Hi Cole. I read your article and it is definitely food for thought. Thank you.
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Cole, hi! Any photo you take makes you think. How do you do it?
You portray in a beautiful way the endless fight between light and shade that is won by the shade most of times. Do you shoot with a dark exposition?
Hi Cole. I’ve been a fan of your work for years. In fact, you are one of the few reasons that I attempt to do black and white work at all. I’m influenced by painters more than photographers, particularly the 19th century landscape painters of the Hudson River School. So my question is, why should a photographer who envisions color images also work in black and white?
I was really impressed by both your work and your aproach It’s kind of refreshing to see a beautifull body of work so intense with such a “pristine” and uncomplicated attitude toward the technical stuff.
Love it!
Do you take it personal not to be technical?
[This is my “fluid Water No 45” version…in color]
Hi Cole -
Thanks so much for doing this AMA and sharing your knowledge. I’m curious what you think about studying the old masters of photography, especially given your ideas about photographic celibacy. Do you think is is important to study the history of photography and be knowledgeable about the photographic work created during previous generations?
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My gosh, Cole, there you go, another one of those parallels I was speaking of recently, plus, another, perhaps more poignant example—Peg and I love donkeys and own two as pets. (Sid)
Hello Serg my friend!
Everyone, this is Serg, we met on the streets of Lviv, Ukraine when I was creating my series: Ukrainians, With Eyes Shut.
We have remained friends these many years since!
The approach I use to create my images is to start with a completely blank canvas. I go into a situation with no expectations or preconceived ideas. I then hope that I will see something that excites and inspires me.
The project: Ukrainians, With Eyes Shut is a good example of this. When I went to Ukraine I had absolutely no idea of what I would encounter because I did no research about what I would see in Ukraine. I did not study guide books about Ukraine, I did not look up the “must see“ sites of the area and I did not look at any other photographers work from Ukraine.
I simply went with a blank canvas and hoped… or perhaps trusted…that I would see something that inspired me.
I was attracted to the people, but when I tried to photograph them all I could get was the “camera face“ (you know, the big smile people put on for you).
So the question became: how do I get past this camera face when I don’t have time to spend with each person and I don’t have a common language to communicate with?
I was standing at a bus stop pondering this question when I saw a man standing against the wall. I approached him and said “American” and he nodded. I held up my camera and said “photographer” and he nodded. I then held up my camera indicating I would like to take his picture, and he nodded.
After I took his photo, I used sign language to indicate that he should stop and close his eyes. He gave me a questioning look and I nodded yes.
This was the first image I created from this series:
That is how this series came about and how I try to create all of my work.
Go into a situation with a blank canvas. Expect nothing. Be open to everything.
Does this approach always work? No. But when it does work, it creates something that I’m really passionate about and really proud of.
Donkeys are the best pets ever! They’re smart, curious, loving and just funny. I have two of them also!
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Do you generally know when an image does not hit your “vision target” and, if so, do you screw around with it much before deleting it? I sometimes think the best thing about digital is to learn from what I delete!
Cole, KISS is my guiding principle, especially now with the years piling up. That’s why I am very happy to embrace the beautiful straightforwardness of Affinity Photo and dump the behemoth Photoshop. AP does it all for a mere $50, one time cost (and, right now it’s going for a mere $25, on sale). Upgrades are free and automatic. Talk about KISS at its best? This is it! I think nature says it best when one observes water seeking its own level, following the path of least resistance. There is something truly special about watching a forest stream meandering lazily through the woods—ah, yes. (Sid)
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Hi Sarah!
Everyone, Sarah just recently had me on a webinar with John Barclay to talk about Black and White.
I do not believe that studying the history of photography or the works of the great masters is necessary to create unique or great work.
Does it educate? Yes.
Is it fun and interesting? Yes.
Does it contribute to a rich and fulfilling life? Yes.
But do I believe it’s necessary to create great work? No.
If that were the case, then individuals who grew up without access to art and photography history, would never be able to create great art.
I just don’t believe that.
People often point out that I spent much of my youth and adult life pouring over the images of the great masters. They point out, quite correctly, that that has now become a part of my photographic history and has contributed to my vision. I agree.
But does that mean I could not have developed a Vision independent of those experiences?
Does that mean that if we were to discover a completely isolated aborigine tribe somewhere deep in the jungles of Madagascar that they could not have great art because they had no access to our art history?
My path is what it is and I have a Vision borne out of those experiences. But that does not close the door to other paths and other experiences.
I have no regrets for the path I took, but I wonder what might my Vision might have looked like if it were less constrained by all of these preconceived ideas of what photography “should” look like?
