.com - New Photos, New Camera, New Memories http://www.dancingwithwords.com/2006/12/28/photographs-or-lack-thereof/#comment-1967 Dancingwithwords.com - New Photos, New Camera, New Memories Sat, 21 Jul 2007 04:09:06 +0000 http://www.dancingwithwords.com/2006/12/28/photographs-or-lack-thereof/#comment-1967 [...] Earlier, I wrote that photography was beginning to pass me by. I didn’t know if it was disinterest in capturing the memories or a lack of faith in the accuracy of photographing them…but, chicken or egg, I’ve caved in and changed all that. Read on for photos, videos, and info on the new camera. [...] […] Earlier, I wrote that photography was beginning to pass me by. I didn’t know if it was disinterest in capturing the memories or a lack of faith in the accuracy of photographing them…but, chicken or egg, I’ve caved in and changed all that. Read on for photos, videos, and info on the new camera. […]

]]> By: -ben http://www.dancingwithwords.com/2006/12/28/photographs-or-lack-thereof/#comment-1343 -ben Mon, 16 Apr 2007 07:38:41 +0000 http://www.dancingwithwords.com/2006/12/28/photographs-or-lack-thereof/#comment-1343 <i>You also bring up the point that by shooting you actually miss some of the experience. I guess sometimes I’ve felt that way, or at least I just felt that toting a camera would take something away from an activity. But, once again, it’s a balance between what we want in the present, and in what ways we want to hold onto that present. </i> I agree and you here, Jared. I missed many, many awesome "first-time downhills" because I was so busy hunting for the best perspective to capture the experience. The only way to experience it is to climb up the hill / mountain / slope again and ride it without stopping to take a picture, but alas, it is never the same. Riding without a camera gives me a "purer feel" of riding, but when I stumble into a gorgeous picture opportunity, I regret not bringing my camera. For me, at least, I guess it is a matter of being able to live with one's choices. Stay well :-) You also bring up the point that by shooting you actually miss some of the experience. I guess sometimes I’ve felt that way, or at least I just felt that toting a camera would take something away from an activity. But, once again, it’s a balance between what we want in the present, and in what ways we want to hold onto that present.

I agree and you here, Jared. I missed many, many awesome “first-time downhills” because I was so busy hunting for the best perspective to capture the experience. The only way to experience it is to climb up the hill / mountain / slope again and ride it without stopping to take a picture, but alas, it is never the same. Riding without a camera gives me a “purer feel” of riding, but when I stumble into a gorgeous picture opportunity, I regret not bringing my camera. For me, at least, I guess it is a matter of being able to live with one’s choices. Stay well :-)

]]> By: Jared Goralnick http://www.dancingwithwords.com/2006/12/28/photographs-or-lack-thereof/#comment-885 Jared Goralnick Thu, 11 Jan 2007 04:13:39 +0000 http://www.dancingwithwords.com/2006/12/28/photographs-or-lack-thereof/#comment-885 JI: wow, what a powerful image, that your "soul is smoking." And what an analogy to photography, to how we see the world. You may be on to something as to why I also haven't been shooting--that maybe something is clouding my view(finder) and preventing me from wanting to hold onto the memory as much as I should. When I look around at my most photographic friends, people like Chris and KH, I see the way they enjoy life in their pictures. And I know how real that is from their personas. (I wonder if there's a correlation between our moods and not just the type of photography we take but its quantity...) As for my life of late, you're as good a judge as any as to how much light I've allowed in... But I hope you can let that in--that the smoke can pass. Some of those pictures from this summer stand out in my memory and I know it was good that there was a camera then...but yes it's been few and far in between. I believe this will pass for you, maybe you just need another puppy... JI: wow, what a powerful image, that your “soul is smoking.” And what an analogy to photography, to how we see the world.

You may be on to something as to why I also haven’t been shooting–that maybe something is clouding my view(finder) and preventing me from wanting to hold onto the memory as much as I should.

