From a photog blog:

“I remember a quote from the Tao that Danny mentioned, "If you look to others for approval they will control you." Something all artists should acknowledge.

Don't shoot for the club, or the client or the approval of a forum. Shoot because your own spirit moves you to do so. Do your job and move on. The accolades will come on their own.”

Good post

+1

I am not sure if I already mentioned this, but in a mag this month, fifty top photographers have offered a tip each. At least two of them said that turning professional has led them to photograph for the client and not for themselves and that it can be less satisfying.

In looking for approval from others, we are also looking for advice but unless you are getting paid, then I agree that photography should be for yourself.

On the subject of approval from others, there are two pictures in the September Digital SLR Photography magazine that are offered up as examples of great work. One landscape seems to break all of the rules and looks rather uninteresting, the other is a desaturated portrait that I think looks hideous in every way.

Clearly as with all art, it is in the eye of the beholder.

Thanks for the affirmation. In this thread: hhttp://www.x404.co.uk/forum/viewtopic. ... 7&start=15



and



in reaction to my rather mundane panoramic view of an area near a but stop where I live. Hardly exciting, or picturesque, I know, but it’s something I feel worthy of record. Of course, I know the comments are given with humour, but they were posted just too close to this thread to be passed over.

On Flickr I have a number of photos of my local area. They are possibly tedious, but at the same time interesting. For example:



A comment for the above photo says:


I’ll continue to take photos like this, because I like doing it and partly because my inner historian says I should be contributing the photographic records of Chelmsford. and I’ll no doubt take the pano gear out on a walk to do more of the same.

I actually agree with you. It's the mundane aspects of our world that are often neglected, yet more of interest to historians.

So, I say carry on documenting Chelmsford, no matter how dull or trivial the images may appear.

I just wish I could be interested enough to document my local area in the same way. Actually, come to think of it...

You know something Paul, you are dead right.

With the sphere, you have a fantastic technical achievement, but the subject matter was not awesome- I'm sure in times to come we will see many that are- but it matters to you and that is what is important. FFS, I get excited because I can see a blurry image of my house on Google Earth

I am pretty sure that I could spend half a day in my town's high street and probably photograph things that I have never seen, but I won't because first of all, I would feel too self conscious and second, I wouldn't want to get mugged for my camera.

When I see photographs of the town as it used to be, I always examine them, trying to figure out where it is- if it doesn't say, and/or picking out any changes when I know where it is. Even over my lifetime, the changes in all areas of the town have been huge and I would like to see pictures of how certain areas used to be and you are making your own catalogue and that's great.

I didn't mean offence by my comment, but I do feel bad now. Keep shooting away, Paul.

Absolutely, the best old B&W shots I've seen are of mundane things, but because they are old and have features that are of a particular period, they become interesting.

That's why I like Alexey Titarenko's work - it's all just ordinary streets, what he does is takes long exposures of people so that there is movement in the shot. I particularly like his "City of Shadows" set, mainly for the rough "Sovietness" of it, but any town will work with a global audience.
Clicky

The trouble with mundane locations is that shots take a good few years to capture imaginations. The world has to change before you can look back at the photo and see how things were.

I didn’t take any. It was just interesting that this thread appeared so quickly after comments about the panorama. I’m keen to try it in more salubrious locations - bank holiday beckons and I hope the weather is on my side.

However, on a similar note, I am also likely to use it for other things too. I have a head full of ideas, and I believe I have figured out the minimum number of shots needed for my Canon - current tests seem to be working.

Care to share some?

I've been wondering what sort of things I can do to make use of the copious amounts of rain and bad weather we are having...

I heard one on a podcast yesterday: lock yourself in the bathroom for two hours and shoot 100 images...

I was thinking more "outdoors"!

I realise that. But it's an option if you can't get outdoors!

We should just do this anyway.
Anyone else up for the challenge?

Mark

If the weather is crap, then I could be persuaded.