"Art is the stored honey of the human soul" - Theodore Dreiser
My philosophy is unchanged since I began. Photography, and art in general, is about vision and communication and how one uses the tools of their artform. It is about how we see that makes our images not only unique but compelling and how they connect with the viewer. The process is about learning to see. Where is the composition? Horizontal or vertical? Do I leave this tree in or take it out? What is the right time of day? Morning, midday or afternoon? What conditions do I need? Clear sky or clouds? Why type of clouds? Light rain? Fog or frost? These are all part of the process. The camera is and always has been a tool to achieve that vision. That is not to say the technical aspects of any type of camera is not without its merit, but the camera has to be directed by the photographer and their vision. Pointed at the wrong composition or a good composition at the wrong time of day and the image may be technically outstanding, but artistically lacking. No matter how expensive the camera, or how many bells and whistles are built into it, photography as an artform is still about how that tool is used to achieve one's vision. It is the challenge of my artform to use it wisely, and masterfully.