So like Brad mentioned, our “voice” should not consist in a lighting setup or a photoshop action, etc. It should be able to encompass and say something about any subject matter. We have our own viewpoint of the world non-photographically, right? So why should that be different when we put a camera to our eye?

Also, if our vision is ourselves, it will probably change over time. We’re never the exact same person we used to be, and as we grow and experience, and change our perspective on the world, so should our “vision.”

Just some musings…

We keep talking about Vision as this ever elusive, ever evolving, never tangible thing. After reading Brad’s post

“Vision is the stuff that stays constant in whatever context. But there are two common problems with this: either the context doesn’t change enough to isolate the constant, or conversely the change is so radical it’s hard to identify whether there even *is* any constant.”

this came to mind…

My vision is… me. And i am… my vision.

We are one in the same, and what makes me, makes it, and what it sees shapes me. The constants that brad is talking about for me are, the constants in my life, where im from, what ive learned and the experiences ive had. The changing elements are the places im going, and the plans ive made.

I think the more we understand ourselves the more we have a handle of our vision. Trying to understand our vision, if we do not have a handle on who we are ourselves, will seem draining and futile and our vision erratic.

points 3 & 4 i think speak to that directly, (look elsewhere for inspiration) aka what drives you, where does your attention go in life. (follow the stream) aka youve come from somewhere, keep going…

SO it doesn’t matter if your a pro, or a beginner, if you have a sense of who you are and what you like, you’ll shoot that, and you’ll be good at it and people will look at you and go, wow, i wish i had the discipline to shoot that good that consistently.

If you like to be challenged and grow and change, then your work will reflect the challenges and lessons you learn as you move through the world. People will look at you and say, wow, i wish i had that sense of adventure, and just dive into something so different so readily.

Both groups will, however, be secretly and eternally, slightly envious of one another.

such is life.

I think finally you’ve offered a glimmer of insight into what this is getting at with the Follow the Stream portion above. Vision is the stuff that stays constant in whatever context. But there are two common problems with this: either the context doesn’t change enough to isolate the constant, or conversely the change is so radical it’s hard to identify whether there even *is* any constant.

That is not just true in me, but the photographers I love too. Full disclosure: photographers whose ‘voice’ consists of one gimmick (lighting setup, photoshop action, etc.) do not appeal to me, no matter their commercial or artistic success. I love photographers that jump around.

The vision/craft relationship is very tricky. Here’s a trivial example to illustrate a big point: some great photographers love strobes, and some great photographers shun them. Ultimately who decides which is truly excellent? I don’t know. And if I did, I don’t know if I’d trust them. There are no experts.

I think my perspective on vision is that old axiom that the more I practice, the luckier I get. It’s not so much imposing order on the void, photographer as culture maker, lead the charge kind of directive. It’s a “follow the opportunities and investigate what’s there” kind of thing. And I want to build my craft to be able to take in a variety of situations and do them justice. I don’t know how that relates to this concept of vision…

Here’s a thought that I’ve had in all of this — the quest for ‘play’ that you’re embarking on needs to abandon adult rationality to succeed. (Who asks a child why they play?) That juxtaposes these two factors into a fascinating dichotomy — is that intentional?

we did an assignment last semester (western academy of photography) for our composition and design class where we had to translate the lyrics of our favorite song into a photograph. This assignment blew my mind. i left class to drive to the airport to pick up my husband and listened to my ipod the whole way, (30min) and by the time i got there i had to start recording thoughts into my cell phone so i wouldn’t forget.

As a result i shot something i would have never conceived of doing, and it was SO outside the box for me it was nuts. But it was a BLAST, especially because i love music but cant sing worth anything. it sure got the juices flowing.

i know i have a hard time coming up with ideas like this on my own, and thought maybe some of you would like this idea as much as i did.

If you want to take a peak, i posted it just for you guys.
warning: it looks graphic folks, its about heart break, but its just jello

http://web.me.com/arushton/Violet_Lilly_Photography/Sorry.html

The first is that creativity cannot come out of a vacuum. As our guitar metaphor shows, you have to know your craft before inspiration/creativity really can take hold. I may WANT to discover the next great theory in quantum physics, but I won’t without a thorough understanding of all the disciplines involved. And it is the same with photography. Becoming the next Cartier-Bresson is impossible if I don’t know how to use my camera. Vision is great, but you have to have the skills at your disposal to achieve that vision.

Second is that most of the top creatives, whether they work in the art, science, economics, design or whatnot often reach their best when they explore outside their discipline. And I’m certain it is no different for us. I wonder what conservation biology (my other area of expertise) could teach me about photography?

Thanks for the great series.

-Dave Shaw
Blog: http://wildimagephoto.blogspot.com

I’m also finding that literature is a strong non-photographic source of inspiration for me. Charles Dickens, Edith Wharton, Emily Dickinson…. I have to feel something about the world in order to say something about the world, ya know?

A couple sentences above ring true with me…

“Of course it’s natural to want people to love your work, but it also stands in the way of creating the best work you can. Create because YOU love it, not because someone else might.”

Great stuff there…I was raised to think of others and their likes/dislikes, and sometimes that gets in the way of my work. Thanks.