“The photos stirred feelings she couldn’t quite frame in words, and this, she decided, must mean they were true works of art.”
― Little Fires Everywhere
There are two ways I classify photography in my mind. The first are moments that you happen upon. This happens alot with photojournalism, sports photography, but, you also find it in nature photography and everyday candids. Then, there are the moments that you create, you see this often in event photography (particularly weddings), portrait photography, and fashion photography. Whenever I’m shooting, I think about whether I am there as an observer or as a creator.
When I read Little Fires Everywhere, I appreciated Celeste Ng’s portrayal of the artistic process for photography. In the story, Mia warren is an artist, who uses photography as the center of her work. She also manipulates both her subjects and her prints for the final product. If you love cameras, you’ll enjoy that aspect of the story and the symbolism surrounding it.
As I’ve been curating weekly color posts, I’ve reflected on how much of my photography focuses on bringing together tones versus drawing them out of the setting. Some moments, like the antique store above, were simply waiting for my eye. Others, like the sky, are manipulated to bring out the desired tones. And some are curations of my own design, where I bring together the elements that compose the final shot.