It is an academic question that can never be answered. But I wonder what might have been if I would have tried to gain my Vision and independence sooner.
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Amen! Our two are mom and daughter, yet each has her own distinct personality. Amazing animals! (Sid)
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A great question John, because I’ve been working on a blog article that discusses this: knowing when to let go.
Sometimes I’m so emotionally attached to an image, that I don’t want to give up on it. I try to convince myself that it’s a 9-10, when really it’s 6-7-8.
So I keep playing with it, trying to make it better than it really is. I think I know the truth all along, but I just won’t give in. So now I’m working on admitting that it’s not a great image and moving on sooner.
But when I have a “great” image, I know it right away! I know it when I’m standing there, looking at the scene before I even take the shot.
But sometimes my execution is not good enough and the image never makes it to fruition. A failure? No, just not a successful completion.
P.S. I never delete the images I don’t process or those that I process and don’t use. I save all of them. Some ask: do you ever go back and work them? Never! So why do I keep them? I don’t know, some sort of OCD thing I suspect.
Joao, I really like your photo, so vibrant and pure (?). I would call it “Going with the flow.” (Sid)
Hello João!
This is a great question for me because it’s such an ironic one! For 35 years I considered myself photographer, who emphasized technical perfection. Part of this was due to my logical personality, but much of it was because I thought I lacked creativity and could compensate for this by excelling in the technical.
That sounds so silly, doesn’t it? But that’s what I believed.
Around 2004 I started transforming myself to become an artist, who created. One of the biggest hurdles I had to overcome with my own mental limitations, that belief that I was not and could not be creative.
So as I became more creative I consciously stopped trying to be so technical. I went on a mission to simplify everything that I did. I worked to emphasize the image and not the technical process.
In this process of simplification, I found that my images were becoming more simple!
Now I am proud to be called a simpleton!
Hi Rich, thank you for following my work!
Why do some people “get“ Black and White and others do not? I have no idea.
Why is it that I ONLY get black-and-white and don’t get color?
I often joke and say it’s because I was born into a black-and-white world:
When I was growing up Television was in black-and-white:
The news was in black-and-white:
Movies were in black-and-white:
And even our nation was segregated into Black and White:
Is this the reason I love black and white, because I grew up in a black-and-white world? I don’t really know.
There is something pure and simple about black and white. It is a photograph stripped to the bare minimum. There is no color to hide behind, the only thing you have to work with is composition and light. (I hope that didn’t come across offensively)
Color can attract my eye, but black-and-white holds my attention.
Should a color photographer consider black-and-white? I am a big believer that one should follow their Passion and go with what excites them. If Black and White doesn’t do it for you, then I suspect you won’t be very good at it.
Or perhaps, if you try it, you might develop a passion for it?
Giuseppe, I am so glad you asked this question because I’m always a little bit afraid that people look at my images and conclude that I have a dark and brooding disposition.
I don’t think that my messages are dark, even though my images are. And I’m certainly not a dark or depressed person.
I have always loved black! When I was growing up in the early 60s, I dressed in black and wore black Beatle boots. I was clearly influenced by the music and dress of the times.
And that love of black and dark images continued through my life. When I was a 14-year-old boy and discovered Photography, I would spend hours looking at the works of the great masters. I was always drawn to a particular type of image: a dark and contrasty Image. When I viewed those images a shiver would go down my spine. It was what I loved!
And so I created dark images.
But as you pointed out, while many of my images tend towards the dark, some do not.
Such a huge part of my Vision is made up of what I love…and I love dark images!
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Hi Cole,
There seems to be a very diverse approach or disparity, and willingness to qualify a photographer as an artist and a photograph as art, within the art community, dealers, galleries, and museums. What are your thoughts on photography as an art form, and more specifically, how some photographers create limited editions or not and your personal approach to the above art community, galleries, dealers, and museums?
Jack Curran
For 35 years I considered myself a photographer whose goal was to faithfully reproduce what my eye saw. I tried to excel in the technical because I felt that’s all I had to offer. I did not think that I was creative and so the very thought of being an artist was laughable!
But around 2004 I had a mentor who encouraged me to be creative, but I strongly resisted! However over time, and through a lot of pain and reflection, I started to believe that I could be creative. I started wanting to be an artist who created and not just a photographer who documented.
During this transition from photographer to artist I emphasized the creative and deemphasize the technical. I now view gear and my technical abilities as tools and their purpose is to help me execute my Vision.
So I consider myself an artist and not a craftsman. (and I do recognize that an artist can be a craftsman and a craftsman can be an artist).