Imagination, creativity and photography

[quote]Quote:When you stop thinking of re-creating Constable/cornish/waite landscapes and think of creative things, you can actually enjoy photography on pretty diabolical days.Couldn't agree more. If you're after a landscape it really shouldn't matter if it's throwing it down - there's a story and a beauty in that scene somewhere and it's just a question of interpreting it in a photographic format. Even then you may need to wait for light, but I'm more interested in interpreting what that current landscape says to me. So it's horizontal rain, the fields are flooded, the skies are grey, the wind is whistling - there's real beauty in that landscape if you let yourself see it.[/quote] I know what you mean. I think that a landscape pic in pouring rain is just as relevant and telling as one in morning light. It shows what the landscape is like, and what it is like to be in that landscape, which to me should be part of landscape photography. The weather is a major reason why a landscape is formed the way it is and determines what plants, what animals, and what human habitation is there. I need to practice what I preach rather more, obviously, but I think I have a point. Like Ade said, In low light all is not lost, you can whack up the ISO and take the noise as part of the deal, or just use a longer exposure etc etc. Jon

Quote:Quote:When you stop thinking of re-creating Constable/cornish/waite landscapes and think of creative things, you can actually enjoy photography on pretty diabolical days.Couldn't agree more. If you're after a landscape it really shouldn't matter if it's throwing it down - there's a story and a beauty in that scene somewhere and it's just a question of interpreting it in a photographic format. Even then you may need to wait for light, but I'm more interested in interpreting what that current landscape says to me. So it's horizontal rain, the fields are flooded, the skies are grey, the wind is whistling - there's real beauty in that landscape if you let yourself see it.


I know what you mean. I think that a landscape pic in pouring rain is just as relevant and telling as one in morning light. It shows what the landscape is like, and what it is like to be in that landscape, which to me should be part of landscape photography.
The weather is a major reason why a landscape is formed the way it is and determines what plants, what animals, and what human habitation is there.
I need to practice what I preach rather more, obviously, but I think I have a point.

Like Ade said, In low light all is not lost, you can whack up the ISO and take the noise as part of the deal, or just use a longer exposure etc etc.
Jon

[quote]How important is a good imagination for producing images? Does being creative help or hinder photography? Can you produce great photographs with no imagination and/or creativity?[/quote] A good command of all three sorts the wheat from the chaff. [i]i haven't read the thread but i assume thats what everyone else said ... ;)[/i]

Quote:How important is a good imagination for producing images?

Does being creative help or hinder photography?

Can you produce great photographs with no imagination and/or creativity?



A good command of all three sorts the wheat from the chaff.

i haven't read the thread but i assume thats what everyone else said ...

[quote]i haven't read the thread but i assume thats what everyone else said ... [/quote] you'll never know till you read it ;-)

Quote:i haven't read the thread but i assume thats what everyone else said ...


you'll never know till you read it

Thought it may be worth waking this thread now that "vision" is being discussed Do you need vision to have Imagination and creativity in photography?

Thought it may be worth waking this thread now that "vision" is being discussed

Do you need vision to have Imagination and creativity in photography?

Define 'vision', Ade.

Define 'vision', Ade.

no :-P

no

:-P

So, you are asking us if a nebulous concept that you refuse to define further is necessary to have imagination and creativity in photography? The best answer I can give is: it depends.... ;-) :P

So, you are asking us if a nebulous concept that you refuse to define further is necessary to have imagination and creativity in photography?

The best answer I can give is: it depends....

[quote]Thought it may be worth waking this thread now that "vision" is being discussed Do you need vision to have Imagination and creativity in photography?[/quote] Not sure any more. . . . But you do need a camera. . . I think. . . Yes, back to basics. . . How do you define a 'Camera' . . .

Quote:Thought it may be worth waking this thread now that "vision" is being discussed

Do you need vision to have Imagination and creativity in photography?


Not sure any more. . . . But you do need a camera. . . I think. . . Yes, back to basics. . . How do you define a 'Camera' . . .

