Capture versus Create

I love looking at images people produce, and while some of them are ones, in the back of your mind I ask myself, "What were they thinking?", I always try to find something to see and learn. And all photographers are far more self-critical than critics of others' work, it always pays to examine your own more critically to find the mistakes in your vision, effort and work while being more open with others' work.

In looking at the work of others I tend to ask myself was the image captured or created. It's obvious all images are created in that they are moments in time and place discerned and discriminated by the photograher. They create the image they saw. But the difference I use is if the image was already there and they found a piece of life and reality in it or if the image created in the studio or similar situation.

Ok, it's a statement of the obvious. All studio, commercial and product photography, and almost all porttrait, wedding and similar people photography is created. It didn't happen until the photographer created the environment for the images. It's a type of photography I like looking at because it reminds me of the diversity of vision and imagination photographers have, something find difficult.

Which leads to looking at captured photography. The diversity of vision in being and seeing the world is fascinating. We all could walk down a country road for a mile and all of us would come home with different images. It's simply how each of us looks and sees. This is where I learn to expand my own mind outside the box I limit myself. It doesn't mean I'm good or a even do much beyond what I already do, but sometimes it reminds me to step outside the mental box.

In end all images are created. Every photographer sits down in front of their computer to process and produce their images, either in print or on the Web. So all images are really created, I just focus on the original image, was it in the world or in someone's mind. It's why I call myself an ordinary photographer, simply walking around, looking and seeing, and then photographing what pleases me, and why I like to produce images of what I saw, nothing enchanced or created, just was then and is now.

Or so, it's why I'm a photographer. I focus on the captured image and enjoy those who produce either.