When I look around at my most photographic friends, people like Chris and KH, I see the way they enjoy life in their pictures. And I know how real that is from their personas. (I wonder if there’s a correlation between our moods and not just the type of photography we take but its quantity…) As for my life of late, you’re as good a judge as any as to how much light I’ve allowed in…

But I hope you can let that in–that the smoke can pass. Some of those pictures from this summer stand out in my memory and I know it was good that there was a camera then…but yes it’s been few and far in between. I believe this will pass for you, maybe you just need another puppy…

]]> By: Jared Goralnick http://www.dancingwithwords.com/2006/12/28/photographs-or-lack-thereof/#comment-884 Jared Goralnick Thu, 11 Jan 2007 04:00:06 +0000 http://www.dancingwithwords.com/2006/12/28/photographs-or-lack-thereof/#comment-884 Chris: so here you are, the professional photographer, and you're telling me it doesn't matter whether or not I shoot? I think you're just trying to snuff out another competitor... Really though, I think I have two questions about my taking less photos: 1. Will I have as much of the memory to hold onto if I don't shoot it? 2. Will I remain as sensitive to the beauty around me if I never allow myself (to even consider) the perspective of a lens? <ol></ol> I'm not so sure I know the answer to number 2. But I'm afraid that while both photographs and memories fade, they fade very differently. And sometimes it's nice to have something remaining in 20:20...even if it wasn't so 20:20 at the time. You also bring up the point that by shooting you actually <em>miss</em> some of the experience. I guess sometimes I've felt that way, or at least I just felt that toting a camera would take something away from an activity. But, once again, it's a balance between what we want in the present, and in what ways we want to hold onto that present. You're right that we don't need to hold onto it all, and I appreciate your arguments as such...but given what you've chosen as your own path, I have trouble accepting that it's completely okay that I let so many opportunities slip past me. I think I need to change my approach here. Chris: so here you are, the professional photographer, and you’re telling me it doesn’t matter whether or not I shoot? I think you’re just trying to snuff out another competitor…

Really though, I think I have two questions about my taking less photos:

1. Will I have as much of the memory to hold onto if I don’t shoot it?
2. Will I remain as sensitive to the beauty around me if I never allow myself (to even consider) the perspective of a lens?

    I’m not so sure I know the answer to number 2. But I’m afraid that while both photographs and memories fade, they fade very differently. And sometimes it’s nice to have something remaining in 20:20…even if it wasn’t so 20:20 at the time.

    You also bring up the point that by shooting you actually miss some of the experience. I guess sometimes I’ve felt that way, or at least I just felt that toting a camera would take something away from an activity. But, once again, it’s a balance between what we want in the present, and in what ways we want to hold onto that present. You’re right that we don’t need to hold onto it all, and I appreciate your arguments as such…but given what you’ve chosen as your own path, I have trouble accepting that it’s completely okay that I let so many opportunities slip past me. I think I need to change my approach here.

    ]]>         By: Chris http://www.dancingwithwords.com/2006/12/28/photographs-or-lack-thereof/#comment-877 Chris Tue, 09 Jan 2007 03:30:05 +0000 http://www.dancingwithwords.com/2006/12/28/photographs-or-lack-thereof/#comment-877 Another thought to consider: You have those wonderful experiences and the feelings that you get from them and you take those with you whether or not you captured the moment in a photo. The photo is just a physical manifestation of the moment which, although has passed, you still keep in your mind and heart. So not having a picture of something doesn't devalue or negate the experience. Another thought to consider:

    You have those wonderful experiences and the feelings that you get from them and you take those with you whether or not you captured the moment in a photo. The photo is just a physical manifestation of the moment which, although has passed, you still keep in your mind and heart.

    So not having a picture of something doesn’t devalue or negate the experience.

