"No one needs to tell you you're in love, you just know it, through and through."
The Oracle - The Matrix
{First, I've included a quote in my post, thats pretty amazing right? Alyssa and Nicole have obviously had some influence on me! It is from The Matrix though so don't worry, I haven't gone too mushy on you and it's relevant, honest.}
I've been thinking about my photos for a while now - why I take them - why I enjoy it...
why I can't stop.
The best way to describe it is - it's like I'm searching for something - I'm constantly looking around, searching for 'it'. Sometimes when I take a picture, I know deep in my chest that I've found it - with a simple click, it's there, locked onto a negative and I know it's going to be amazing. The two photos above, taken in Leeds, are perfect example of that - as soon as I took them I knew they were going to be beautiful... and they were. Everytime I look at them I feel happy.
Sometimes I don't find it - there's a click but I know it's not right - and I'm happy with that too... I get the results, I look at the photo, learn from them, think 'right thats fine'. I appreciate them for what they are and leave them, it wasn't there, I could tell. Above are another two examples of that from around Norwich with my Mum... Normally I wouldn't even share these ones on here.
However, one photo has thrown me... I took it and knew it was amazing... I felt it. The framing was right, the focus was right... I went all the way to Manchester to take this one photo. I could feel it.
But when it was developed... my heart sank... it wasn't right, something was missing - it was there, I could still feel it - but I couldn't quite see it. So I did something that I rarely do with my film photos - I edited it.
For some reason editing my film photos riles me up. I love photoshop, don't get me wrong, I used it for years at University to create visuals and edit my work and I'm more than happy to edit any digital photos I take. Thinking about it, I'm not sure if this distaste for edited film photos is my stigma - or perhaps one I've gained from the internet over the paste couple of years.
Either way, I tried to leave it - to accept it as a loss - but I couldn't. Something was nagging me, a part of me was not happy and hadn't finished searching... and it needed to find it.
Two simple steps - desaturate, adjust brightness/contrast... and there it is.
Can you see it?
I can! Its beautiful, it makes my heart skip... I knew it was there and in two simple steps, there it was. This one photo has completely changed my mind about editing film photos and made me so much more aware of my photography process. It's amazing how one just photo can do that...
I can! Its beautiful, it makes my heart skip... I knew it was there and in two simple steps, there it was. This one photo has completely changed my mind about editing film photos and made me so much more aware of my photography process. It's amazing how one just photo can do that...
To me, each photo I take is like falling in love - you're constantly search for it - everywhere you go - even if you aren't aware that you are... sometimes you can't see it, sometimes you find it in one step, sometimes you have to work a bit harder, perhaps challenge your preconceptions and break some of your own rules... but just like love - no one can tell you when you've found that perfect photo, you just know it... through and through!
p.s. Each photo in my shop has it! Thats why they are there... and this ones going in too! It took me a while to get past the editing film issue - but this photo is still mine - a part of my process and it was taken with film - it just needed a little more love than the others to reach its full potential :) and I'm fine with that. I hope you are too.
p.p.s. I told you it was a relevant quote - though I perhaps lied about the not being mushy...
Interesting that you have such an aversion to editing film photos in photoshop - on the one hand I understand, but I also see it as an extension of the darkroom. Most of us aren't lucky enough to have regular access to a darkroom to develop our photos and we are somehow at the "will" of the developer. Editing in p/s (or elsewhere) can perhaps give you back that control. Maybe?
ReplyDeleteThat's true about the developer and I can definitely understand it as an extension to the process, I think it's more that I want to get a photo perfect in just that one step.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great post! You've summed up exactly how I feel but you've articulated it way better than I ever could. Very nicely said! Love the photos too!
ReplyDeleteim just smiling. this post is awesome in every single way. and that photo... literally made my heart skip when i saw it. the lights!! the angle, oh my everything is gorgeous:) you're just perfect my little lady!
