Black & White Photography Archives - Cole Thompson Photography

April 20, 2024

Vision Works at Both Ends of an Image

Auschwitz No. 4

I love to talk about how Vision helps me to create an image, not documenting what I see with my eyes, but following what I am seeing inside my head. And I’ve recently been thinking about how Vision is also used when we view an image.

I first noticed this when I created Auschwitz No. 4 above. I had decided not to include any “living” persons in this series, but this image stuck with me, and I decided to include it. I remember having strong feelings as to what this image meant, this living man amongst the ghosts, but I never tell people what an image means to me. It seems to me that the image ought to speak for itself.

But over the years, as I’ve heard others express what this image means to them, I’ve been surprised to hear over a dozen different interpretations…and none of them matched mine. It seems to me that Vision not only guides in the creation of an image, but it also shapes the interpretation by the viewer.

Melting Giants No. 21

I saw this again when I created my “Melting Giants” series. What I saw and felt was different than what most other people saw and felt. I once heard someone say that if others did not “get” your message, then the image had failed.

I disagree. I think that my purpose in creating this series was not to communicate something, but to express something. And I’m glad that others see the images through their own life experiences (their Vision), even if they see something different than I do.

And that’s why I don’t talk about what I was trying to say, or what an image means to me. Once I have created the image, my job is done, and now it’s up to the viewer to see what they see.

March 7, 2024

What Would You Be Willing to Do to be More Popular?

Self-Shadow, Death Valley Dunes

I suspect we would all like our work to be more popular, but what would you be willing to do to achieve that popularity?

Would you be willing to find images that are popular on social media, and then imitate them?

Would you be willing to create images using fad techniques, just because they are currently in fashion?

Would you be willing to create images that you didn’t love, because others loved them?

What would you be willing to do? How much do you want to be popular and how popular do you want to be? And if you are able to achieve a large audience, does that mean your work is better than someone with a small audience?

Here’s a truth uttered by the great pianist, Artur Rubinstein: “Nothing in art can be the best. It is only different.”

There is no good or bad art, just different art, and if you are creating images from your heart, from your Vision and with Passion, you will find your audience. It may be a small audience, but it will be a sincere one.

By the simple fact that I create with photography, greatly reduces the size of my audience. And by creating in black and white, reduces it further. And then there is my style of black and white, which reduces it even further still. That is the natural consequence of creating work that I love, but may not be widely popular with others.

So, how do I enlarge the size of my audience?

Self-Shadow, I’m on the left

Well as I see it, I have two options: create what the audience loves…or don’t.

And I’ve chosen “don’t.”

It’s a part of my philosophy of “creating honest work.” You do what you do, and you love what you create, and you’re happy with the audience you find…even if it’s tiny!

Why? Because popularity is overrated. What does it get me? Will I live longer if I’m popular? Will it get me into the best restaurants? Do I get to associate with a “higher class” of people?

No.

And even if it did get me all of those things, I would not trade popularity for the personal satisfaction that I receive when I create an image that I love.

Self-Shadow, DaVinci

It seems that so many of the questions that I find myself asking these days, leads me back to this basic one:

Why do I create?

For too many years I created for the accolades, and I was dissatisfied with my photography. I wasn’t creating what I loved, but rather what I thought the audience would love.

I have found that true satisfaction comes from within. It also has the extra benefit of giving you confidence and the ability to withstand criticism, and praise. I love how Georgia O’Keeffe said it:

“I decided to accept as true my own thinking. I had already settled it for myself, so flattery and criticism go down the same drain, and I am quite free.”

That’s how I feel when I follow my Vision and create what I love: free.

October 28, 2023

Five Steps to More Meaningful Photography

John and I recently posted a YouTube video in which we talked about the sales pitches we see in photography:

“Follow this one rule for better photographs.”

“The three key steps to becoming a better photographer.”

“Ten things to improve your photography.”

“Do this ONE thing!”

Each hyperbolic statement is designed to get you to read the article and perhaps sell you something.

Then John asked if I had any such formulas (of course assuming that I did not). But “boy howdy” was he surprised when I told him that I did!

I have “Five Steps to More Meaningful Photography” and I GUARANTEE that they work! Here they are:

Question your motives.
Find your Vision.
Find your Passion.
Critically analyze your own work.
Be true to yourself.

More meaningful photography has nothing to do with your equipment, how sharp your images are or what rules you follow.

More meaningful photography takes a lot of hard work, self-analysis and complete honesty.

But it’s worth it.

Click here to watch this episode of “The Cole and John Show.”

July 9, 2023

Seeing for Yourself

Learning to see for yourself? Who else would I see for?

Well for many years I did not see for myself. I saw through the lens of Ansel Adams, through the lens of my mentors, through the lens of rules. I saw things how I was told that I should see them, by many well meaning people who wanted to help me create better photographs.

And sometimes, when I did see for myself, I was gently reminded that I shouldn’t do certain things like “center the subject“ or “block up my shadows.”

And so to win approval, likes and praise… I learned to conform and to see like other people. All of my early experiences taught me that the more approval an image received, the better the image was.

And even though I went along willingly, there was always a part of me that was unsettled. Something about this just didn’t feel right.

