I suspect like many I have up and downs in my photography. Times when I take more times and times when I take less, then there are times I like what I do and but most times I don’t. I am very critical of my work and therefore I seldom show my images. I suspect if it wasn’t for Doreen’s garden very few images would see the light of day. So to create a little discipline in my life I have decided to post a new image every day. I have had this up for 7 days now but have not told this to many friends. So here is my soul an image a day for better or worse and maybe I will get use to this very terrifying adventure.
Fear not, Grant. Your images are quite nice indeed. Sounds like an interesting project, though I certainly understand the difficulty involved in putting your images out there for others to see and judge. Nice work so far. I, for one, am enjoying them.
Grant, don’t be so modest. You are a pretty good photographer, your level is ranking above at least 90 % of people owning a quality camera. I really admire your self discipline.
Now, Grant. Stop billing it as the ‘hair shirt’ of your photographic life! 🙂 Have fun with it and we (who now have you BOOKMARKED, old boy!) will enjoy the fruits of your labour. I’d love to see more.
try pulling back now. the closer you get the more control you have. put two things that are different together. let it happen and capture the things that matter.
What a fabulous idea ! I know you think that just because I love you that I will tell you how great your work is no matter what. Ya right. I’m very picky and overly critical of myself on a daily basis. To the point where I have become my own worst enemy and a prisoner of my thoughts. Your inspire me to stop and think. If he can do it ( the man with the ‘hateful digital’) then why can’t I ? I on the other hand have completely fallen head over heels to digital photography. I’d be a collector if I could afford it. I’d use a different camera every day for a month and then post my results. See, that is the real me talking….and the real me loves your work. Now let’s see who disagrees.
I would like to thank everyone for your kinds words of encouragement. I should clarify one thing it is not that I think my photographs are bad it is that they are not good in my eyes. While that is a subtle difference it is a huge difference as I see it. I do judge my images based on other peoples work! Not on the average photographer but on people that I think are outstanding. I have come across about fifty, or so, photographers that I think are exceptional and they have set the goals I strive for. Who are the? well in no particular order here are a few Diane Arbus, Margaret Bourke-White, Dorothea Lange, Eugene Smith, Edward Steichen, Julia Margeret Cameron, Alfred Stieglitz, Paul Strand, Irvin Penn, André Kertész ,Bill Brandt, and Ernst Hass.
The project is two fold! One to get me photographing on a regular bases. Two to force me to show my work.
Methinks this inner critic is best ignored or humored. 🙂 I know that I can get discouraged when I look at all this wonderful photography I see in the web galleries. But this talent we see is for inspiration and learning not comparison. I think every creative person (and that includes all of us) has this inner critic but focusing on the joy of what we do, this creative process, is the best defense. And sometimes what we turn out is going to suck. That’s inevitable and part of the creative process.
Have you ever looked, with horror, at the terrible photos by your friends or family and they don’t even have a clue? Ignorance is bliss? That we have taken the time and interest to learn the basics is a lot more than most snap shooters have done.
I think this picture a day practice is a very good idea for developing one’s skills. Thanks for sharing your endeavor with us Grant. This may be something I will undertake soon as well.
You are obviously an accomplished photographer, nothing to be ashamed of there. If I may be so bold as to say they vary from good to very good.
Excellent idea too.
By the way, you mentioned some time ago that 300 dpi was way over the limit of our vision for viewing at normal distance for an 8×10. What in your opinion is the lower limit which still looks sharp. It’ll save be a lot of time in experimentation….
Depending on you eyes (read that your age) the maximum varies. I think it is safe to say images viewed at 10 to 12 inches by the average person can’t be resolved any greater than 100 line pairs per inch. This is translated to a dpi of 200. Now note that you can make a good argument for a dpi as low as 180 or as high as 240. This is a good viewing distance for 8" x 10". Anyone that views an 8" x 10" closer than this is defeating the natural angle of view of they eye and is cheating themselves. If you are printing 16" x 20 people will view it at correspondently further distance so as long as you maintain the same over all pixel count you can easily drop the dpi.
Of course there will always be those that view closer of use a magnifying glass to prove you wrong but they are the techno weenies not the art lover 😉
Grant… Now you’ve done it… we now all know you have this lil site with your Pic of the day and will be checking in to see that you maintain your disipline.. (cuz if ya don’t I am sure you know there are a few of us who will remind you.. :))….
you wrote;
I should clarify one thing it is not that I think my photographs are bad it is that they are not good in my eyes.
This I am taking as you challenge yourself to think "how can I do better".. first let me say that is a very healthy way for an artist to see their work…. second.. make no mistake Grant you are not alone….
Lately I’ve been thinking of my own self-challenge… I’ll be sure and post when I have completed it.. I’ll keep lookign for your’s Grant.. you look for mine.. 🙂
Grant, did you ever see images by the photographers of "The brotherhood of the linked ring"? And the Belgian photographer Missonne? You will love these images too.
I am aware of the important influence that the "The brotherhood of the linked ring" has had on early photography but was not aware of Missonne, so thanks for pointing me into that direction.
Grant your Pic of the day is really nice.. Love to composition and the depth of field… for someone that has a "Hateful" camera you sure are getting the nack…
Grant spoiled me and sent this to me yesterday to ask me what I thought ( pause )….it’s incredible isn’t it ? The balance of composition is phenominal however my heart is warmed by the sense of peace. Trees do that to me.
My oh my you people are going to give me a swollen head! Thank you all for your comment they are appreciated and for the first time I am getting the feeling that my images are not as bad as I imagined them to be.
Helen I also was very pleased with the Japanese Red Maple. We have had very dull over cast days and I happened to walk by this small tree and the contrast of the Maple against the stone background was more than I could handle. I shot wide open to accentuate the negative space and I was so please that the shot turned out.
Jodi, David, John and a few others that emailed me I am please you liked "Pause." It is a sort of homage, well there is a bit of a story. I was out to shoot a field that I liked, the light was soft and beautiful but unfortunately I should have brought a step ladder to get the right angle. I didn’t even trip my shutter and I feeling all is lost and headed back to my car. As I turned around the side of a farm house here was this family as you see it. The lighting reminded me of an image taken by Eugene Smith called "The Walk to Paradise Garden." This is the sort of thing event that happens all the time and usually last but a fleeting moment. . I positioned myself so that the tree framed the left and the man was look into the centre and in positioned along the third vertical. The exposure was take off the warmly light family. I dropped to my knees almost to the ground to create an elusion of space and waited and waited and waited. Just out side bottom of the frame is a path and the pedestrian traffic was worse than at Younge and Dundas. Finally for a brief second no one was there and I tripped the shutter. Got into my car and drove home.
Thank you for you kind words. In Hamilton, a hamlet, about 5 miles from where I live is a very old Mansion called Dundurn Castle. Off to one side and hidden away is a Dove Cote. It has the most wonderful roof and is hardly even noticed let alone photographed and I am not sure why. Here is a link and if you scroll down far enough you will see one of the only historical photographs that I know of "Pigeon House".
A few years back the place was humming with birds or should that be chirping with birds. The people that ran the castle couldn’t manage to run the castle and the adjacent aviary. So all the birds both exotic and plain were moved to another location. The Dove Cote was given a fresh coat of paint and all the little bird doors were locked. This is just another example of cheep housing giving way to "progress"!
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