Eugene, Thanks for your response and yes, most certainly a worthy topic for discussion.
Most certainly an interesting topic. It’s so often simply about perspective and point of view. Interesting because I wasn’t considering how YOU were connected. Maybe it’s silly, but I already assume you (or anyone else presenting their images and work…) is already and obviously connected to their work. So I guess I just make the assumption the creator of the work is connected already to the scene and the image they captured. So to that end, as the viewer I’m just more interested in whether or not the image connects with me or not. Am I making any sense?
Ahhh, and this is at the heart of a discussion that perhaps we could carry on in to one of the discussion forums as I don’t want to dig too deep here… And I possibly have quite different feelings about this than others.
Could I identify the connection you had? I don’t see how I could? Perhaps this was the first mountain you’ve ever summitted and you had a feeling of euphoria and “on top of the world.” Maybe you’re simply an avid adventure skier and are proud and excited to ski down that slope for the first time? You see, I have no idea why you’re on top of that mountain; maybe photography was not the reason but you wanted to make sure you captured the moment?
I can only relate in the sense that I know what my images mean to me and I KNOW other photographers have deep meaning and connection with their images. But what is that connection? I have no idea why others connect to their work. And at least for me, knowing any little bit of this information usually doesn’t change my impression of an image. Again I may be different, but it’s the image that speaks to me, very little to do with who captured the image or why.
Now, location and more specifically a moment/event or circumstance most certainly can have an effect. Location can mean standing on a beach watching the pounding surf. One could be in Oregon or the shores of Whales… anyone who frequents the ocean and surf, can relate to standing there. Anyone who has stood at the base of El Capitan - can relate - but wait, do they relate the same thing? I’ve stood there perhaps not quite a hundred times in my lifetime. Often times I don’t even look up at the BFR… (big effin’ rock) - yet it still has special meaning to me because I’m so familiar (and never climbed it either…) But what about the 70 year old climber who spent his life climbing in Patagonia and never, ever made it to Yosemite… They just might have a different perspective and relationship standing beneath the grand monolith.
No rights or wrongs here, only opinions for our own lifetime of experiences and outlooks.
Thanks for the discussion Eugene!