Often the images I loved the most, performed poorly in the eyes of popularity. And the images that were mundane to me, performed the best. But I was learning to get more “likes” and that’s what was important, I told myself.

But going down this path did not make me happy. In fact, the more I did it, the less happy I became. I was “winning“ but I felt dishonest. I was creating what it took to win, but I wasn’t creating what I loved. I was selling out.

And so I paused to take stock of what I was doing…and WHY I was doing it.

I was seeking success, but had never stopped to ask myself: what did success mean to me? I had just assumed it meant being recognized as a great photographer, getting in a big name gallery, selling my work for big dollars, and having a book published.

But as I started to achieve some of that, I found that it wasn’t bringing satisfaction.

And so I decided to define what success meant for me. Here’s what I came up with:

To be able to create what I want, when I want, and to create work that I love.

My new definition had nothing to do with likes, sales, being published or receiving accolades.

The result was that I was much happier and created better work (in my opinion, which is the only one that matters).

And sometimes when I created work that I loved, I was fortunate and others appreciated it also.

That external appreciation is what I call the cherry on top. The cherry is not the prize, but rather that little extra treat on top of the real prize: creating work that I love.

Now it’s easy to say: I’m going to stop caring what other’s think of my work and see for myself.

But how do you do that?

For me, it came about after realizing that accolades are like drugs, they only bring a temporary high, which needs to be followed by another fix and another and another. And as I focused on on accolades, I came to realize that this approach didn’t put me in control of my happiness, because it was dependent upon the approval of others.

Being dependent upon others for my happiness, just didn’t seem like real happiness.

I wanted to be in control.
I wanted to see for myself.
I wanted to create images that I loved.
I wanted to judge my work by my standards.
I wanted to be independent, not dependent.

There were two men who helped me make these mental shifts, one real and one fictitious: Edward Weston and Howard Roark.

I love Edward Weston’s work, but what I admire most about him was his thinking. Here’s what Ansel Adams wrote upon meeting him for the first time at a mutual friend’s home:

“After dinner, Albert asked Edward to show his prints. They were the first work of such serious quality I had ever seen, but surprisingly I did not immediately understand or even like them; I thought them hard and mannered.

Edward never gave the impression that he expected anyone to like his work. His prints were what they were. He gave no explanations; in creating them his obligation to the viewer was completed.”

This is classic Weston: he followed his Vision, was comfortable with his work and did not seek, nor need the approval of others.

Here are some of my favorite Weston quotes:

“Photography is a poor man’s art and anyone who wants an

original print should be able to own one.”

“The fact is that relatively few photographers ever master their medium. Instead they allow the medium to master them and go on an endless squirrel cage chase from new lens to new paper to new developer to new gadget, never staying with one piece of equipment long enough to learn its full capacities, becoming lost in a maze of technical information that is of little or no use since they don’t know what to do with it.”

“I should be able to look down at my feet and see something to photograph.”

“Now to consult the rules of composition before making a picture is a little like consulting the law of gravitation before going for a walk. Such rules and laws are deduced from the accomplished fact; they are the products of reflection.”

“When subject matter is forced to fit into preconceived patterns, there can be no freshness of vision. Following rules of composition can only lead to a tedious repetition of pictorial clichés.”

“Why limit yourself to what your eyes see when you have such an opportunity to extend your Vision?”

“Anything more than 500 yards from the car just isn’t photogenic.”

Each year I peek into the mind of Edward Weston by reading his “Day Books,” which is his two-volume diary from his time in Mexico. It inspires me to think for myself, to see for myself, and to create for myself.

Howard Roark is a fictitious character from Ayn Rand’s novel: The Fountainhead. Roark is an architect who has a strong Vision of what he wants to create, but it flies in the face of what is popular, what is taught, and what the critics like. (the character is thought to be loosely based upon Frank Lloyd Wright, another hero of mine)

But Howard is true to his Vision, at great personal cost. He believes in unwavering integrity in his personal life and in his creations. Here are some of my favorite quotes from Howard Roark:

“He didn’t want to be great, but to be thought great by others.”

“Men have been taught that it is a virtue to agree with others. But the creator is the man who disagrees. Men have been taught that it is a virtue to swim with the current. But the creator is the man who goes against the current. Men have been taught that it is a virtue to stand together. But the creator is the man who stands alone.”

“I don’t make comparisons. I never think of myself in relation to anyone else. I just refuse to measure myself as part of anything. I’m an utter egotist.”

“Self respect is something that can’t be killed. The worst thing is to kill a man’s pretense at it'”

This is Roark’s response when told by the College Dean that no one would let him design buildings that followed his unique Vision:

“That’s not the point. The point is, who will stop me?”

A newspaper’s architectural critic, who had been savagely critical of Roark’s designs, runs into Roark and asks:

“Mr. Roark, we’re alone here. Why don’t you tell me what you think of me? In any words you wish. No one will hear us.”

Roark: “But I don’t think of you.”

Yes, Roark is a fictitious character, and he can be being anything the author wants him to be; independent, brave and defiant. But the philosophies espoused by the author, have inspired me to see more independently.

