Making of 40 Photographs #30
This is #30, in my series ‘the making of 40 photographs.
As we go along as landscape photographers, I feel we settle into a way of shooting. In my own case, I have a tendency to restrict myself to shooting in soft light only, but as time has gone on, I’m finding that there is a much more interesting world out there to be found in overcast, dull, rainy days, and of course – foggy days too.
We really have to ‘think outside the box’ as photographers if we want to move on with our imagery, and we have to remove any walls that we have put up over time. This is one of the biggest things I see in students on my workshops: preconceived ideas of what they want to shoot, and a real dislocation when they arrive at a spot and ‘can’t find anything worth shooting’. They have placed a limitation on their own creativity. We must learn to use what is presented to us, rather than force our own will upon our surroundings – it’s very easy to turn up at a special place like the Taj Mahal with a mind already filled with a fixed idea of what we want to capture. That certainly happened to me when I came here in January 2009. It’s hard not to with such an iconic structure. I’m big on visualization, building up a mental picture of how I see the ‘final print’ is an important step, but it can be dangerous to come along to some place I know well from seeing it in many books, and ‘limit’ or close my mind to other opportunities.
When I arrived in Agra on the first morning here, I was initially frustrated at the thick heavy smog. I initially thought it would be useless to try and photograph the Taj Mahal in such low visibility, but once I’d accepted my surroundings, I seemed to get along with the environment and before I knew it, I had made quite a few images of the place which I now see as a very different approach to the Taj Mahal, and I’ve certainly had a lot of correspondence from visitors to my site who share my feelings too.
So here are two pictures taken at the Taj Mahal while the entire complex was shrouded in smog. The first is of the building with a glimpse of a tourist in the middle of the shot.
It’s one of my favourite images of the place now. Walking around with my Mamiya 7, I shot the camera wide open with +1 exposure compensation to compensate for the smog.
The second image was taken in the gardens. I love repeating patterns in images and I felt that the trees were an ‘echo’ falling into the distance. Fog is a great device for isolating subjects, and the extremely soft, diffused, directionless light that it provides can be used to great effect.
Although my initial reactions where those of disappointment at not getting the usual ‘Taj Mahal at sunrise’ shot, I feel that I did eventually ‘get it’ and started to go with the flow – I went with what was presented to me and made the most of it. I now feel extremely proud of these images, as I’m sure it would have been only too easy to put the camera away and think there was nothing there to capture. I could have been so wrong.
Hi Bruce, I couldn’t agree more. It’s sometimes nice to have some sort of framework plan for different sorts of conditions but it’s so important to keep open to your environment. In ‘The Tao of Photography’ by Phillipe Gross, the concept that the photograph finds you and all you have to do is to be receptive to it is discussed. Now this does’t mean you don’t have to do anything but it does mean that you should open your mind to the possibility that a photograph may find you anywhere (i.e. the walk to the location you are interested in probably has more photographs as the location itself). Out of interest, is the vignetting on the last picture due to the Mamiya lenses? Paul told me he bumped into you in Glencoe too! Hope you got some good pictures..
Comment by timparkin — 27 December, 2009 @ 12:24 pm
Hi Bruce,
Very nice photos of the Taj.I really like the entire essay.
I agree especially when travelling we have to deal with the weather and conditions we are given.
Was Agra foggy all day at this time of the year? I wonder if the fog cleared as the day went on.
I ask because I am going to visit India next week and I plan on staying three nights and two days in Agra. Obviously I would like to photograph the Taj Mahal and surroundings.
Any advise from your experiences in Agra would be well appreciated since I will be there roughly the same time of the year as you.
Cheers,
Jeff
Comment by jeffdonovan — 29 December, 2009 @ 2:20 am
Hi Jeff,
It’s not smoggy all the time and it does clear. It’s not always smoggy in the morning either. I think the amount of time you’ve given to the place is fine. I think I went there three mornings and one evening (evening was a waste of time as it’s very, very busy by then). Don’t be put off by the number of tourists there each morning at 6am…. they do melt into the surroundings when you’re in the gardens.
Good luck! Take it easy as India is an overwhelming place to visit, and be insistent about where you want to go – taxi drivers will divert you to their friends carpet shop, or take you to a ‘tourist information’ place which is paying him to divert tourist too. If in doubt – phone your hotel…. I was told several times that my hotel was now shut or had burned down, when it hadn’t.
Have a great time. What an amazing country!
Comment by Bruce Percy — 29 December, 2009 @ 6:33 am
Hello Bruce, excellent post, I couldn’t agree more. You should always move on, take your camera with you and see what happens, no matter the circumstances. I often started out on a hike with my camera, the light and weather were bad, and nothing of interest was in sight. But suddenly, things changed, and I returned home with some nice shots. So the bottom line is: Never give up! And besides, the less you expect, the better you adapt to any situation.
Comment by pboehi — 30 December, 2009 @ 6:03 pm