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CAMERA AS SCISSORS
The camera is a scissor of reality. You decide what to keep, and what to cut away.
1. IKEBANA
Ikebana is the art of Japanese flower arrangement, by cutting away the superfluous parts of a plant.
You achieve beauty by using scissors, and cutting away the imperfect.
2. Sculpture
Sculpture is the art of taking a slab of stone, and chipping away at the “un-art”. Meaning, chip away what is not your statue.
A statue is created through subtraction.
A probably false story, but fun anyways: When someone asked Michelangelo, “How did you make the David?” Michelangelo answered:
It was simple. I simply removed everything that wasn’t David.
3. Fashion.
To make clothes is to start with a piece of fabric, and cutting away. Then stitching, gluing, and putting parts together.
The most important tool of a fashion designer: a pair of scissors.
4. Photography
Photographers use a camera as scissors of reality.
Most of reality is ugly and messy.
In your photography, seek to subtract the superfluous.
That means more negative space. Fewer distractions. Avoid messy backgrounds.
Use flash to simplify. Look at the edges of the frame to simplify. Start with a black canvas.
ERIC KIM KYOTO PHOTOGRAPHY EXPERIENCE 2017: Discover Your Inner-ZEN (Sept 9-10).