Thinking and seeing independently is incredibly hard, because it’s in our DNA to conform, to go along with the crowd, and to fit in. And sometimes in life that’s a good thing, but in art…it’s deadly.

Art is a selfish pursuit, it’s about expressing what’s in you, even if it’s ugly, doesn’t conform or is unpopular. And when you conform and seek to please others, then your ability to see for yourself is squashed, and it will eventually shrivel and die.

How do you become independent, to think and see for yourself? Here’s some of the things that I do:

Ask: why am I creating?

This is an important first step. The “why” you are creating will determine everything else that you do. If your desire is to “win and gain likes,” then you will go one way. If your desire is to express something that’s inside of you, then you’ll go another.

This step requires that you be completely honest with yourself, something that’s not easy to do.

Define success for yourself:

For some, the classic definition of success will be their goal: fame, fortune, gallery representation and a book.

But for me, success is freedom: the freedom to create what I love, without the desire to follow the crowds/experts/rules, and without worrying if others will like my work.

What is your definition of success? Write it down and read it often.

Stop Competing:

Art is not a competition, I shouldn’t be trying to be better than someone else, but working to express something that’s inside of me. Competition in art, brings out qualities that are incompatible with personal expression.

Competing also reinforces the mistaken belief that a winning image is a great image, and that one that doesn’t win, isn’t good.

Stop Comparing:

“Comparison is the thief of joy“ said Theodore Roosevelt.

I used to spend hours looking at other’s images, comparing their work to my own…and feeling bad. Why hadn’t I created that image, or thought of that idea?

Comparing serves no useful purpose, and is harmful because it puts the focus on what “they” are doing instead of what “you“ are doing.

And as my mother used to say to me: you stop worrying what others are doing, and just worry about Cole. Good advice mom.

Consider Photographic Celibacy:

Consider taking a break from looking at other people’s images, and focus on your Vision. I’ve been doing it for over 15 years now, and still find the practice incredibly useful. I recognize that most people are skeptical about the idea, but how about a 3 or 6 month trial?

You might be surprised at what you learn.

Skip the critiques:

Stop asking others for input on your work, because “their opinion” is based on their likes, dislikes and Vision. Following other‘s advice is the exact opposite of seeing for yourself.

Instead learn to critique your own work by asking yourself these questions:

What do I think of my image?
Did it turn out the way I envisioned?
If not, how so?
What do I love about this image?
How can I enhance those things that I love?
What don’t I like about this image?
How can I deemphasize or eliminate those things?
Do I love what I’ve created?

Learning to self-critique is a much better way to see, than by following another’s advice or following rules. Asking other’s opinion is the easier path, but not the better one.

Believe in Your Creative Abilities:

This was a tough one for me, because I didn’t believe that I had any creative ability. And as I have talked with other photographers, I‘ve discovered that I was not unique in my self-doubts. I think many of us were drawn to photography because we thought it was the perfect medium for we non-creative types.

But I’ve learned this important truth: we all have the ability to be creative, everyone single one of us. For some, that creativity lies close to the surface, and for the rest of us, we need to work a little harder to find it. But it’s there, I promise!

Find your Vision:

This is the most important step, because your Vision is simply how you see once you’ve pushed all of the other voices out of your head. Vision is the key to being successful, if your goal is to create images that you love.

And once you’ve found your Vision, you will gain a confidence that allows you to ignore what others are doing, not care what other’s think of your work, shake off criticism and love the work that you create.

None of this is easy, and it’s not a one time exercise. I am constantly fighting the desire to conform, to see how others have seen and to create for likes. It’s an addiction that never goes away, and one that I must constantly work to resist.

But it’s worth it! Because at the end of the day, you will have created honest work that you love, and you will be in control of your happiness.

April 6, 2023

Vision: How Badly Do You Want It?

I talk a great deal about Vision, because it changed my photography. It helped me make the transition from “taking pictures” to “creating images.”

And the lessons I learned about following my Vision, helped me to change my life. You see, following your Vision is not really about photography, it is about life.

Here’s where my Vision story begins:

Several years ago I was attending Review Santa Fe where I was hoping to be discovered. Over the course of a day my work was evaluated by a number of gallery owners, curators, publishers and “experts” in the field.

During the last review of a very long day, the reviewer quickly looked at my work, brusquely pushed it back to me and said:

“It looks like you’re trying to copy Ansel Adams.”

I replied that I was, because I loved his work! He then said something that would change my life forever:

“Ansel’s already did Ansel and you’re not

going to do him any better. What can you

create that shows your unique vision?”

Those words really stung, but the message did sink in: Was it my life’s ambition to be known as the world’s best Ansel Adams imitator? Had I no higher ambition than that?

I desperately wanted to know if I had a Vision, but there was a huge problem: what exactly was Vision?

Is Vision a look, a technique, a style? Is it something that you learn, is it something that some people have and others do not?

It turns out that it’s none of those things.

Vision is simply the sum-total of your life

experiences, that allows you to see the

world in a unique way.

Imagine if you could take everything that you’ve experienced in life, everything you’ve been taught, and everything you’ve learned…and melt that down so you could cast lenses, that you saw the world through.