I think that vision certainly helps, I'm now at the point where I can visualise what a shot will look like when printed as I'm taking it. The ability to visualise what you want a photograph to look like and then couple that vision with the creative ability and technical knowledge to end up with the vision on paper (or on screen)

I think that vision certainly helps, I'm now at the point where I can visualise what a shot will look like when printed as I'm taking it. The ability to visualise what you want a photograph to look like and then couple that vision with the creative ability and technical knowledge to end up with the vision on paper (or on screen)

[quote]How important is a good imagination for producing images?[/quote] Very [quote]Does being creative help or hinder photography?[/quote] Help [quote]Can you produce great photographs with no imagination and/or creativity?[/quote] Don't think so, but it is possible to copy others

Quote:How important is a good imagination for producing images?


Very


Quote:Does being creative help or hinder photography?


Help


Quote:Can you produce great photographs with no imagination and/or creativity?


Don't think so, but it is possible to copy others

[quote]Can you produce great photographs with no imagination and/or creativity?[/quote] Yes, but without knowing you have done so. :)

Quote:Can you produce great photographs with no imagination and/or creativity?


Yes, but without knowing you have done so.

[quote]Quote:Can you produce great photographs with no imagination and/or creativity?Yes, but without knowing you have done so.[/quote] Can you produce great photographs without good technical ability? Yes by luck. So we conclude - creating good photographs can be done by a lucky unimaginative/non-creative person but they won't know they have done it .... until they post it on EPZ and are told (then they just won't undertsand how they did it.) This cheers me up immensely!

Quote:Quote:Can you produce great photographs with no imagination and/or creativity?Yes, but without knowing you have done so.


Can you produce great photographs without good technical ability? Yes by luck.

So we conclude - creating good photographs can be done by a lucky unimaginative/non-creative person but they won't know they have done it ....

until they post it on EPZ and are told (then they just won't undertsand how they did it.)

This cheers me up immensely!

Of course, better to have vision (imagination and ....) and technique.

Of course, better to have vision (imagination and ....) and technique.

[quote]Of course, better to have vision (imagination and ....) and technique.[/quote] indeed it is - but to get that, you've got to challenge yourself now and then, get out of the rut, the comfort zone, try new things, experiement with new techniques, avoid cliches, create personal projects and goals, be prepared to fail over and over to learn a new skill. But you get far more clicks taking photos at Rannock Moor or trees at malham or lindesfarne don't you ;-)

Quote:Of course, better to have vision (imagination and ....) and technique.


indeed it is - but to get that, you've got to challenge yourself now and then, get out of the rut, the comfort zone, try new things, experiement with new techniques, avoid cliches, create personal projects and goals, be prepared to fail over and over to learn a new skill.

But you get far more clicks taking photos at Rannock Moor or trees at malham or lindesfarne don't you

[quote]but to get that, you've got to challenge yourself now and then, get out of the rut, the comfort zone, try new things, experiement with new techniques, avoid cliches, create personal projects and goals, be prepared to fail over and over to learn a new skill. But you get far more clicks taking photos at Rannock Moor or trees at malham or lindesfarne don't you[/quote] I think this whole Rannoch Moor things (wherever that is) must predate my membership though given the number of times it comes up (esp. joolsb), there is obviously an issue here. And people seem obsessed by clicks - clicks are nice but they don't actually matter - comments matter and if you are of a statistical bent then the % of clicks to unique views is the only relevant numerical criterion. But technique does matter for those of us who are imaginative but don't have any - and that requires practice and patience and time (which is in short supply!) It would also help if there was a locla photography course but there isn't.

Quote:but to get that, you've got to challenge yourself now and then, get out of the rut, the comfort zone, try new things, experiement with new techniques, avoid cliches, create personal projects and goals, be prepared to fail over and over to learn a new skill.
But you get far more clicks taking photos at Rannock Moor or trees at malham or lindesfarne don't you


I think this whole Rannoch Moor things (wherever that is) must predate my membership though given the number of times it comes up (esp. joolsb), there is obviously an issue here. And people seem obsessed by clicks - clicks are nice but they don't actually matter - comments matter and if you are of a statistical bent then the % of clicks to unique views is the only relevant numerical criterion. But technique does matter for those of us who are imaginative but don't have any - and that requires practice and patience and time (which is in short supply!) It would also help if there was a locla photography course but there isn't.