    ]]>         By: JI http://www.dancingwithwords.com/2006/12/28/photographs-or-lack-thereof/#comment-855 JI Wed, 03 Jan 2007 20:17:57 +0000 http://www.dancingwithwords.com/2006/12/28/photographs-or-lack-thereof/#comment-855 I was talking with an older friend several weeks ago, and she was telling me that her husband had recently quit smoking, and that as a result he was suddenly raving about how wonderfully tasty food is. As I was reading your thoughts on photography, this thought about smoking immediately came to mind. Much like you, I used to be passionate about photography. I won contests in high school (and freshman year of college, too), and my parents had to pull out their parental bullying powers to prevent me from going to Arts school. Sometime while I was in college, though, I lost the passion. I stopped bringing my camera with me everywhere. The world somehow started to look different. I missed it being beautiful and I missed having that excitement, but unlike you, I was never able to really describe to loss or even discuss why the sparkle had faded so much. Sometimes I feel like my soul is smoking… that there is something else there dulling my senses. It’s nothing I’m doing intentionally, or maybe it’s just growing up and letting life get to me… or just letting the foolishness of my youth go… who knows? But I feel like the world isn’t as beautiful as it was before. In a way, I hope that my soul will one day quit smoking and that I will really be able to taste the world again. Over the last few years, only a few times has there been an incredible moment, a brief spark that I would have wanted to capture, but I hadn’t even brought my camera. Most of the time I don’t even use it when I do bother to bring it. In many ways, this is very sad… but I haven’t figured it all out yet either. I was talking with an older friend several weeks ago, and she was telling me that her husband had recently quit smoking, and that as a result he was suddenly raving about how wonderfully tasty food is. As I was reading your thoughts on photography, this thought about smoking immediately came to mind. Much like you, I used to be passionate about photography. I won contests in high school (and freshman year of college, too), and my parents had to pull out their parental bullying powers to prevent me from going to Arts school. Sometime while I was in college, though, I lost the passion. I stopped bringing my camera with me everywhere. The world somehow started to look different. I missed it being beautiful and I missed having that excitement, but unlike you, I was never able to really describe to loss or even discuss why the sparkle had faded so much.

    Sometimes I feel like my soul is smoking… that there is something else there dulling my senses. It’s nothing I’m doing intentionally, or maybe it’s just growing up and letting life get to me… or just letting the foolishness of my youth go… who knows? But I feel like the world isn’t as beautiful as it was before. In a way, I hope that my soul will one day quit smoking and that I will really be able to taste the world again. Over the last few years, only a few times has there been an incredible moment, a brief spark that I would have wanted to capture, but I hadn’t even brought my camera. Most of the time I don’t even use it when I do bother to bring it. In many ways, this is very sad… but I haven’t figured it all out yet either.

    ]]>         By: Chris http://www.dancingwithwords.com/2006/12/28/photographs-or-lack-thereof/#comment-837 Chris Sun, 31 Dec 2006 22:55:54 +0000 http://www.dancingwithwords.com/2006/12/28/photographs-or-lack-thereof/#comment-837 Hmm..interesting...provocative even, but ... I don't think you should view your lack of recording an event as being the cause (or reason?) for you not valuing said event. In other words, you don't not like the person/place/thing after you didn't take a picture of it. I'm kinda the same way, I love having images to reminisce the past with, but often than not I'm too lazy to bring my camera along or be bothered to stop eating my buger at a bbq to snap some pictures or whatever. I think I went through a phase of taking many pictures and then realized that I was missing the real thing because I was looking through the viewfinder so much. Even though they're the same exact photons of light, the fact that there was a lens between it and my eye made me feel like I wasn't fully there. So i put the camera down and jumped into the pictures. Hmm..interesting…provocative even, but … I don’t think you should view your lack of recording an event as being the cause (or reason?) for you not valuing said event. In other words, you don’t not like the person/place/thing after you didn’t take a picture of it.

    I’m kinda the same way, I love having images to reminisce the past with, but often than not I’m too lazy to bring my camera along or be bothered to stop eating my buger at a bbq to snap some pictures or whatever.

    I think I went through a phase of taking many pictures and then realized that I was missing the real thing because I was looking through the viewfinder so much. Even though they’re the same exact photons of light, the fact that there was a lens between it and my eye made me feel like I wasn’t fully there. So i put the camera down and jumped into the pictures.

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