Dektol Dan said:
Folks who lean on cropping are most likely amateurs. If I have to crop I have terrific angst and self doubt of abilities. Composing on the fly is the mark of the professional craftsman and artist. Too often I have to lie to myself about it. If I have to fudge a bit I always crop with the same porportion of the viewfinder in order to hide my failure.
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The moment is everything in photography. If one cannot master that he should find some other hobby. Even though St. Ansel was a darkroom magician, his compositon was created in the camera as it should be. This is ultimate proof of skill, especially if the camera is all manual.
Cropping is for snapshootists.
After your version of Photography i think you almost convinced me that to be a snapshootist is better than bear the "
the mark of the professional craftsman and artist", like the mark of the Zorro on my chest. I said almost, because knowing myself I knew it beforehand.
Why should I torture myself with the frustrating feeling of "
failure" each time I cannot manage to be "
composing on the fly".
Why should I find another hobby if I disagree that "
The moment is everything in photography"?
Why should I pursue the "
ultimate proof of skill"?
Why should i condemn myself like you to "
have terrific angst and self doubt of abilities" "
If I have to crop" ?
Your view and approach of Photography seems to be alike a fundamentalist religious observant. A superfluous formalist view with crime, repentance and self punishment.
In my view Photography is many many things beyond technique. For example creativity, contents, emotions, dedication, learning, couriosity, originality, long time observation, courage to break any established rules, dedicating the time the subject needs to open itself to you, love of myself, etc, etc. This is my real "technique".
Had you been in contact with a real photo artists and pro's, you have known that for each one great image shown, some hundreds less good ones are thrown to the garbage.
For me Photography with capital "P" is above all absolute freedom. My most hidden dream - to free myself from established photographic prejudices. Anyone doesn't like it? Fine, i don't owe anything to any one - I am an AMATEUR, I LOVE photography, and make love with it, free from the need to satisfy customers, audiences, establishments, editors, and passing by vogues and narrow thinking.
Not that I hadn't like to be a genious of photography, but since I am not - why not to make the most of MY situation ?
Take it easy, be happy. Otherwise, why to photograph at all ?
Cheers,
Ruben
