July 17, 2025
My Photographic Continuum
I began my photographic life, thinking of myself as a photographer who documented, and showed others what I saw with my eyes. Documenting came with a rigid set of rules and the biggest sin I could commit was the “M” word: manipulate. As a photographer I judged my work by how well others liked it.
In the next phase of my photographic life, I considered myself a fine art photographer. Thanks to a mentor, I was encouraged to go beyond documenting and to put some of “me” into my images. I discovered my Vision and instead of photographing through my eyes, I now created images through this Vision. But, I was still creating for others and measured my success by likes, wins and sales.
In the third and current phase of my photographic life I now consider myself a self-expressive photographer: I am not documenting and I’m not creating for others. I measure my success by how I feel about my images.
My images are, as Rick Rubin expressed, my diary entries. They record how I feel and how I see the world. They are not trying to communicate to others, they require no explanation, and I am the only judge of the work.
I’ve learned something from each phase of my photographic life. As a photographer I’ve learned skills, as a fine art photographer I discovered my Vision, and now as a self-expressive photographer I am learning to create more personal and reflective diary entries.
Will there be a fourth phase in my photographic life? Who knows, with each phase I never dreamed there’d be another. But with growth comes change, and with change comes growth.
It’s all a continuum.
Cole
Hi Cole,
Interesting evolution, thanks for sharing. I wonder if an artist photographer can express phases 2 & 3 simultaneously? In other words to create via your Vision in order to communicate what you are seeing/feeling but at the same time being entirely personal. I see the blending of the two phases as a naturally organic purpose. Then again, maybe I’m saying this to defend how I make images. Ken
I think all three of mine overlapped as I morphed into a new phase. The biggest difference I found from being a fine art photographer and a self-expressive photographer, was the audience. I have learned to make sure that I am the audience, and the judge.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts
All the best
Dave
Thanks Dave!
Rick Rubin’s book “The Creative Act” was full of useful advice. One of my favorites was “The audience comes last.” We must create first to fulfill whatever it is that drives and excites us inside. Thus, your self-expressive period makes a lot of sense!
Such a great book and that quote you mention, is one of my favorites. Here’s a more expanded quote:
“The audience comes last. I believe that. I’m not making it for them, I’m making it for me and it turns out that when you making something truly for yourself, you’re doing the best thing you possibly can for the audience.
So much of why you go to the movies, so many big movies, are just not good…it’s because they’re not being made by a person who cares about it. They’re being made by people who are trying to make something that they think someone else is going to like. And that’s not how art works. That’s something else, it’s not art. That’s commerce.
So if we’re making art, we’re making…it’s almost like a diary entry. So should I be concerned that someone else might not like my diary entry? It doesn’t make sense, it has nothing to do with them. My diary entry has nothing to do with anyone else.
So everything we make as artists are essentially diary entries.” Rick Rubin
Different paths for different people. Whatever works! Mine is, just take pictures. Don’t overthink. Over time, your images will become “better”, whatever that is, and more and more personal. In short, free yourself from all constraints. It is when your mind is free you will get somewhere. You do have to have that inner voice telling you to always improve and learn though. Nothing will happen unless you constantly try to improve. Nobody ever got anywhere sitting on the couch.
Just do the work.
Sound advice!
This is a great evolution put into words and similar to how I have felt about my own path. , You have said it in such a crisp way that resonates. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and your work with all of us
You’re welcome Irene. It’s heartwarming to hear from others who have had the same experiences and feel the same way.
Thank you Cole, your journey and outlook encourages me to continue in my journey in expressing myself through photography and digital painting.
Best regards,
Lorraine
I’m glad Lorraine! It’s not the destination we seek, but the growth we experience as we create art that expresses our feelings, feelings that we cannot always put into words.
Thanks Cole! What you’ve written in this blog post, was the most impactful and meaningful thing I learned while attending the Vision Retreat with you and John. Thanks you again for all the wisdom, clearheadedness (is that a word?), and guidance during our time together! Cheers!
Willy! I miss our daily therapy sessions from the retreat!
I’m so happy that you’re enjoying the journey to find and follow your Vision. It warms my heart!
Thoughtful insight into the evolution of your artistic vision and personal objectives. I always look forward to your thought provoking notes. We share a common path…
Allan, you have walked this same path? I’d love to hear about it.
hi Cole,
Thanks a lot for letting us know how you think of the evolution of your photography through phases. Do you have a few examples of photos from each phase which you might share with us?
You’ve got me wondering about my own evolution and possible phases. In the beginning, it was photographing friends and family, places and events to record for my memory. I still do that some, while my main interest is taking photos which move me emotionally, express many of my values and which I love to look at. Sometimes, I create books of them according to various themes, almost entirely of people through much of life’s experience mostly for my own pleasure and sometimes to give to family and friends as gifts. I would like these gifts to enable my loved ones to know much of what matters most to me and to remember me and my values after my death.
