Toni Ahvenainen
It's the context, stupid!
Nearly two weeks ago, when I was starting this photo blog, I had premeditated only the first picture beforehand (day 1). It didn't come quite as I imagined, but I figured it was good enough. After that I was on my own and my quest for 'the 365' had started. I didn't know what to expect or wish for. I only knew I had carefully build myself a photo blog for my 365-project and searched for couple of forums where I could share my coming adventure. I had already invested a fair amount of work into it, so I couldn't turn away from it now (plus there was couple of good friends pushing me into it). In a sense, I had my concept and bones ready, but I knew nothing about how the 365 would change my photography. One picture per day might sound hard to achieve, but there is one very important aspect in it, which will refine your photography. It will give you a context for your photography. And having a predetermined context will quickly change the way how you approach photography.
First of all, the context will give you a guideline which to follow. Persistently diversified paths of endless possibilities and testing of different ideas you randomly found from the web will narrow down to something actually meaningful you can hope to realize some day. Once you throw out irrelevant substance, your goals become more clear. No more wandering around with camera hanging from your neck and just hoping to come across something to photograph. Having a context makes it possible for you to plan your photography and planning means that photographs are something you make, not just take from your surroundings. Once you have a context, your perception of environment will align to it.
Secondly, the context will determine if you are succeeding or not. It's soothing to have at least to some extent a clear indicator for succeeding. Of course you can make great pictures without a context too, but it's easy to shoot diverse stuff and not having a clear understanding of what makes them great in their entirety. Besides that, the context will open up different and perhaps new definitions for succeeding, which will transform the way you photograph.
Lastly, the context will make your work ready. It will define the borders when it's enough and when you've done your job. Without the context defining the limits, one will easily splash across different objectives and nothing gets done to an end. It can be frustrating experience to shoot great pictures but having no home for them. It's the predetermined context and the limits it carries that will eventually build a home for your pictures.
Ps. About the photograph, it's candies what Finnish call 'salmiakki' and others supposedly say 'salty liquorice'. My Japanese friends say they taste like medicine and I think that's actually a pretty good description. Without a context I would not have shot this shot either.
Year of the Alpha – 365 Days of Sony Alpha Photography: www.yearofthealpha.com
It's the context, stupid!
Nearly two weeks ago, when I was starting this photo blog, I had premeditated only the first picture beforehand (day 1). It didn't come quite as I imagined, but I figured it was good enough. After that I was on my own and my quest for 'the 365' had started. I didn't know what to expect or wish for. I only knew I had carefully build myself a photo blog for my 365-project and searched for couple of forums where I could share my coming adventure. I had already invested a fair amount of work into it, so I couldn't turn away from it now (plus there was couple of good friends pushing me into it). In a sense, I had my concept and bones ready, but I knew nothing about how the 365 would change my photography. One picture per day might sound hard to achieve, but there is one very important aspect in it, which will refine your photography. It will give you a context for your photography. And having a predetermined context will quickly change the way how you approach photography.
First of all, the context will give you a guideline which to follow. Persistently diversified paths of endless possibilities and testing of different ideas you randomly found from the web will narrow down to something actually meaningful you can hope to realize some day. Once you throw out irrelevant substance, your goals become more clear. No more wandering around with camera hanging from your neck and just hoping to come across something to photograph. Having a context makes it possible for you to plan your photography and planning means that photographs are something you make, not just take from your surroundings. Once you have a context, your perception of environment will align to it.
Secondly, the context will determine if you are succeeding or not. It's soothing to have at least to some extent a clear indicator for succeeding. Of course you can make great pictures without a context too, but it's easy to shoot diverse stuff and not having a clear understanding of what makes them great in their entirety. Besides that, the context will open up different and perhaps new definitions for succeeding, which will transform the way you photograph.
Lastly, the context will make your work ready. It will define the borders when it's enough and when you've done your job. Without the context defining the limits, one will easily splash across different objectives and nothing gets done to an end. It can be frustrating experience to shoot great pictures but having no home for them. It's the predetermined context and the limits it carries that will eventually build a home for your pictures.
Ps. About the photograph, it's candies what Finnish call 'salmiakki' and others supposedly say 'salty liquorice'. My Japanese friends say they taste like medicine and I think that's actually a pretty good description. Without a context I would not have shot this shot either.
Year of the Alpha – 365 Days of Sony Alpha Photography: www.yearofthealpha.com