I have been traveling A LOT these days. Home for 3 days then out for weeks at a time. Often times I'm finding myself in more and more unique places. I've found lately that I look down my nose at shots that are "just off the road", as to say shots that are TOO easily accessible. I want to get everyone's take; does a photo lose integrity if it was easy to get? At the core, a natural and landscape photographer's ultimate quest is to produce something completely new and unique. Often to do this the notion is to wait for that perfect light and hoof gear deep into wilderness - or is it just a moment in time that could be completely unique no matter where it is.
Of course the answer is subjective and somewhat obvious. I'd love to hear some other photog's opinions, personal struggles and philosophies on this subject?
I don't think it degrades from the image at all, unless you wish to exclude anything unnatural. I think a photographer is more talented if he or she can make a great photo of a more normal and less desirable place. It's much easier to take a beautiful photo of something that is beautiful already. The work behind the image doesn't matter to anyone but photographers, it's only the image produced. If someone sees a photo of rock climbing, for example, they don't think that the photographer climbed before them and hauled up hundreds of pounds of gear, woke up at 2 am to hike up to get the shot. They just care about the climber.
I like that!
Its so easy to get caught up worrying about what other photographers will think. Ultimately it comes down to the image and what it conveys. I like the climbing reference, hits close to home. I was hanging off the east buttress of El Cap a few months back wondering if people would recognize how hard the photograph I was making was - ie all the work and time I had invested just to get there. All that worry and I almost overlooked the beauty of where I was.
The stories of your own difficulties are only cool to other photographers. I'd love to see the pictures you got on El cap, I'm an aspiring climbing photographer myself and i actually do enjoy the stories behind the image ;)
Rap off east buttress of El Cap.
Jason that is such a cool photo! I love the sliver of light against the dark foreground and the climber away from the wall to add to the feeling that he is in a place not normal for humans
I think Tyler nailed it. A very wise 16 year old! Making a shot of a beautiful scene is great, but making an interesting shot of the usual takes talent and effort.
Haha thanks Michael! I've had some very inspirational and wise mentors for both photography and life in general.