I just read an article about philosopher Susan Sontag’s critique of photography in our culture. I found many of her ideas to be quite true and meaningful, yet overly critical, ignoring the value of taking photos for our own memory and well as to move us and others deeply, including for joy and laughter.
I’d love to share images from each phase, but apparently you cannot share images in the comments.
I respect how you use photography, to leave a part of you behind. I need to think about that, otherwise all of my images will be donated to goodwill or locked away forever on a hard drive.
Can you give a link to Susan Sontag’s critique?
Interesting self-perspective. I listen to your podcast with John every week and I have thought a lot about my own journey. I photograph for me, don’t post much, don’t enter contests anymore, etc. I photograph because it brings me joy and relaxation. I think I have a vision and create honest work but only I can be the judge of that. Your blog, podcast and vision is much more than just photography. Thanks for getting us thinking.
Well thanks for listening to the babbling of two self-proclaimed idiots!
I think that’s great how you approach photography. I like that it brings you Joy, and for me that’s enough.
And if I do get more…then that’s the cherry on top.
I don’t know much about photography, but I like the quote, “A picture is worth a thousand words!”
Your photos always tell a story or at least let me think of a story myself.
All you need to know about photography…is what you love.
Good to hear from you Billy-Boy!
Cole – Loved reading your blog. For me, being surrounded by nature is most important and if my images touch others then that’s great. These days with everyone chasing Facebook and instagram likes it’s easy to forget the main reason why we leave the house with the camera in the 1st place. Photography should be like fishing. I enjoy just being outside and away from everything and if I catch a fish that’s a bonus but it’s not the main reason.
You’re right, it is easy to lose sight of “why we do this.”competition and likes are quite addictive.
Here’s a review from Maria Popova’s Marginalian (a regular philosophical/spiritual email of her insights and musings) with her take on Susan Sontag’s critique of photography.
https://www.themarginalian.org/2013/09/16/susan-sontag-on-photography-social-media/?mc_cid=db43bdf133&mc_eid=b32c03e425
Hi Cole, I was a little disappointed in your very short new letter this time. Not even one quote, what the heck? I remember being a copy cat in the beginning, always trying to be like someone else that I admired. My ego was in charge then. I think it’s a necessary phase. Then, I was documenting to make an image as exact as I could to what I saw. I guess that still happens from time to time, but now I do feel like I am in the third phase, creating for myself. Attending the Vision Retreat did show to me that I was on the right track for that. Creating what I love, not what others might love. It makes all the difference and puts a soul into my work. I watched a younger Cole a few days ago, with a crew cut no less, out in Death Valley talking about how he had found his vision and was creating images that did not connect with reality, but was doing it from his own vision. He admitted then, that he didn’t create those images each and every time, but that he was working on it. I think that proves right there that we all need to remember that there really isn’t a destination but rather always on a journey and the journey is always changing. Thanks for all that you do!
Dennis, so very nice to hear from you! I do think many of us go through the same phases, starting with imitation. Some argue it’s a necessary step, but I question this.
I often wonder what would happen if we were to set up a photo school for beginning photographers and could have complete control over the curriculum. What if we began by teaching seeing over technical stuff? What if Vision was taught first and then they learned to use the camera as needed?
I think it would be a great experiment!
Sure we all start with the technical first and after many years we graduate into the art and Vision. But does it have to be that way? Cannot there be a better way?
I hope there is.
Now about the quotes, here’s some for you on teaching:
You cannot teach a man anything. You can only help him discover it within himself” — Galileo Galilei
“I really didn’t have much to teach. I didn’t even believe in it. I felt so strongly that everybody had to find their own way. And nobody can teach you your own way…. in terms of art, the only real answer that I know of is to do it. If you don’t’ do it you don’t know what might happen” Harry Callahan
“Can photography be taught? If this mean the history and techniques of the medium, I think it can….. If, however, teaching photography means bringing students to find their own individual photographic visions, I think it is impossible.” Robert Adams
“We would be pretending to offer the students, in Wililam Staffords’s phrase, “a wilderness with a map.” We can give beginners directions about how to use a compass, we can tell them stories about our exploration of different but possibly analogous geographies, and we can bless them with our caring, but we cannot know the unknown and thus make sure a path to real discovery. Robert Adams
Art is made by the alone for the alone. Luis Barragan
I knew I didn’t want to study at length my contemporaries’ pictures, fearing that their work might come close to mine and blur my vision. Robert Adams
Cole, that was well expressed, giving voice to one’s personal journey is a difficult thing to do.
It is also empowering…
Hi Laird, good to hear from you. Thanks.