November 9, 2014


When we label things we set a barrier between us and our subject.

In some ways by labeling we have already convinced ourselves what the subject is about and how we are going to take a photo of it. This way of seeing rarely allows for serendipity to happen. We have narrowed our field of interest and limited our ability to understand our subject on a more open personal level.

These types of images are boring because we have framed our subject though a narrow window in our minds and haven't opened ourselves to the infinite ways any subject can be photographed.

I feel a lot of this quick and easy labeling happens because people are caught up in time constraints.  They have other things nagging at them to be done so they hurry up and get this picture opportunity done with and then move on.  When you do this kind of image taking you lose moments of potential clarity and when you see the results of your quick paced shooting you have a nagging feeling of what ifs. What if I would have relaxed and slowed down and thought more about what I was seeing and feeling.  You now see the potential you had in front of you and what you have lost by not connecting your focus with your subject.

In order to create an image with purpose we must tape the mouth of ego shut.  Move away from social media's obsessive distractions and get on with your life.  We have to stop living a life through a mechanical screen that dulls us to living our real life.

The Internet bombards us with so much useless information, it overwhelms our ability to focus on the important things in life.  Don't be tethered to an electrical socket of information. Jumping from one topic to the next.  Let go of the need for speed.  Slow down adjust your life for a new path. One of calm nerves and clear thinking that will enhance your image making.  Let go of your anxious brain when you approach your subject.  Don't over analyze the scene.  Don't give yourself a time limit to shoot.  Take your time to explore the light enveloping your subject revealing to you more and more its true nature.  Dig deeper into the subject, exploring it from different angles.  Listen to your subject, it is telling you its nature.  Once you have done this now you can compose your image through a deeper awareness of your subject because you took the time to interact with it and didn't allow external voices to compromise your perception of your subject.

Fredrick Franck , " By these labels we recognize everything, and no longer see anything. We know the labels on the bottles, but never taste the wine."