Does it matter?

Does it matter why you or I photograph? Does it matter why you or I developed (or are developing) a personal style, a vision? Does it matter how you or I compose and see? Does it matter what gear you or I use? Likely not.

For many it seems so, but even if they knew I wonder how much it really matters. It matters to me what I do and I maybe only like to know what matters you when I try to understand what you do.

It matters to me what techniques I use, how I compose and expose. And yes, it even matters to me what gear I use. Not because I get the best image quality and the perfect photograph, but because I know how it enables me to make the photographs I envision. You know, possibilities and limitations.

I think it all matters to the execution and not to the eventual photograph. Everything else is probably only a justification.

But I have to apologize for not posting so regularly. Today I was finally able to ingest, select, and edit some of my photographs from the last three weeks. And then some say all the fun about digital photography is all about immediacy.

All photographs by Wouter Brandsma

Stairs

All photographs by Wouter Brandsma

Square view

I like photography and I am glad many others do so too, but every time I am in a zoo I am surprised by the incredible equipment people take with them. Some even look like they are going on a game drive or something.

I like going to the zoo too, but I like to photograph my kids there. Their joy and excitement is wonderful and inspiring. The animals are secondary to me.

In the meantime I like to share a recent winter scenery from a week ago. Incredible that the snow is already gone, but it has been a pretty cold winter so far for a country in the midst of a sea climate.

Photograph by Wouter Brandsma

Don’t leave

I seriously want to return to one photograph per post unless I have some photographs that have things in common or are part of more lengthly series. While looking for inspiration I searched the web too and found a suggestion to lock yourself up in a room and take 50 photographs. I extended the room to my house, but still wanted to make sure I took 50 photographs in total.

Last night I finished with 19 photographs in my first selection and than carefully started to edit these photographs. Around mid night I had settled on 7 photographs and this morning I reduced it to my final edit of 5 photographs.

I first started to photograph everything I noticed, but after an hour I started to notice the light fall at subjects. Instead of the subjects, it was the light that started to intrigue me.

It was a good practice I think. Not only to see common things differently, but also to be more selective in my editing. And I am determined to this more often until the light and inspiration is back. There is no necessity to leave your house, district, or country to find photographic moments.

All photographs by Wouter Brandsma

Re-start

I am not directly saying that I left my inspiration bumb behind, but I am getting new ideas though for my photography. I have been reconsidering some of the directions my photography took. Some feel good, like my photography with the dSLR. The usage of longer focal lengths. I will continue to work more on isolation in combination to what I feel do best, landscape photography. I really miss it, the calmness I experience when I am out in the great outdoors. The search for great isolated subjects.

I will be focusing less on street photography and more on portraits and still life. Street is fun and I enjoyed it, but mostly to step out of my comfort zone. I do feel that the progress wasn’t as fast as I wanted it to be, but I have to be realistic. I don’t live in a big city. My hometown is a sleeping suburb and I just don’t have enough time to pay more visits to larger cities. I read somewhere the suggestion to lock yourself up in a room in your house and only leave it after you take 50 photographs inside that room. I like that suggestion and will try that more often.

When it comes to gear I keep on using the Ricoh GRD1 as a sketch book, but want to use my dSLR more extensively. In fact, I really want to go full frame and will try to get myself a Canon 5D this year to use with my Zuiko 50mm f/1.4 lens. Simplify, simplify, simplify.

To more easily find some of my articles I am slowly changing some of the lay-out of my blog within the limits/restrictions of WordPress.com. As a starter I added a new page called Impressions with a list of cameras I wrote about. The list of camera impressions will be extended soon.

And a final note, at RedBubble I have some prints for sale and will add more photographs this year to see how that works.

All photographs by Wouter Brandsma