The other day a friend and I were talking about "reality" in photographic images. Yes I know, I should get a real life! He was looking at some of my images and asked me if I had altered the photo in some way, or was that the way it really looked? It brought to mind the old saying "If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?" At the risk of delving into quantum physics and "event" versus "observer" considerations I will only say: "of course it doesn't make a sound" because sound is only perceived by an observer or someone to translate vibration into "sound". In fact I would go further and say the tree didn't exist, so it couldn't fall in the forest, because the forest didn't exist if there was no one there to hear it! But I digress.
This reality vs "photoshopped" arguement arises a lot, especially for so called "fine art" images. I attended a photo workshop a couple of years ago in Giverny, France at the estate of the late painter Claude Monet. Out objective for the week was to "paint" images with light and color and not rely on lines. In other words to adopt a new reality in our vision. The first photo attached above if of the famous "Japanese Bridge" which features prominently in Monet's painting. The four of us on the course had the whole garden to ourselves as we entered with the gardeners at 7 am and then departed when the public was allowed in at 9 am. We then returned when the garden close at 6 pm and "contemplated our new "reality in vision" until the light left us around 8:30 or 9 pm. I daresay that the image above was total reality for me (as I remember it), although someone standing beside me would most likely remember (see?) it differently.
The image at the top left (which should actually appear here but I haven't figured out how to do that) is to most people standing beside me at the time some twigs and branches tangled together. To me it became with some creative focusing and lighting, a man striving for perfection in a world of challenges and strife.
I just tried to load another image in this location, but there it is as the top. I guess the reality for me right now is to learn how to post the images correctly:-))
Until I return with new found knowledge on posting photos, I will leave you with a mantra that I have used:
"I willingly and enthusiastically accept responsibility for creating my own reality"
Cheers for now
