Lenswork Interview

This past week, I had a very engaging telephone interview with Brooks Jensen, the publisher of Lenswork. The interview is slated for release sometime this month or in October. I'm not exactly sure.

If you don't know much about Lenswork, then I would strongly urge you to seek it out. There are not that many interesting photography related magazines or on-line subscriptions which focus on the art and creative aspects of being a photographer. In fact, I think it's telling that most of the sites out there are predominantly focussed on gear. So it's really refreshing to have Brook's magazine available.

Anyway, the interview with Brooks was covered by himself recording his own audio while he chatted to me on Skype, and I recorded my own segment with my handy Sony PCM-D50 audio recorder (I love taking a little audio recorder with me on my travels as I think sound is a further dimension in which one can creatively explore their surroundings and it's been very useful for adding a richness to some of my podcasts).

In his interview, Brooks covered many things with me, but I think the area that interested him the most was how I've managed to make a living from photography and in which mediums I've managed to do this (we discussed e-books, printed books and also my podcasts). I think he's very interested in photographers thinking more outside the box, and not being too constrained by the ideas that they should try to sell images or prints only.

Anyway, Brooks was very nice to talk to. He came over very much as he does in his audio podcasts. You should really check out his magazine. Yes, there is a predominant focus on black and white photography, but he also has a Lenswork 'extended' edition which covers colour photography and how best to illustrate or show your work to others.

Very highly recommended.

A Meaningful Moment Through a Meaning(less) Process

While I've been editing, selecting and working on the many rolls of processed films from my trips this year, I've been listening to a lot more ambient music.

This has partly been influenced by a friend that I've been sharing music with. And what has come out of this, is that I think the music I listen to, while I am editing and post-processing - going through the selection process, can have a massive influence on how things unfold and evolve during the birth of new images.

I wouldn't for one second assume that the music I've been listening to will be for everyone. But if you like ambient music - things like Brian Eno, Boards of Canada, Ulrich Schnauss, or film music from composers such as Thomas Newman, then you might like this piece of music by Stars of the Lid. I think they produce ambient-classical music :-) It has a floaty, dreamy quality to it that allows my mind to focus on what I'm doing in my digital-dark-room, while also obliterate out the real world for a few hours.

I find that listening to some kinds of music during the editing process can be a terrible distraction. I can't for some reason listen to music with any spoken words in it. It just seems to pull me away from my own thoughts, which isn't good - as I do believe that post editing requires a high-degree of self reflection, and inner dialog.

Highly repetitive music, as well as the floaty/dreamy music mentioned above - does seem to work for me. I think it's because it has a hypnotic element to it - which I believe consumes the part of my conscious mind that can't be quiet. I think repetitive music helps keep this part of my mind occupied, allowing the part of me that has zoned out, to remain in the creative flow that I'm hopefully experiencing.

I have to be aware of my thoughts, which often are only measured by my feelings. If the music is conducive to that, then it tends to help get me into the right creative zone.  We all know what that zone is like - it's when we're no longer aware of where we are, of how much time is passing by, and all the distractions of every day life have gone. In that sense, it is very similar to the creative zone we experience when we are out in the landscape - time passes by, thoughts float freely away, and we're left with an empty and calm mind that is ready to be occupied by one thing: the craft of picture making.

Patronising the arts

I've been so busy the past few years with my own work, and sometimes, it's felt as if the whole world revolves around me. It's not a feeling a like particularly, but when you're so involved in what you do - it's hard to take a step back sometimes and look at what else is going on around you.

Last week I was conducting a workshop, and one of the participants gave me a lot of inspiration. Coming purely from an arts point of view, my participant asked me a lot of questions about what I do, and about specific images. It was so nice to 'reconnect' with my own work. I'm so used to teaching everyone around me, looking at their own work, and not for a moment do I ever cover my own work on my workshops.

During some downtime, I'm not sure how this happened, but I ended up looking at the work of a local artist that I like very much. I own a few of Michael McVeigh's prints, but until tonight, I've never owned any originals. Well, I feel that as an antidote to so much focus on my own work, and that of workshop participants, I bought one of Michael's paintings.

I feel immensely good about it, despite not knowing why. I love his work, would have been happy with a print of this piece of work, but there's something very satisfying about supporting him. I believe in his work, and it's great to not only own an original, but also to feel that I'm validating what he does (not that anyone cares what I think), but just to put my money where my heart is, and pay for something that means a lot to me.

So I'm asking myself a few questions tonight about photography, and the role of an artist. There are so many of us out there, who would love to turn our photography into a living. To be appreciated for what we do, and to bask in the limelight of acknowledgement that we create beautiful works... images that others respond to.

But how many photographers do you know who own work from others? I would hazard a guess that the answer is 'very little'. That's a real shame isn't it?

If we were so willing to look at, enjoy, and purchase other peoples work and not just our own, maybe we'd all be living much happier lives. Not just by supporting other artists, and by the very act - supporting ourselves, but by also giving ourselves a much needed injection of inspiration into our own 'art world' that we reside in.

Maybe it's time to go out there, if you haven't already - and buy someone's work. Maybe the act of being an artist, is to explore other people's work, embrace and enjoy it. It will not only give them satisfaction to know others appreciate them and what they do, but it might also act as a catalyst to propel you onwards with your own art too.