Happy New Year 2012

Ken Lee- "Images I like" My first post of the new year will take you to a web page collected by a photographer who I came across on the Large Format web site. His name is Ken Lee. You may follow the link to his personal work as it is quite good and worth a look. The link is to a site of images he has selected/collected from other photographers both new and old. The site has a number of images which show a wide variety, style and type of images both new and old. The heading of the site is "these I like". These images however were compelling for me as I seek to understand what makes a powerful, compelling image that will connect not only with me but with a broad audience. These images have a sense about them which is hard to ignore. They have risen to the attention of first book editors as well as now this particular photographer/web site editor. He has selected them individually. As I seek to understand what it takes to make profound, compelling images, something more then just snap shots or even interesting photos or well composed graphics, I am fascinated by images such as this. Images that rise up above others and connect with with the human psyche. Images that transport the viewer to another place. Images that have a compelling power and rise to the level of art. I, as as I view these, wonder, did the photographer work intentionally to capture that particular image? Or did they only realize afterward that they had captured and bottled that illusive quality? Did they themselves even realize they had made such a profound image or was it only others later who noticed that the image stood out from the rest as something special. As I struggle with my own work, to re-learn the patience of working with large format film, to make compelling images of my own, I think about these things. Today there is much debate about digital vs. film and other technical aspects of photography. As I work with film and large format cameras again I am reminded the difficulty of and work required to make film images. I have no interest in opening a debate between these two. But I will say working with my large format Sinar has given me a great respect for the photographers of the past who worked with combersome large cameras, film, tripods and managed somehow to get beyond those burdens to craft great works of art. It is so easy to forget a step, to not have the image focused, to forget to pull the dark slide or to just not be able to lug all the gear into position before the light is gone. Int that way digital imagery has diminished the impact of images as they are now so easy to make by comparison. The bar for a compelling image has in effect gone up as the digital equipment available makes the "technical" aspects of photography so much easier. Auto focus, programed exposure modes, etc. etc. all take the burden off of the photographer freeing him or her to concentrate on the "continent" and yet, because it is so much easier we are deluged by millions of images which are average or even above average. Capturing that outstanding or spectacular image, an image that really grabs a you, has become that much harder. Just getting to a unique location was enough in some cases in the past to set you apart. But with small, light, fast, simple digital cameras, good transportation and all weather gear that is no longer much of an obstecal. But when you look at the images in the linked web site you won't see many technological theatrics. They are in some cases very simple. In other cases they are serendipitous. But beyond all else they are compelling at a human level. They show little fear and are not patronizing.