Assignment #2- Inspiration

[100157]

Fairly new to the field of photography, I was not able to immediately pick one artist that rose above the rest, for the simple reason that I did not know of any photographers other than the staple names you hear over and over such as Ansel Adams. Before I could research photographers and portfolios to find my inspiration, I had to try and narrow down an answer as to what genre of photography I would like to shoot, if any. I have no interest in wedding photography, senior portraits or random shots; the answer was easy to come up with, Human Interest and Nature.

I have always had a passion for nature photography and have been lucky enough to witness many natural wonders and capture them on film. However, the more I reflected on photography, the more I am drawn to Human Interest/Social Justice. Although photography as an art form can encompass countless forms and styles of shooting, I view it very differently. To me, photography is not about the pretty pictures or cute animals that make you smile, but rather pictures that tell stories- pictures that make you think and re-examine aspects of your life. I found a great website that listed 50 great photographers and showed their portfolios, this is where I found my inspiration: http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/50-great-photographers-you-should-know/

I have always viewed photography as a tool to bring the “truth” into the world. Senol Zorlu, a Turkish photography embodies much of what I strive to attain. His pictures are humbling and make you step back for a moment- they tell stories of a life we only hear or dream about. The photo below is a prime example of what I mean, look into her eyes and you can almost feel her pain, her story.

[attachment=0:rbyu0q4l]egofoto.jpg[/attachment:rbyu0q4l]

I am very fascinated in creating works of art that can move people. Ansel Adams has the same affect with many of his photos and I feel that many people will try and fail time and time again to recreate his masterpieces. It will never be done; he managed to capture the soul of the subject and tell a story rather than create a pretty picture to be slapped on a calendar.

By creating art that can tell a story, you are bringing people out of their comfort zones and into the realization that they do not live in a perfect world and that they are responsible for doing their part to make the world a better place. With this type of photography you can bring to light many injustices in the world, which without photos, are soon forgotten.

What I like about this type of photography is that it can be applied to wildlife/nature photography as well. Animal emotions are magnified in photos and allow the viewers to make a connection with whatever creature has been captured.

To see the portfolio of Senol Zorlu, follow this link: http://www.egofoto.net/site.html

[Duncan Rawlinson]

Beautifully stated. Thank you for sharing this.

I’m glad that you mentioned you narrowed down what genre of photography interest you best by process of elimination and then through exploration of visual stories that have impacted you personally.

It’s a fun and challenging process to go through and I’m glad you’ve decided to share part of that process with us here.

Again, thank you for sharing this.

[Author]

Posts