And what you see through those life-lenses, is your Vision.

It’s simply how YOU see.

When I stand before a scene, I can see what that final image will look like.

How I imagine that final image is based in part on my tastes (b&w), my likes (centered images), and preferences (high contrast)…which are all a part of my Vision.

But there are other voices in my head that sometimes distract me.

How would Ansel see this scene?

Or perhaps I’m hearing the voice of my camera club judge who told me that my images were too dark, and that I needed to open up my shadows.

Or I’m following the advice of my mentor who keeps telling me not to center my subject.

And what about the rules?

Maybe I should change how I’m seeing to conform to them?

Here’s the problem: Vision cannot coexist with those other voices!

You must either choose to follow the rules, the judges, mentors, experts and social media “likes”…or follow your Vision. The two choices are diametrically opposed to one another.

But to follow your Vision, you must first find it, and from my experience, that’s not very easy. Unlike our cameras that come with a manual, or PhotoShop with its thousands of YouTube instructional videos, Vision has no manual or guides.

And because I had no idea on how to proceed, I simply came up with ten ideas that I thought would help me find my Vision.

1. Sort Your Portfolio

I took 100 of my best images, printed them out and then divided them into two groups: the ones I REALLY loved…and all the rest. I decided that the ones that went in the “loved” pile had to be images that “I” loved, and not just ones that I was attached to because they had received a lot praise, won awards or sold the best.

And if I loved an image that no one else did, I still picked it.

Then I analyzed each of those images in the small stack and asked myself: What do I love about this image? I did not ask myself: what do these images have in common, because that didn’t matter to me.

And it was then I had a small peek into my Vision; I love dark images, contrasty images, centered and symmetrical images, I love simple images, unusual images, and I love photographing wildly varied subjects.

At the time I didn’t understand how important these little discoveries were, but now looking back, this was a very important first step.

2. Make the Commitment

I committed that from that point on, I would only pursue those kinds of images, the ones that I really loved. Too often I had been sidetracked when I chose to pursue images simply because others liked them.

It was through this step, that I began to recognize the corrupting influence of praise. Criticism could sting for a bit, but praise could turn my head.

3. Practice Photographic Celibacy

I started practicing Photographic Celibacy and stopped looking at other photographer’s work. I reasoned that to find my Vision, I had to stop immersing myself in the Vision and images of others.

I used to spend hours and hours looking at other photographer’s work and would then find myself copying their style or even their specific images. I knew that I couldn’t wipe the blackboard of my mind clean of those images, but I could certainly stop focusing on their Vision and instead focus on mine.

When I looked at a scene I didn’t want to see it through another photographer’s eyes, I wanted to see it through mine!

Initially I thought I’d only practice Photographic Celibacy for a short time, while finding my Vision. But here I am now, some 15 years later, and still find the practice useful.

4. Simplify Your Processes

I embarked on a mission to simplify my photography. In the past I had focused on the technical and now I was going to focus on the creative. I disposed of everything that was not necessary: extra equipment, gadgets, plug-ins, programs, processes and all of those toys we technophiles love. I went back to the basics which simplified my photography, and gave me more time for focus on the creative.

I was very surprised at how effective this step was. Yes, simplification did give me more time to focus on the creative, but more importantly it changed where my focus was.

5. Ignore Other’s Advice

I ignored the advice that well intentioned friends and experts gave me. So much of this advice had never felt right for me and I was torn between following their recommendations or my own intuition. In the end I decided that only by pleasing myself could I create my best work, and that no matter how expert someone was, they were not an expert about my Vision or what I wanted.

Here’s some of the expert advice that I had been given:

Follow the rules of composition
Lighten your images
Open up your shadows
Don’t center the subject
Focus on one genre and become known for that

This advice never felt right to me, but I followed it because it came from the “experts.”

6. Change Your Mindset

I worked to change my mindset from photographer to artist. I had always thought of myself as a photographer who documented, but I could see that this role was limiting and the truth was that I wanted to be an artist that created.

To help me make this mental shift, I started calling myself an artist (I felt like such a fraud at first) figuring that I must play the part to become the part. I also stopped using certain words and phrases, for example instead of saying “take a picture” I would say “create an image.”

That may seem like small and inconsequential things, but it helped to continually remind me that I wanted to be an artist who created, and not a photographer who documented.

7. Question Your Motives

I questioned my motives and honestly answered some hard question such as: Why am I creating? Who am I trying to please? What do I want from my photography? How do I define success?

It seemed to me that Vision was something honest and that if I were going to find my Vision, I had to be honest about the reasons I was pursuing it.

8. Stop Comparing

I stopped comparing my work to other photographers. I noticed that when I compared, it led to doubts about my abilities and it left me deflated. All I could see were their strengths and my weaknesses, which was an unfair comparison.

I decided that if my goal was to produce the best work that I could, then it did not matter what others were doing. I had to remind myself that this was not a race or a contest, I was not competing against others…I was trying to be my best self.

9. Stop Caring What Others Think

I made a conscious decision to stop caring what others thought of my work. I recognized that in trying to please others, I was left feeling insecure and empty.

