Attached Link: http://www.photo.net/mjohnston/column55/

I really enjoy this mans writings, even if I don't always agree with everything he says. I thought I post the link here with some of my own thoughts on it..... it may be an interesting discussion, if anyone cares to participate. The article linked above was one that really made me think about what my purpose is as a photographer and why I shoot the things I shoot. Then I began to think some more. Most of you who know me that I'm going to school for a fine arts degree and that my concentration is in photography. One of the things that I'm being taught, is that for every image or group of shots you take there must be a reason.... I can't say to my teacher, Oh I just thought it was pretty.... this can be rather frustrating, because sometimes that really is the reason.... but that is not what they want to hear, there has to be an intelligent thought behind the subject matter that you chose to shoot, and you have to be able to coherently explain all of this to a group of people. You *must* be able to talk about your work. Some of what he said I could really understand.... as much as I love flowers, sunsets, landscapes, sometimes I'm just all flowered out, sunsetted out, landscaped out.... I find myself saying "beautiful!" over and over again.... even though I wish I could say more, I just can't..... I spent the last few days really looking at the body of my work and some of the most recent things I've shot, and I really began to analyze it.... I felt annoyed with myself, because quite honestly alot of it was just pretty, not amazing, nothing to say, no thought behind it..... but I enjoyed having the camera in my hand and taking the shot when I did it.... Was that enough? Should I just forget about trying to become a photographic artist..... I swear it was enough to make me depressed.... and I'm still driving myself crazy, reading and re-reading this article... Sometimes I think, that maybe I think too much.... Enough of me blathering.... If you have any thoughts, leave them here....

I am, therefore I create.......
--- michelleamarante.com