ReplyDeleteI do like the helta skelta (I like the greyscale but...I *think* I like the red one better!) I have similar aversion to photoshop. I don't own photoshop, have never used it, and have wanted a copy for years - recently my OH asked if I wanted it for Valentine's Day and now I don't know whether to say yes or not! I worry that I will quickly become a PS junkie :-)
ReplyDelete@hey harriet thank you, I was hoping people would understand the feeling!
ReplyDelete@nicole yeay for heart skips :)
@Quasi Serendipita I love that you prefer the red. knowing when to stop is definitely a problem I have with photoshop.
Beautiful... I too hate to use photoshop to much but I am lucky to have my own darkroom (make shift) and able to do quite a bit of manipulting in there...
ReplyDeleteLoved this post - as someone who practically lives behind a camera as well, I can completely relate! The feeling you get when you see something and just FEEL it...you have to snap! Sometimes I'm caught without my camera (I know! Gasp!), and all I can do is say, "That would have been a great picture. So would that. And that." lol
ReplyDeletethis post made me smile - and i esp. love the quote at the top!
ReplyDeletehappy friday, friend!!
I know how you feel about photoshop. I used to have this aversion to photoshop when I first started out, but after working in the darkroom for some time I really see it as allowing the artist to have more control over a work. From something as small as getting rid of dust and scratches, to adjusting contrast it is all part of it. I often find a photo that I love but want to get a more soft feel so I adjust the colours a bit. The most important thing is the message, what am I trying to say, and how can I make this image say something in the most powerful way. It doesn't always work, and it doesnt mean I endorse crazy photoshopping, I'm just in between. Trying to make my photos work for me. It's very satisfying.
ReplyDelete@marisa I dream of a dark room. p.s. eee, puppy!
ReplyDelete@Ashley that happens to me all the time too - or I'm stuck with my phone camera that doesnt always capture it properly!
@Illy I love that quote too and Happy friday lovely!
@sundari Its so satisfying! I agree with you though, I'm somewhere in the middle now...
I just love your passion!! I am by no means a photographer - not even close! But when I read your posts and see your talent and love for your art - it makes me excited about cameras and photography too :)
ReplyDeleteOh my, I see what you mean about it being a near identical photo! Great minds think alike, eh?!
ReplyDeleteAlso, these particular helter skelters are quite ubiquitous - I saw an identical one in Glasgow over Christmas!
Do you like the red scale film? I struggle with it myself, it seems difficult to get right.
Xx
such a good post, the way you wrote is like a story and made it even more effective when we (well, I!) agreed with you! I still think the other red shot is my favourite (T's one) but the helter skelter is sooo pretty
ReplyDeleteAND! you is now first result when you search fortheeasilydistracted on google! youre going up!
The black and white version looks great, you did a good editing job. AND the top left one is probably my fave photo of yours EVER. It's so so so good!
ReplyDeletewith my film photography i would tweek things afterwards time and time again to find the right one, the one that showed what I saw. Digital isn't any different. I do those things that I did in the darkroom; contrast, saturation, brightness. I see no problem in it - and if it changes that photo into the one that i saw in my heart, the one the describes that feeling, well does it relly matter? Using the computer is in art too :)
ReplyDeleteI don't know much about editing, but I do know that the photo you posted is simply beautiful!
ReplyDelete@marz I love that I make you excited abotu camaras too :)
ReplyDelete@redboots great minds definitely think alike! I quite liked the red scale, it was hit and miss but when it was right it looked amazing. it really just makes me want to venture into black and white film though!
@G none of these are T's on here :) so you prefer one of mine haha. and YES thats so exciting!
@andrea I love that top one too - I'm thinking it might go in the shop?
@Carrie using a computer is definitely an art I agree and I always love what other people can do. But I know how to edit etc... What I love is that taking a great photo in just one step is a challenge!
@Meghan thank you :)
Rhianne, what an amazing post. You revealed so much of you in these words and pictures - thank you.
ReplyDeleteYour photos are so stunning.
xx
PS: sorry that sounded so mushy!
@cassie thank you :) I'll be honest, I've quite enjoyed a little bit of mushy on here lately lol.
ReplyDelete