all photos (embiggenable)
AFTER 3 WEEKS AT RIST CAMP I HAVE COME TO REALIZE-an idea my picture making brain has previously toyed with-that I could accomplish nearly everything I desire, picture making wise, with only an iPhone, iPad, and Snapseed (for image processing). Considering my picture making life to date, I find this idea rather disconcerting / mind-boggling inasmuch as, prior to this date, my picture making endeavours have been shaped by high-end analog cameras / lenses, enlargers, high-quality digital cameras / lenses, high-end Mac desktop computers, high-end scanners, Photoshop, nth˚ calibration, and a variety of associated gear to include my EPSON wide-format printer. FYI, all of which-darkroom equipment excepted-I still own.
All of that written, I am not suggesting that my minimalist arrangement is for everyone. And no, I will not be consigning to the landfill my desktop computer, Photoshop, nor my EPSON printer. However, I do foresee using the desktop MAC and PS for some very limited image adjustments / fine tuning on a few files. Although, over past few weeks I have recognized that such fine tuning really does not significantly elevate the impact of my photographs. Rather, I guess I do such fine tuning cuz that’s what I have always done.
In any event, here’s the thing, re: my Adirondack Survey work: most of the photographs in that collection were made with the iPhone, some were made with a good quality digital camera, a very few were made with my 8x10 view camera. In the 12x12 book all the photographs are printed at the same 10x10 size. The prints for exhibition are printed at 20x20 on 24x24 paper. I would defy anyone but a tight-ass ultra perfectionist to identify what image making device was used to make any specific photograph.
Of course, there are those-primarily “serious” amateur picture makers-who would say that’s because they are all less than state of the art prints, but…that is not what the viewing public thinks. To date, almost every viewer has exclaimed that these are, in their words, beautiful photographs (or words to that effect). And guess what…that is the audience I most care about.
I quite simply do not give a rat’s ass about what some gear obsessed / ultra resolution / max saturation pinhead thinks about my photographs / prints.