At the end of the day, it was just me, my work and what I thought of it. As long as I cared what others thought, I was a slave and could never be free.

10. Get Inspired

I re-read Ayn Rand’s novel “The Fountainhead” which I had first read at age 17. It has been one of the most influential books of my life because it gave me hope that I could become truly independent, that I could think for myself and define my own future. I know this book can cause strong reactions in people, both for good and ill, but it was a tremendous help in finding my Vision.

I also re-read Edward Weston’s Day Books, and re-read them annually. I just really connected with how Weston thought, and this also inspired me to become independent and to follow my own Vision.

I’d love to report that in a very short time, I found my Vision, became wildly successful, and lived happily ever after…but that just ain’t so!

For two years I worked really hard on finding my Vision, and nothing happened.

I still didn’t understand what Vision was, and I still had no idea if I had one. At times I became so discouraged with my seeming lack of progress, that I considered giving up my search. I thought that without Vision, I could at least continue on as a technically proficient photographer.

I believe the reason I couldn’t understand Vision, was because I was searching for a complicated answer.

When really, Vision is so very, very, very, very simple.

Vision is simply how I see, when I push all the other voices out of my head.

So how and when I did I “discover” my Vision? I had been working hard for two years, to push out all of those other voices, to create for the right reasons, to ignore what other’s were doing and to not care what other’s thought of my work.

And then one day, in a simple and quiet moment of understanding, it occurred to me that I was now creating from my Vision! I had “let go” of all of that other stuff, and I was creating what I loved and how I loved it.

And once I had found my Vision, it all seemed so obvious and simple.

I hear this often: I’ve tried, but I just can’t find my Vision.

One of the most important truths I learned about Vision, is that we all have one. You cannot, not have one, because it is simply your point of view, or how you see. So please do not think that you’re the one person who doesn’t have one.

You do.

But let me ask three hard questions:

How badly do you want it?

I wanted to know if I had a Vision more than anything else. It consumed me and I thought about it almost every day for those two years. And I was willing to work hard for it, and sacrifice for it.

A story: I was giving a live presentation in New Jersey, and I explained how I practiced Photographic Celibacy as a way to help me find my Vision, when man in the audience stood up and said (incredulously):

“You do what? Why on earth would

you deprive yourself of the pleasure

of looking at beautiful photographs?”

I responded:

“Because I wanted to find my Vision, even

more than I wanted to look at

beautiful photographs.“

How badly do you want it?

What have you tried? Simply wishing that you had a Vision is not enough, you must work hard to find it.

I didn’t have any idea of how to proceed, but you have the advantage of my ten steps. And while I cannot guarantee that these will work for you, I do sincerely believe that they will help.

If you were to divide up the time you spend on your photography, how much is spent on the technical verses dedicated to finding your Vision?

I spent two years, working daily to analyze my motives, to learn what I loved, and to train myself not to care what others thought of my work. It was hard, soul searching work, with lots of self-analysis (all done while I was working a full time job and raising a family).

How much time are you willing to spend to find your Vision?

Finding your Vision is a solitary journey, and it takes time…

This is The Angel Gabriel, and this was the first image that that I consciously created from my Vision. As I stood there, I could see the final image in my head.

And from that point on, that’s how I created my images.

It’s what I call Cole’s Rule of Thirds:

A great image consists of three parts:

1/3 Vision

1/3 The Shot

1/3 Processing

But it’s the Vision that comes first, and what drives the shot and the post-processing.

Without Vision, I would take the shot and then just play with it in Photoshop, hoping to stumble upon a great image. And once in a while, I got lucky and would find one.

Finding my Vision allowed me to evolve from “taking pictures” to “creating images.” For me, creating an image goes far beyond what your eyes see.

I love what Edward Weston said about this:

“Why limit yourself to what your eyes see

when you have such an opportunity

to extend your Vision?”

What my eyes see, is just the beginning of the process. My eyes can inspire me, but it’s my Vision that allows me to “see.”

Here is my favorite quote on Vision, ironically from a blind woman:

If you are serious about improving your photography, consider focusing on your Vision, with at least as much time and energy as you spend on developing your technical skills.

Vision will improve your work to a much greater degree than any technical improvements that you can make to your photography.

February 26, 2023

Is An AI Generated Photography…A Real Photograph?

Midjourney by Jason Allen (and AI)

It was recently revealed that an award winning photograph was actually AI generated. I was discussing this with my son Caleb, who is majoring in Computer Science, and the question arose: is an AI generated photograph, a real photograph?

A day later, Caleb emailed me and said that he had posed that question to ChatGPT, which is an AI chatbot (think of the computer HAL in 2001).

Here is AI’s response to the question:

The answer to whether a photograph created by AI is a “real” photograph can be somewhat subjective and depends on how we define “real.” From a technical standpoint, a photograph created by AI is a digital image file that can be viewed and shared just like any other digital photo. However, there are some important differences between photos created by humans and those created by AI.

One key difference is that photographs created by humans are typically the result of a deliberate and intentional act of capturing an image of a real-world subject through a camera lens, whereas AI-generated images are created through an algorithmic process that may not involve an actual subject or a physical camera. This means that AI-generated images may not necessarily represent something that exists in the physical world.

