Or, Are You a Photographer or a Copy Cat
Over the years, even decades, Arnie and I have given many seminars on creativity or what we call in our workshops, “seeking your own vision.”
So, when one of our alumnae e-mailed me and asked if I would treat this subject in a blog, it tied right into our philosophy.
Many of you out there have taught, instructed, mentored, etc. Think back to school days. If a teacher found a paper that was a rip-off of someone else’s work, say John Steinbeck’s, he/she would have lectured the class on plagarism. In photography and other art forms, it is called copyright infringement.
That may sound harsh, but copying someone else’s work should never be considered either creative or ethical.
There is much work out there, however, that can serve as great inspiration. What about Ernst Haas’ famous photograph of the matador with his swirling red cape? His use of a slow shutter speed to indicate motion was a pretty new concept in photography when he first did it.
Are Arnie and I going to go out and try to replicate that shot? Absolutely not, but we can gain inspiration from his technique as I did last night photographing a young skater practicing her spins on a hotel rink in Las Vegas.
There are many iconic scenes in this world, but so many people have seen the same-old, same-old shot and want to do “theirs.” As Arnie and I say, “Buy the postcard.”
Instead, seek inspiration from how you feel about the scene, seek your own vision, and make an image that is uniquely yours. Tell your own story.
There is a castle just down the road from the bridge over to the Isle of Skye. Purportedly, it is the iconic castle for Scotland. Most people photograph as they approach from the inland side, and the images basically all look the same. Instead, Arnie wanted something different, showing the isolation of the castle and why it was such a strong, foreboding fortress. With slippery seaweed in the foreground, often under water, enemies would not be able to mount a strong attack on the castle.
There is a location we have been photographing for years. It
lures me back time and time again. But I don’t want to do what I have done before. I challenge myself each visit – usually four or five times a year for the last ten years – to give the scene a different look. I do not want to imitate what I have done before, rather seek inspiration from the scene and how it speaks to me.
And perhaps, per a suggestion from another alumnus, I will do a blog showing the various ways I have treated this scene over time.
Arnie and I often note what we call “the herd mentality.” We will be standing in a location, and as people pass, they bring up their cameras, usually held at arm’s length, and snap away just because two people with “fancier” cameras found something. Do they really know what they are photographing? Probably not. Are they seeking inspiration from us? I doubt it. They are, in our view, simply imitating what they think we are doing.
This photograph of Arnie’s tickles my funny bone. It is so typical of what we often see these days. This is not to say that people cannot and do not create some woinderful images with smart phones and tablets, but I am not sure I think that is the case here! Will we see this person’s picture in the next iPhone exhibit in a museum?
So, as you travel around, buy the postcard for sure (my great uncle had wonderful scrapbooks from his travels), but then make your very own photograph, seeking inspiration from the techniques of others, the emotion a scene inspires in you, or be inspired by the story you want to tell. Just please don’t imitate what has been done before.
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