Monday 8 November 2010

Error in Action


Errors. I'm not talking about the negative type of error that we all make that often lead to nothing. Nope. I'm talking about mistakes that help create good photographs. Accidentally taken pics that work as images. Maybe we press the shutter button at the wrong moment, maybe the camera, lens or flash is set on the wrong settings or our mouse wanders too far and we hit the wrong menu setting in Photoshop. How the error occurs doesn't really matter. What does matter is that we end up with a great photograph that we like.

The photograph above was a accidental shot. A small error. I had intended shooting video footage from the train window capturing traffic on the M5 motorway near Taunton in Somerset, but the iPhone was set to shoot photographs. The end result was this image. Does it matter how i got it? I don't think so. There are so many factors that affect the image taking process anyway. Skill and timing are just part of the equation when it comes to capturing that moment in time. Dare i say it, but luck, almost certainly, plays a creative role from the moment you press the shutter, to the moment the picture is saved onto the film or memory card.

I've always had a pragmatic view towards the photographs i take. A philosophy if you like. If a great photo has been taken, regardless of how or why, i believe that the photograph was meant to exist. Likewise if a photograph doesn't come out due to an error or technical fault, well, it just wasn't meant to be.

1 comment:

adrielleroyale said...

You have great shots here! (understandable since you are a pro, but still) And it looks like you're a bit of a teacher at heart too? Anyway, my thanks for sharing some of your work. :)