Another difference is that photographs created by humans are often valued for their ability to capture a moment in time and convey a sense of reality or authenticity, whereas AI-generated images may be valued more for their esthetic or creative qualities. In this sense, the concept of a “real” photo may be less relevant for AI-generated images.

Ultimately, whether a photograph created by AI is considered a “real” photo depends on the context in which it is used and the purpose it serves. In some cases, an AI-generated image may be just as valid and valuable as a photo taken by a human photographer, while in other cases, the distinction between a “real” photo and an AI-generated image may be more meaningful.

Wow, not a bad answer, but it’s a little creepy being referred to as a “human” by a computer.

This week I had friend write an article for his Club’s newsletter, in which he talks about how he described an image to DALL-E (an AI system that can create images) and he then shows the result:

Find Your Vision

Thanks to the amazing job Serge does as the Programs Director for WPS we have one spectacular speaker after another at our meetings. And one of the positive side effects of the COVID-19 pandemic has been our Zoom meetings where we have been able to invite speakers from geographically distant places.

Last night’s program knocked it out of the park again: Cole Thompson came to us from his home in Colorado and gave an awesome inspirational talk illustrated with many of his projects.

He talked about finding your vision and not listening to what other people think your vision should be, or what “rules” you should follow, and that certainly one should not copy someone else’s vision.

He shared an anecdote from his early days when his photography imitated Ansel Adams. A critic told him “Ansel already did Ansel. What can you do that exhibits your unique vision?” That led to a sudden epiphany, and as he put it, he didn’t want to be known as “the world’s greatest Ansel Adams imitator”.

Lately generative AI has been in the news everywhere. ChatGPT has been all over the mainstream press, most recently on the cover of the current (February 27th) issue of Time Magazine. Before that, everyone was talking about OpenAI’s DALL-E 2.

While I certainly don’t want to be the world’s greatest Cole Thompson imitator, inspired by him, I thought I’d have a little fun with DALL-E and see what I could do. So with the prompt,

“A moody high contrast black and white portrait of a cat in the style of Cole Thompson with long exposure motion blur clouds and ocean in the background”

Meow, Sitting for Portrait

Scary, huh?

So, what’s your vision? I hope you share some of your images in our Member Showcase meetings, or even here in our newsletter. Till next time, may you always see beauty in your viewfinder.

–Fuat Baran, President (Westchester Photographic Society)

AI clearly doesn’t do cats very well (unless it was portraying the cat in long exposure?) Nonetheless, this is a fairly impressive and yet scary image, that gives a hint of what’s to come.

AI is a hot topic, and I doubt it’s going away. I suspect my views on it will evolve with time, but for right now, I would not feel good about creating an AI generated image and then calling it a photograph or calling it “mine.”

April 6, 2022

If You Could Do Just One Thing to Improve Your Photography…What Would It Be?

Stranded

If you wanted to improve your photography and you could do just one thing…what would it be? What, among all of the many possibilities, would help you create better images?

I Googled this question and here are some of the many ideas I found:

Buy a better camera
Take a Photoshop or Lightroom class
Study the work of Photographers that you admire to get some new ideas
Join a photo club
Take a photo workshop
Go to a great location that inspires you
Study and better understand the rules of composition
Learn more about your camera’s capability
Get closer
Learn to shoot in manual mode
Use a tripod
Slow down
Learn more about light and the best light to photograph in
Purchase prime lenses
Develop a unique style
Photograph things that no one else has photographed
Deconstruct famous photographs to see why they work
Experiment with different techniques
Create images that are like the most popular ones on social media
Have your work critiqued
Learn new skills by recreating the photos that you admire

Some of these suggestions may be appropriate if your goal is to take better family and vacation photos. By all means learn more about your camera, Photoshop, and some compositional rules to help keep telephone poles from sticking out of head of your subjects!

But if your goal is to create images, not just take pictures, as a form of self-expression, then my suggestion would be to throw out all of the items on this list. Some are simply time wasters, some send you down the wrong path and others are actually harmful to the creative process.

Yes…you do need to know the basics on how to operate your camera and your post-processing software, but you certainly don’t need to be an expert to get started. Most of what I know about my camera and software, came about as I needed to do something specific.

For example: I have never needed to use layers and so I’ve never spent the time to learn them. But now I have a project that can only be done with layers and so I will learn it with the help of my friend John Barclay (whom I’ve been trying to help become a better photographer for years, but I fear it is hopeless!)

The items above are all red herrings and should be ignored, in my opinion.

Okay, it’s easy to tell people what NOT to do, but what would you recommend someone do to improve their photography?

If you could do just one thing to improve your photography, it would be to find and follow your Vision. That is the driving creative force behind all my images. It’s not the camera, the software, the location, the rules of composition, following photographic fads, or imitating others.

For me, it’s finding my Vision and following it. Knowing what I love and pursuing it. Ignoring what others are doing and creating images that I love, regardless of what anyone else thinks of them.

Nothing can compensate for a lack of Vision!

Shooting with a prime lens at the optimal aperture means nothing if you have a boring, lifeless image. And having the world’s most complicated post-processing routine will not help a poor and uninteresting composition.

