Photography. What a beautiful way to communicate. When words fail, the photograph resurrects, salvages, makes whole, brings peace…
Except the photographs I am making at The River with my 8×10 film camera. These cameras are also called view cameras. And that’s what I have been doing… viewing. That’s different than seeing.
I want to work in 8×10 so badly. And that is the problem. You see, I should be after moments and the camera should be secondary. Or primary. And there’s another problem. Is it the camera I should use?
I digress…
Had a good friend tell me that I don’t have to make “full frame” exposures with the 8×10. That I am “seeing in 8×10,” instead of what is in front of the lens. That is what should matter most with concern about the discipline of the frame. He’s right, of course.
I used to teach students that it is most important what you keep out of the frame than what you include in it. I need to listen to my own teaching. So…
What does this mean?
I will return to The River with my 8×10 view camera, ummm… my 8×10 seeing camera, and commit art. Or at least have fun in my effort to commit art.
Here is an example of not seeing, seeing. Same negative, just cropped (something I never did as a PJist… I shot full frame… even printed the black border… and will still do that with 35mm… Sorry Alan).
What have I learned? I am beginning to give myself grace and not be such a “purist” when it comes to large format composition.
Onward I go.
I leave you with two images, Snowbergs (original) and Snowbergs cropped, minus the artsy black border… Neither has a voice.
