One of the wonderful things that has happened in the 21st Century is the ability to expand our horizons and connect with others who share our passion. One such person is Philip Clark who embraces the arts - all of it - including photography. And so I’m going to add a link to his blog, ‘The Artpoint’ which I hope you will find as interesting as I have.
This NYC Foto Safari blog will help us share our passion for photography with each other. To me, photography is about the vision – not the equipment. A great photograph conveys a feeling; a mood; a story; a perspective. The equipment we use are the tools that will capture what we want to convey. Yes, it’s wonderful to have a Leica with a 50 mm sumacron lens, but the camera isn’t taking the photography – you are. And it’s what you see in your head that counts. My dad was a wonderful photographer – John H. Popper. And he taught me that the camera should be an extension of my hands. I shouldn’t have to think about where the controls are, I should know. I remember he would sit up at night practicing with his cameras with his eyes closed, so he would automatically know where everything was. If you want to read a little about him you can go to mostcool.net.
One of the things I love about photography, is its unique ability to share. You can share smiles, tears, love and laugher, just with a click of the shutter. Memories are sometimes fleeting as we mature (not that anyone who knows me would use the word ‘mature’ as a description ), but looking at a photography of so and so, once upon a time, brings those precious memories crashing back into our conscious - and then you smile. How cool is that?
What brought me to this subject today was an experience I had yesterday. I joined a group of photographers from around the world through an organization called Help-Portrait. We all came together and took portraits of families in need, and then give them their portraits absolutely free of charge. There was no official affiliation, just an opportunity for photographers to use their skills, time and equipment to go out and help people in need. None of us will use these photographs to enhance our own businesses - it’s all about the people we wanted to give something to. And you should have seen the bright eyes and broad smiles on the faces of these wonderful people who came to our facility in Queens to be photographed. Just as wonderful was the bright eyes and broad smiles on us, as we reached out to let them know that they were special, beautiful, and cared about. Isn’t photography wonderful?