“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.”
~ Walt Disney ~
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Photographers are forever chasing the light in search of patterns, lines, texture, highlights, shadows and color. Whether early morning or late evening, the more of these design elements that come together, the better the image. Subjects can vary widely, but it’s these design elements that often make the image.
In many lines of work, specializing in one subject or craft is required to elevate your skill set to the next level (i.e. Doctors). Some may disagree with me here; I don’t think this concept applies to photographers.
A friend of mine often says, “I specialize in not specializing” and his brilliant photographic talent(s) is on display in every image he shoots… landscape, wildlife, portraits, etc. If you think about it, at the end of the day, the exposure triangle of photography applies to all imagery. The proper mix of aperture, shutter speed and ISO is key to a correct exposure. This hasn’t changed in decades… perhaps even a century.
A recent quote got me thinking further about specializing and how many things an individual can you do well in life. I’ll paraphrase to keep things simple:
“A human should be able to change a diaper, catch a fish, start a fire, cook a meal, build a wall, write a poem, fight efficiently, solve problems, cooperate, act alone, give orders, take orders, comfort the dying and die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.”
Hmmm… sounds about right to me! Photographers aren’t insects and take a plethora of images while chasing the light. Some fall into neat concise boxes and can be categorized accordingly - sports, landscapes, travel, portraits. Many are simply random images with no home. I often call these images… Bits & Pieces.
Let’s get started. In no particular order, category or time line… here are a few of the above mentioned images.
Ft. Myers, Florida
Athens, Greece
Times Square - New York City
Hollywood, Florida