I know because that’s the path I followed for so many years! I took that technical path because I didn’t think I had a Vision or any creative ability. I also followed that path because learning your camera and photoshop is not only fun, it’s straightforward and concrete.

And finding your Vision is the exact opposite of straightforward and concrete. First, Vision is such a difficult concept to understand (until you’ve found it, and then it’s so ridiculously simple). Second, there are no instruction manuals on how to go about finding your Vision. And Third, it takes a lot of difficult and sometimes painful introspection to find your Vision.

It took me 35 years to get to a point of even wanting to find out if I had a Vision, and then two long and hard years to do so.

Ceremonial Wash Basin

Now, if I could expand beyond this one suggestion, and offer one more:

Critically analyze your own work. I personally find this recent trend to have one’s work critiqued by an expert disturbing. What you are getting is only an opinion and there are many of those out there. And the critiquer’s opinions are colored by their Vision and their personal preferences.

And so whose opinion should you listen to?

I say listen to your own, it’s the most important one if you’re trying to create work that you love. Experts may be expert in many things, but there’s one subject they can never be an expert in: your Vision.

So how do you improve without hearing suggestions and new ideas? By critically analyzing your own work…that’s what I do.

Study your image and ask what you could do to make it better, and more in keeping with your Vision. What do you like and dislike about your image? Is there something you could change to make it better? If you could do it over, what would you do differently?

Another technique I use to analyze my image is to process it, let it sit for a week and then analyze it again. Sometimes it goes straight in the trash bin at that second viewing. Then I’ll tweak it, let it sit for another week and do it again…and again…and again if necessary.

At the point that I no longer make changes to the image, it is finished.

When you have found your Vision, your opinion is the only one that matters and you have no interest in the opinion of others. Once you have found your Vision, there are no need for critiques.

If you could do just one thing to improve your photography…I hope you’ll consider finding your Vision, because Vision is the single most important tool in your toolbox.

Here is an article which details the steps I took on my Vision journey.

“How I Found My Vision“

February 26, 2021

Out of Chicago Live! 2021

Hi everyone, as you might remember I was to present at Out of Death Valley in January, but our dear friend Covid had other ideas.

So now I’m scheduled to participate in Out of Chicago Live! 2021, which being a webinar event, is certain to take place.

I’ll be participating in three ways:

First, I’ll be presenting my “Why Black and White” presentation. Now, if you’re thinking “yeah, yeah, I’ve heard that presentation before.” Think again Ansel, it changes almost every time I present it!

Second, I’ll be conducting a class called “The Photoshop Heretic” on my super-simple Black and White processing approach.

And thirdly, I’ll be participating in a panel discussion entitled “Are You A Photographer or Artist?” A topic I’ll enjoy since I’ve been on both sides of that fence.

There are a lot of great people participating and lot of friends!

- John (I taught him everything) Barclay
- David (he loves my donkey) Kingham
- Jennifer (I love her dolphins!) Renwick
- Brooks (how does he do it all?) Jensen
- Chuck (whom I’ve never met) Kimmerle
- Sarah (my Colorado neighbor) Marino

Should you attend Out of Chicago Live! 2021? Hop on over to their website and check out the program and you decide!

https://www.outofchicago.com/conference/live-2021/

But I will be there, stirring it up and being 100% honest…but always with respect for another’s point of view.

Cole

December 17, 2020

Permission…

I’ve been doing a lot of Zoom presentations to Camera Clubs and recently I’ve been getting feedback that I’ve never heard before…and it really surprised me:

Thank you for giving me permission to create what I love

Thank you for giving me permission to ignore the rules

Thank you for giving me permission to listen to myself

My first reaction was horror! Who am I to give anyone permission? I worried that I had presumed too much and crossed a line in my presentation.

My second reaction was bewilderment. Why do people think they need permission to do what they want?

My third reaction was sadness. It seems that the message so many people come away with after taking a photo class or joining a camera clubs is: here are the rules that you must follow to create good images.

And then they hear my message:

Don’t follow the rules

Create what you love

Don’t listen to other’s advice

And their reaction is often relief and excitement. Relief that they don’t have to follow the rules and excitement that they can follow their own instincts and create for the pure joy of creating.

But of course following this path comes with a price: others may not like your work, they may even be critical of it and you probably will not please judges or reviewers who believe in following rules.

But what would you rather do? Follow their advice and create images that they love but you don’t…or follow your own heart and create images that you love.

If it helps, you have my permission to ignore the rules, follow your Vision and create images that you love.

August 23, 2020

Ten Things I Would Never Do…Again

When you read these “Ten Things That I Would Never Do” you may disagree with one of them, you may disagree with several of them and you might even be offended…

Please don‘t be!

These are not ten things that YOU should never do, but ten things that I will never do…again.

The focal point of this simple black and white images is Melting Giants No. 22

1. Offer advice about someone else’s image.

Why? Because that advice would come from my perspective and Vision, not theirs.

People often ask me: what would you do with this image? And I say: if I were to tell you what I would do, and you followed my advice and you kept following my advice, soon your images would look like mine.

