Growth in Photography takes repeated deliberate failure. Close but no cigar is a mantra and Digital Photography has made growth and deliberation much tougher.
In the ‘old days’ of photography – every frame had an associated cost. Those who chose to learn how to process and print black and white film were often at an advantage allowing them to photograph more frames for their dollar, and have much quicker validation for their choices than photographers who needed to have film processed by a third party. In addition – every roll of film maxed out at 37 frames – so photographs HAD to be deliberate.
Digital imaging gave us access to massive capacity, and instantaneous feedback on our choices. This had two effects. Firstly, we were able to review our captures instantly, albeit on a 2″ LCD screen leading some some very nice compositions, destroyed by a lack of deliberate focus and second, the birth of ‘spray and pray’ imaging.
My beginnings were more than humble. I started photography on a Canonet 28, shooting Tri-X and home processing of negatives. I was able to ‘try’ things, and within 24 hours I could see the results. I won my first competitions at the age of 13, and by 15, found out about girls and left the camera in a drawer.
When photography returned to my life at 18, technology changed cameras. Exposure was pretty well handled, and I returned feeling invigorated, but after a series of SLR’s and having to pay full price for color photography the number of truly amazing photographs I captured was nearing zero. Again, I fell out of the hobby.
20 years later, I returned to photography and the return felt like leaving Earth and arriving on Io. Cameras had all but removed exposure from the experience. Focus was pin sharp, if you took a moment to point and partially depress the shutter, and you had nearly unlimited capacity. Evil practices of shooting 15 nearly identical frames appeared, hard drives shrank under the weight of shitty images, and the ability to see a failed image became more common – because the critical review process was hinged on ‘the best of these 23 frames of garbage’ rather than the best images of the roll.
As a photographer – I see these challenges every time I remove a camera from my bag.
I vow here, now, and with purpose – to fail deliberately.
- I will deliberately compose every image.
- I will take only one frame of a scene.
- I will take only one frame from a given position.
- I will accept that my failure has purpose.
I also vow – as a result of these impositions that I will make every photo an act of deliberation. To consider each exposure as the single, fleeting moment that it is. I will accept that my failure to capture that moment as a ring in the timeline of growth, where that deliberation can be examined critically.
Perhaps through this self imposed trip back in time I can use the technology at hand to teach myself to see as I once did. Experiencing the viewfinder with awe and wonder. Seeing with deliberation and clarity the scenes that I see as moments and not as a fleeting series of exposures in which ‘hope’ for the killer frame dies between every flip of the mirror.