No

I have been sick during the Christmas days and seriously had no time to come up with a look back at the year 2013. No list with my favorite photographs, no list with best read blog posts. No, none of that. Not even a list of photographic resolutions for 2014.

You see, I have no clear expectations with my photography. I prefer to get in a flow. Less is really more, it is all I can say. I don’t work with projects in mind and when I read descriptions of art I might do it all wrong. Thank God that there are no rules to obey in art. Maybe art isn’t or shouldn’t be self-expressive, but I think that without not understanding and able to express your own personal feelings how can you be able to add subtense to an ongoing conversation?

Just search the web for ‘is art self-expressive’ and ‘is art not self-expressive’ and you get tons of opinions. I really wonder how much an image maker should be worried about these artistic discussions. Did Vincent van Gogh really care about the on-going conversation that art supposed to be when he cut off his ear and made his well known self-portrait? When I get the feeling that this painting was really a cry for help. And remember that Van Gogh likely sold one piece during his life and became acknowledged after his death as an artist. I think it is perfectly fine that the artistic intentions of the maker may be completely different from the observer point of view.

I absolutely believe that pretty much everything is evolutionary. And studying and understanding the past and what previous masters did can help with that. It sure makes a lot more sense to read books, visit museums than keep buying new gear in the hope that it improves your photography. But when we keep copying the copied it looses the original intent and it becomes just a hollow shell. A conversation won’t be everlasting and sometimes you have to start new conversations with different companions. I think this is where personal knowledge, experience and intuition can make a difference.

I might have it all wrong though. It may be a big “No” for others, but the number one reason I make photographs is because I do it for myself. I do what I like to do. My work is based on my own knowledge and personal feelings. There are my photographic sketches, trying to leave room for interpretation. Light, outlines and dark spaces.

All photographs by Wouter Brandsma

Time helps

I can drive 80 km/h, look down deep, but it helps to take time. Time to breath, to think, to rest, to continue.

After my previous post I gave it some extra thoughts how I want to proceed with my blog and what I want to do with the older blog posts. It is certainly tempting to host the blog myself outside the wp dot com environment (thanks Jorge for your thoughts on that subject), but I don’t really have the means (especially the finances) to do so. In the last week I also had several discussions with others on how I want to continue with my blog, and what is happening in the blogosphere. Also I had some good exchanges on photography with fellow photographer Josh White.

I find it interesting that other bloggers try to figure out what to do with their published stuff. Much gets covered by new posts and images, and what we did gets easily forgotten. I think it is not about rewriting our past, I truly think a blog often echoes a personal diary, but more about restructuring it and make it more easily accessible. Even if I would decide to migrate my blog to a self hosted platform, the restructuring would allow to reduce the number of posts and stored photographs.

The brief moment of reconsideration in the last week also helped me forward in photographing every day again like I did in 2011. While that may seem clueless at first, I found that particular time after all one of the more liberating periods in my photography. Completely unlimited by gear and techniques (sure they are relevant, but became irrelevant through experience and knowledge at some time) only restricted by my personal feelings. I mean, after 72 weeks consecutively photographing I couldn’t remember taking photographs until I reviewed them later on. At that time, last year, it was a shocking experience. The results however have become quite unique documents to me after struggling with that shocking feeling for some time.

In essence, that is for me my stroll photography. My first photo book, Saudade, was about reliving that. I want to work on a similar book for next year though. Some of my blog posts will turn in one form or another into that new book. I’m pretty excited to work on that and it really fits with how I described my feelings in my previous post.

Don’t forget your work, let it breave and remember that time helps. Time and looking back, helps appreciating the road forward.

All photographs by Wouter Brandsma

Almost

I almost pressed the publish button for a provocative blog post. I almost thought about quitting my blog and to start all over again. I almost…….. Well almost.

I do think we, photographers, worry too much about the wrong things. We try find solutions the easy way, but often realizing later on that these were all just distractions. Honestly, when I stop with photography now I will be forgotten in a heart beat. I just try to photograph for myself. And I hope you’ll do so too.

I really appreciate you all visiting my blog and viewing my photography. Current mediums all seem to be about easy consumption of blog posts and photographs. We tend to forget the past easily, both readers and creators. This blog now has over 500 published blog posts. There is a lot of unread stuff here. Therefore I am thinking about rewriting and reorganizing some older blog posts so they become more interesting to read again.

All photographs by Wouter Brandsma

From above

When sensed from above everything feels so differently. From above the Dutch light can be even more magical. A river curves gently around long sweeping shadows. From above it becomes even more apparent that every stretch of land here is touched by human hands.

Precious moment

From above my son feels strong and proud in his inaugural flight. A precious moment to remember, from below.

All photographs by Wouter Brandsma

Gloomy

A gloomy autumness day in October. Despite the prevailing darkness I still want to see and feel the struggling light. It hurts, my leg. Again after two years. The rain, cold and fog fuel it. I try to defeat it with a long stroll through a nearby forest. Climbing up and down, high trees, hills, river forelands, and covered horizons. Not even captured, nature draws high contrast sketches.

All photographs by Wouter Brandsma