Quit trying to find beautiful objects to photograph. Find the ordinary objects so you can transform it by photographing it.
-Morley Baer
-Morley Baer
This quote by Morley Baer really sums up to me the essence of photographing. So often we want to go someplace exciting or exotic to get 'great shots'. Those photographers that have most amazed me are those that can take everyday objects or routine settings and transform them into something special and, in the process, allow us to see them in a new way.
2 comments:
I attended a Friends of Photography workshop some years ago; one of the "instructors" was Morley Baer. And I remember him saying much the same thing as quoted.
On the other hand, I have one of his books (The Wilder Shore). Paging through it one can't help but notice that virtually all of the photographs are of, yes, beautiful objects.
Didn't Edward Weston say in one of his daybooks something to the effect of (this is a poor paraphrase); "subject means nothing--you can photograph a doormat and realize true beauty." Morley always paid homage to EW, and I think in the end the thought is this: if your print can realize strong shape to hold it's tones together, and the tones are well demonstrated, you have a beautiful print. Case in point: EW's last print: 1948 "Rocks and Pebbles." This is the most ordinary collection of rocks in the sand one can imagine, but their competing positions in that sand, and the beauty of the tones make for a superlative print!! Refer to Morley's last portfolio; same kinds of things--abstract material joined together by shape and tone. So, to put it a different way, this is pure anti-Ansel: shape and tone overcome subject every time! Regards, B.
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