And please believe me, you don‘t want that. Ansel has already done Ansel and Cole has already done Cole. You want to do “you.”

(if you’ve not heard the story “Ansel has already done Ansel” you can read that in this blog post: https://colethompsonphotography.com/2015/08/06/ten-learned-fifty-years/)

Monolith No. 50

Created with a Manfrotto 3021 Pro Tripod and Lowepro Bag Model 200 AW.

2. Give technical specifications.

I hope you smiled when you read the technical specifications above image and said to yourself: the tripod and bag don’t have anything to do with this image!

I don‘t believe any specifications, including camera, lens, aperture, shutter speed and etc. have anything to do with an image either. It distracts from the image and worse, listing specifications furthers the false belief that they are the key to the image, when the real key is the creativity and Vision of the artist.

A few years back I submitted an image to a publication which responded that I “must” include the technical specifications…but they didn’t say which ones.

And so I gave them the specifications of my tripod, including how far the legs were spaced apart for the shot.

They did not respond…but published the image.

3. Use watermarks.

I think it sacrilegious to put a watermark on an image, it’s so distracting that it ruins my viewing experience.

I know the arguments for using them, but I love my images far too much to desecrate them in this way.

4. Copy someone else’s idea.

“Lesser artists borrow; great artists steal.”

Pablo Picasso.

I have no idea what Pablo was thinking, but I have to disagree…big-time.

Everyone sets their own standards, but in my quest to create “honest work,“ I refuse to borrow or steal.

But sometimes I do create work that is similar to others…

Several years ago, I submitted my “Grain Silos” portfolio to LensWork. Brooks Jensen responded that he liked the work, but that he had just published something very similar in the current issue by a photographer named Larry Blackwood.

The irony was that Larry and I were friends, and unbeknownst to each other we were working on similar projects and had produced similar results. This resulted in Brooks writing an article about Fellow Travelers who sometimes create similar work.

Coincidences…cool.

Borrowing someone else’s idea…not cool.

5. Imitate someone’s work and send it to them.

“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.“

Charles Caleb Cotton

Here’s another generally accepted maxim that I disagree with.

I would never photograph “Half Dome“ like Ansel did, email it to him and proudly say: “Look what I did!“

When someone imitates one of my Harbinger images and sends it to me, I’m not flattered (however I‘m never offended either because I know their intentions are kind).

So what is the sincerest form of flattery? For someone to say: “I love this image!“ or loving it so much that they hang it in their home.

6. Ask someone what I should do with one of my images.

If I were to ask someone what should I do with this image, it would reveal something very important about me: that I don’t have a Vision for this image.

Instead of asking for someone else’s Vision, I should find my own.

Vision is what makes my image “mine.“

It’s what puts my mark on it.

It‘s what gives it spirit.

It’s what makes it more than “just a photograph.“

7. Shoot in color.

My eye has always been drawn to Black and White and I’ve never had an interest in color. Outside of family photos, I have only created two color images, one of them is above.

Ironically, I shoot all of my images in color and then convert them to black-and-white. When I’m converting them and can see the color and b&w image side-by-side, the color image rarely appeals to me.

But for some reason this one caught my eye, perhaps because it is so monochromatic?

They Walk Among Us is an example of simplifying to push the eye to the focal point

8. Seek out the iconic shots and photograph them.

When I go to a location, I never research the iconic shots or seek out the “must see” sites.

Why?

Because millions of others have photographed those locations a billion times before and I don’t want to create another “me too“ image.

9. Offer limited editions.

I cannot imagine printing The Angel Gabriel image 25 times and then not being able to print it again because it was in an edition of 25.

I could never do that…I would never do that.

In my opinion there’s only one reason to offer a limited edition: to artificially create scarcity to inflate the price. Fortunately for me, I do not pursue photography for money.

When I was trying to decide if I should offer limited editions, I asked the editor of LensWork, Brooks Jensen, what he thought. He asked me this question:

“Would you like to say that your work sold for thousands of dollars, or that your work was in thousands of homes?”

I knew what I wanted! I now number my prints, but in an open edition. If I’m lucky I’ll print a million copies of The Angel Gabriel!

I’ve had people refuse to purchase an image when the discovered it was not in a limited edition. That told me they were more interested in an investment, than the image.

I want people to purchase my image because they love it, not because it’s a “good investment.”

10. Attend a portfolio review.

When you get a portfolio review, you are getting the opinion of that person.

Opinion!

Embedded in that opinion is their Vision, their likes and dislikes, their prejudices, phobias and everything else. And the thing is, there are hundreds, no thousands, no millions of opinions out there!

Which one should you listen to?

Your own.

I don’t believe in portfolio reviews because I value my opinion of my work more than a reviewers.

A story:

A young artist was exhibiting his work for the first time and a well-known critic was in attendance.

The critic says to the young man: “would you like to hear my opinion of your work?”

“Yes” says the young man.

“It’s worthless” the critic says.

“I know” the artist replies, “but let’s hear it anyway.”

Experts may be expert in many things, but there’s one thing they can never be expert in: your Vision.

I’ve received one portfolio review in my life and the only good thing that came of it was a commitment to find my own Vision.

And finding my Vision changed my photography…and my life.