Date Joined: 8 August 2002 Hello My name is Daniel O'Byrne, ÂÂ
The belief that a good photograph is the result of a good camera places the importance upon the equipment rather than upon the photographer. It emphasizes the machine rather than the man, the tool rather than the artist, the technology rather than the artistic intent. It is as if Monet had been told that the reason why his paintings were so beautiful was because he had such good paintbrushes. Or as if Paul Bocuse’s culinary excellence was explained away by his use of superlative pots and pans. Or again if Yo-Yo Ma had been informed that his Stradivarius was solely responsible for the stunning quality of his music.ÂÂ
One can be inspired and have an idea, be very creative in making this idea into a work of art, have developed the required level of craftsmanship, without the outcome of one’s efforts being motivated by the desire to follow a vision for one’s entire body of work. Vision is an overriding envelope that encompasses both inspiration and creativity. It is a blanket that covers the entire artist’s work, a blanket that often comes later in the life of an artist, after one has perfected one’s art and moved beyond the commonplace outcome that most artists have to go through. For this reason I placed vision as the third step of this process. I placed it there not because it comes necessarily at the end of the process but because in life it is often something that artists discover later on.
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Certainly, a master needs a masterful instrument, be it a camera, paintbrushes, pots and pans or a violin, as in my examples, or other tool, since this list can be expanded to include many other professions. But to say that the quality of the art is caused solely by the quality of the instrument is to miss the point altogether about the importance of the artist. It is missing the point about the human factor, about the man or the woman that actually made use of this instrument. After all, art is made by artists and not by tools. Tools are inanimate objects that need someone to set them in motion. And to set a tool in motion so that art is created through the use of this tool, an artist is needed.
I am now retired from working as a Mental Health professional having worked in the Royal Air Force and National Health Service, giving me more time to persue my photography and artwork. I am a Semi Professional Photoghrapher. Here you will find a collection of my photographs and a selection of Digital Art, Traditional Painting and Sketches that I have also used the digital medium to enhance. Please feel free to pass on any comments. My Camera Gear
http://www.renderosity.com/news.php?viewStory=13527 Here you can find my personal website: DIGITALARTZONE Contact me: E-Mail Artwork for sale: My work Tips and tricks: Nature and wildlife Photography Tips and tricks: Bird Photography
Comments (34)
vlaaitje
aaaaaaa such a lovely family....and so cute !!!! I remember when we went here in Holland to the zoo....you too??? They where also so cute and so playful.....perfect depth.....and so clear..well done......enjoy your time out Danny.......I bet you bring a lot supershots back to share with us......hugz xxx
kenwas
Great capture....the whole gang!
MedTran39
Awwwww - absolutely precious!
nattarious
What a shot Daniel.. Man all i can tell you that you are the TOP!! love that family as my lovely Valou mentioned.. The angel/lighting and the quality is amazing.. And yes.. it is your style my friend.. Here is a big 5 from me into your pocket. Smile and have a lovely day my friend.. And oh!! Let them comming please.. I might send you something, on a PM cause i need your advice. Thank you and still waiting ;)
nathalie06
Oh yes, so cute family !!! The cousin of the Marmot ! I've never seen some of this lovely animal, but they are so funny, and very speed too I imagine. Have a very good time in Hollidays Danny, we are waiting for you, and your photographies. Hugs.
claudialee
Wonderful photo. These little guys are so fun to watch. Everything about them is as set up as we humans are (except the one male and 4 female.) Then they'd be like one reliqious sect we have in the States. Any man who thinks he can keep four wives would need to have his head checked immediately if not sooner. LOLOL!!! HUGS!!!
typeitout68
I love the 3-D on this one.. nice warm fuzzy photo
kansas
Cute capture. We've got those little critters in our state.
Hopalong
I see nothing wrong in hunting and eating what is hunted. The best hunters I have known are careful, don't particularly like the "kill", and go very far out of their way not to wound or inflict unnecesssary pain. They are also centrally interested in the preservation of game. Hunters, long before various enviromental and animal rights groups existed, were early interested in preserving wetland, forest, wilderness and like habitat, where game could live free and prosper. They were in the United States, for example, the only group for long decades opposing the systematic depredations of the Army Corps of Engineers, who are responsible for more loss of wild life and the proliferation of suburbs and parking lots, than all the hunters in known history put together. For all that, I despise the mass slaughter of prairie dogs for target practice, and in sheer cruelty, while leaving the carcasses to rot, which now approaches the equally fiendish hunting of the American Bison, which was encouraged by the Railroads and was aimed at extermination of the American Plains Indian and to make room for cattle.
SoulSearcherr
how cute is that..S
babuci
You just updated my animal knowledge. I did not about this little guys. Nice shot and very good info! Thaks!
THEDARKSHADOW
Great shot and compo. It looks a little soft on my monitor, could be my old tired eyes. Well done.
Nath06
Fantastic capture , so cute!!! Bravo :)
Margana
Yes indeedy,they sure do have the cute factor working for them.Thanks for sharing this with us,Danny.-M :^)
RodolfoCiminelli
Fantastic and very opportune shot Daniel....!!! This photo have a very beautiful natural illumination......!!!!
nongo
What a fun bunch of prairie dogs!!! very interesting info about the towns and how big they can be?!!!!! Wow!!!!! thanks danny!!!!!!!
kimariehere
darling capture so cute we have gophers here and everday the big thing on the walk is for my dog to chase and dig them lol....
SophiaDeer
Beautiful shot! I have seen the prairie dogs when I went out to South Dakota.
drifterlee
Adorable!!! I agree with Claudia about the four wives. I hope they do not have four charge cards, LOL!
tmathise
Wonderful capture Danny! This one looks like it may have taken some time and patience to capture! It's a fantastic image my friend! Have a great day buddy!
Zacko
Praire dogs? Wow, for some reason i had imagined them to be alot bigger....and actually resemble a dog and not rats, lol. They are adorable though. And your photo is really beautiful. Have a great day and good luck in the worldcup tonight....youll need it....not...sigh. #:o/
RedundantlyAbundant
Thanks for the very interesting and educational words. Fascinating creatures!
sharky_
Cute little family having fun and out of the hole. Excellent shot. Aloha
GOLDILOCKSUK
The look like they are having fun in the sunlight. A beautiful photo of nature :) Cathy xoxoxo
TwoPynts
The ones I've seen are usually fatter so I'm guessing that these are young? Very cute shot of this prairie pack! =]
zaberc
Nice shot !
evilstoy
Beautiful shot. They look so cute and playful.
Punaguy
Cute little pups, not much meat on em though...nice work here Dan! Aloha!
iaacf
I like them a lot.. I always compare them with the meerkat although they are quite different. This a beautiful and cute image.. very well taken..
ShadowWind
Adorable, you create the best nature shots. You should be working for National Geographic :)