Sunday 15 June 2008

Creative process


I must admit that i wish that i could paint; that i could just grab a canvas, a brush, some paint and create a landscape or portrait. Unfortunately i can't paint for toffee, nor sculpt, nor draw or anything remotely like that. As i go about places, i occasionally bump into other artists who either paint or sculpt, and i always come away feeling that photography is a bit of a cheat when it comes to creating something visual.

Let me just explain. With the other art forms you usually start off with a completely blank set of materials, whether it be a canvas or a piece of clay . Then you start working on the piece of work that will hopefully will be a brilliant piece of art. It can take a long time or a short time but usually it's an intense process of creativity. Some photographers work that way too but for me its always been in the blink of an eye. Click ! got it !

OK, it may seem unfair to photography but the click of a shutter button seems a little too easy, a little too quick. I've always like working in the 5x4 format because you end up having to take time setting up shots but it still comes down to a shutter firing.....or does it? Maybe I'm forgetting the focusing, the exposing, the composition, the developing, the printing, the Photoshop work, the framing and many other things as well. Hmmm you have to do all that too !

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