Better Photo Tips - Creative Influence

[Heather Perry]

Have you ever heard the phrase "Rome was not built in a day?" In
fact, when you think of Rome what comes to mind? Arches, Columns
and Chariot races, perhaps? While the Romans may have taken these
concepts to new heights, they were not the original creators of such
ideas. They were on the other hand, masters of adapting ideas and
making them seem like their own.
Romans borrowed or adapted such things as religion, arts (especially
sculpture), literature, and language from the
Greeks. Architecture; like arches and columns and trenches to
irrigate the land came from the Etruscans. Chariot races and
Gladiators were also NOT their ideas.
While Rome's influence on history can not be denied, I find it
interesting that much of what made them what they were came from
somewhere else. The same can be said for photography.
Technology like microchips and data storage devices came from the
computer industry. Many design and art concepts came from the Greeks
as well. The rule of thirds and leading lines for example, are by
no means "new" concepts.
For many years the camera was only part of the equation, in
photography. When you thought of the "Great Ones" like Ansel
Adams or Edward Weston; your mind often thought of something else
entirely. At one point in time, you were not considered a serious
photographer unless you also did your own darkroom work.
The darkroom today for the most part has gone the way of the Greeks
and Etruscans. It is or was the place where most young
photographers learned to focus on composition, cropping, and
design.   Although mostly forgotten, the darkroom is what
made photography an Art as opposed to just a Craft. Let me
clarify this. Art is something that is unique vs. a craft is
something that can be produced again and again with
exactness. Although a craft can appear very artistic, it is not
the same.
I am painfully aware there is a growing generation of young
photographers who have never been in a darkroom.   To you, I
must sound like the old man who complains that he misses his records
and tapes (pre mp3 era). You must understand this is how we were
raised. Anyone could snap a picture, but it took a REAL
photographer to do both.
I was a junior in College when they took out the last wet
darkroom. Dry darkrooms were not dark at all, they were computer
labs. I think they just kept the name so we wouldn't feel so
bad. It was a shock to the system, when darkrooms died; after all
half of everything I knew about photography was suddenly ripped away.
For many years I felt lost, I didn't really feel like a photographer
any more. It felt like I was cheating; after all, now I just took
a photo; I no longer created the photo.
Then one Easter Sunday, something occurred to me. Over 2000 years
ago a young man from Galilee had a great influence on the
world. He taught some great concepts and then he died. I'm sure
many of his followers also felt lost. The good news is, today
many of us are still following those same concepts of kindness,
forgiveness and charity. His death was not the end, but the
beginning.
Photography today follows the same concepts. The world of Digital
Photography actually allows us to be more artistic, not
less. Things that would have taken us hours in a darkroom can now
be done in minutes in Photoshop. Original Greek concepts of
composition and design may also be over 2000 years old, but it doesn't
make them any less true. The skills of yesterday are never
wasted.
In the evolution of photography we went from 5x7 films to 35mm film
and we did not destroy the art. We moved from Black and White to
Color and did not destroy the art. Moving from Film to Digital is
not a limitation.   It is the next step in the creative
process. If we learn from history, as did the Romans, we too may
have a greater impact on the world. Remember, it's not a crime to
learn from the past, its human nature.