Photo Concepts
This is a nice composition, but it's even better when you see it onsite, because the rock is 3X - 4X larger than the tree. I've seen quite a few versions of this composition over the years, the first one I can recall from Steve Sieren. I avoided capturing it for a few years, there are infinite possibilities and compositions out there, and the time you spend copying one only takes away form the time you have to do your own work. But one day it was staring me in the face so on a whim I grabbed a quick picture of it. I didn't upload it right away... people take "tribute photographs" of Ansel Adams photos all the time and play "covers" of popular songs... but at what point do tributes become ripoffs? I didn't return to this spot in better light... I'm sure that there are some unique possibilities possible, but I'm not trying to compete with the original.
I may see Steve this morning for sunrise, so it would be an interesting conversation to have with him, and I'll ask him if he was (to his knowledge) the first to capture a composition like this here. Ironically I was in the area to explore some rocks shot by Ansel Adams. I wasn't familiar with Ansel's take on the spot, so it would be interesting to see what he had seen vs. what I found.
One of the things I respect about Steve is that he is discreet about locations, so they're less likely to get over-shot. So far photographers seem to be respecting that precedent here, and I hope that the practice continues.
Location disclosure can be detrimental in direct impact on the site, in the effect of increased visitation on wildlife, but conceptual copies can either support the value of the original work (by advertising and referring to it) or they can subtract from its value (by masquerading as original discoveries or creative works, with no attribution to the original). At some point if there are too many copies without attribution, the identity of the original gets lost. That's unfortunate.
So with this rock and juniper photo, I thought it might be interesting to collect tribute photos and post them in the comments below. If you've taken one, post the Flickr URL surrounded by bracket symbols, or feel free to reference one that way as well. Hopefully they'll draw a clear path to the original.
It should go without saying, but if you are inspired by someone else's photo and produce a similar one, whether the shared element in yours is a distinctive composition or whether it's a creative concept such as creative lighting, at the very least please have the courtesy to credit them. It may also be required by copyright law, but in this case the law simply reflects common sense and common courtesy. Thank you if this is, or becomes, your common practice.
Photo Concepts
This is a nice composition, but it's even better when you see it onsite, because the rock is 3X - 4X larger than the tree. I've seen quite a few versions of this composition over the years, the first one I can recall from Steve Sieren. I avoided capturing it for a few years, there are infinite possibilities and compositions out there, and the time you spend copying one only takes away form the time you have to do your own work. But one day it was staring me in the face so on a whim I grabbed a quick picture of it. I didn't upload it right away... people take "tribute photographs" of Ansel Adams photos all the time and play "covers" of popular songs... but at what point do tributes become ripoffs? I didn't return to this spot in better light... I'm sure that there are some unique possibilities possible, but I'm not trying to compete with the original.
I may see Steve this morning for sunrise, so it would be an interesting conversation to have with him, and I'll ask him if he was (to his knowledge) the first to capture a composition like this here. Ironically I was in the area to explore some rocks shot by Ansel Adams. I wasn't familiar with Ansel's take on the spot, so it would be interesting to see what he had seen vs. what I found.
One of the things I respect about Steve is that he is discreet about locations, so they're less likely to get over-shot. So far photographers seem to be respecting that precedent here, and I hope that the practice continues.
Location disclosure can be detrimental in direct impact on the site, in the effect of increased visitation on wildlife, but conceptual copies can either support the value of the original work (by advertising and referring to it) or they can subtract from its value (by masquerading as original discoveries or creative works, with no attribution to the original). At some point if there are too many copies without attribution, the identity of the original gets lost. That's unfortunate.
So with this rock and juniper photo, I thought it might be interesting to collect tribute photos and post them in the comments below. If you've taken one, post the Flickr URL surrounded by bracket symbols, or feel free to reference one that way as well. Hopefully they'll draw a clear path to the original.
It should go without saying, but if you are inspired by someone else's photo and produce a similar one, whether the shared element in yours is a distinctive composition or whether it's a creative concept such as creative lighting, at the very least please have the courtesy to credit them. It may also be required by copyright law, but in this case the law simply reflects common sense and common courtesy. Thank you if this is, or becomes, your common practice.