There is no “final destination” for your photography or art.
You are constantly changing, evolving, growing, shedding off your old skin, learning, unlearning, contradicting yourself, and discovering a deeper inner-truth about yourself.
The Tragedy of Henri Cartier-Bresson
It was sad, Henri Cartier-Bresson gave up photography after he got bored with it (I think). He rigidly pursued his “Decisive Moment” style of black and white photos his entire life, and after a few decades, got bored, retired from photography, and painted paintings and drawings for the rest of his life.
To me, this is a tragedy, because I consider Henri Cartier-Bresson one of the titans of the history of photography. I feel he had so much more to give.
His problem:
He refused to evolve.
On the other hand Josef Koudelka, has stayed prolific until his old age, because he kept evolving.
Koudelka even said he theorizes that HCB gave up photography, because HCB was too rigid with his way of thinking, and using the same tools (Leica and 50mm).
Koudelka shot “Gypsies” on a film SLR and 25mm wide angle lens. He then had to evolve, he gave it up, and started to travel the world with a Leica and 35mm and 50mm lens. Then, he started to shoot landscapes on a panoramic film camera. And now I understand he shots the same panoramic photos on a modified digital medium format panoramic camera (I think) made custom by Leica.
I have no idea what he shoots with now, but anyways the lesson is that Josef Koudelka never stopped evolving as a photographer. He was always in a state of “becoming.”
Becoming
To be in a state of becoming as a photographer or artist is this：
You will never become a “perfect” photographer.
Therefore some ideas：
- Don’t be a perfectionist in photography. Everyday, seek to be a little better. Do this by studying the masters of photography, by not cropping your photos, to hustling harder on the streets, making more simple and less messy compositions, and to add dynamism to your compositions.
- Make photos that show your evolution as a human being. How have you changed as a human being today, compared to yesterday, or a year ago?
- Your photos today should not look the same as they did in the past.
Never stop growing, learning, and evolving.
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BE STRONG,
ERIC
PHOTOGRAPHY PHILOSOPHY
Why do you make photos? Reflect in PHOTO JOURNAL:
- The Frame
- How to Increase Your Visual Perception
- Could an AI Shoot the Same Photo as You?
- A Photographer’s Guide to Seeing
- THE LESS REAL YOUR PHOTOS, THE BETTER.
- Photography as Experience
- SHOOT YOU.
- MAKE PICTURES, NOT PHOTOGRAPHS
- Why You Should Ignore Photography and Art Critics
- Do You Live to Photograph, or Photograph to Live?
- Living a Good Life is More Important Than Photography
- How to Start Fresh in Your Photography