The photographic moment

Last Updated on August 1, 2016 by Patrick

Often I think of what it is like to create a great image, no matter what the subject is or could be. It is that moment in which one knows that should raise the camera, expose for the scene or the subject, compose and click the shutter. That decisive moment has to reflect a state of being, has to convey a message or whatever it is out there. It matters very much what one sees and feels and the vision that one has, as I have spoke about in the early articles a few months ago. This vision makes the photograph.

Ansel Adams said: “When I’m ready to make a photograph, I think I quite obviously see in my minds eye something that is not literally there in the true meaning of the word. I’m interested in something which is built up from within, rather than just extracted from without.”

That moment should be like a “je ne sais quoi” when it comes to artistically expressing a universal truth, a state of mind, body or spirit, a state of being, a notion, a feeling or a scene. The photograph is out there, certainly. Often, Mother Nature, the environment, the people, or however we like to call it, creates for us this moment we all are waiting for and it is up to us to capture it, to frame it in such a way that it shows both our personal signature and it shows this message we’ve been given to send, to spread. Photography is and will be a media of expressing them. Nevertheless, we should expect something or rather listen to the natural flow of life unfolding before us. This happens all the time.

I’d like to give you an example. When I went to the local photo equipment store in my city to buy a piece of equipment I needed for my photography I noticed some iris flowers in a small garden near me, a few feet before I got to the store. I had my camera with me, as I always, and thought that I could shoot them. They were very beautiful, some of them in full bloom and violet colored, others still buds. They quickly drew my attention. But I hesitated and I said “neah.. I’ll shoot them maybe latter or some other time”. I thought, also, that they were not a very compelling subject that I would like to shoot (they were only garden flowers, pretty ordinary, I guess) but, nonetheless, I will try some macro photography. There was something about their colors that drew my most attention. What else can I tell ya? I loved them immediately.

So, I thought after I bought my equipment that I should shoot some. I’ve started to shoot some macro with a nice bokeh, some other close-up portraits, but I never paid much attention to what I was doing in the first place. I just photographed them and hoped for at least a good close-up that I could fill my portfolio with or at least my collection of beautiful images. I don’t know what the hell was I thinking. I knew, deep within me, that I had a message I wanted so bad to send and I ignored what pushed me to do this. Like I used to say: “an image is worth more than a thousand words”. But how can one express it in an artistic way? Check this out! You will be amazed!

So, I knew I had this message I wanted to send. I now make fine-art nature photographs. I’m trying to stick to the message and not stray away from it. It is in my nature, I suppose, otherwise there’s no way I can explain what is happening to me, what compells me to do this. Each and every one of us, who are doing photography or whatever, has a message to send, whatever it is.

I made the images and I post-processed them and after a very long while (more then a week..) I decided I should revisit those photos I did in that day. I shot a bunch of other flowers not only those irises. But anyway, I immediately noticed the first frame I took that it was very well composed. I didn’t know what went on with me back then but I ignored this frame altogether. But when I saw it again, when I revisit the collection, I knew immediately that this is a meaningful image. I guess I totally ignored the concept as well.

Then, I’d like to ask all of you if you’ve listen to Sachmo’s song from the 1970 album “What a wonderful world!”? In the intro, the great Sachmo says the following:

“Some of you young folks been saying to me, “Hey Pops, what you mean ‘What a wonderful world’?

How about all them wars all over the place? You call them wonderful?

And how about hunger and pollution? That ain’t so wonderful either.“

Well how about listening to old Pops for a minute. Seems to me, it ain’t the world that’s so bad but what we’re doin’ to it.

And all I’m saying is, see, what a wonderful world it would be if only we’d give it a chance. Love baby, love! That’s the secret, yeeeeaaaaaah.

If lots more of us loved each other, we’d solve lots more problems. And then this world would be better.

That’s wha’ ol’ Pops keeps saying.”

And then the song begins, which, of course, I’ll let you listen to it all the way to the end: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nGKqH26xlg .

The most common problem with all of us is that we see the world through negative eyes, till we developed an obsession with it. And this conditions our vision. We even see ourselves through negative eyes.

Indeed, we’ve done many horrifying things but is what we did that made us consider the world and ourselves in such a negative way, or what we are saying about ourselves that made us do all these bad things? Which way is it?!

I think that getting back to practicing human virtues is the way to balance ourselves and we can all create the life we want, we can all paint with the flowers of our soul, or our consciousness, or inner genius, or what have you. Flowers always painted this world with their colors and emotional and loving presence.

So I am not afraid of not filling my portfolio anymore. Nor should you! ;) I know I am filling it.

Ansel Adams also used to say: “A photograph is usually looked at and seldom looked into.” Even if nobody notices it, art will remain the way to touch a human heart.

Leave any comments or thoughts, considerations and so on! Thanks very much! ;)