More Than A Rock Essays On Art Landscape and Photography

More Than A Rock Guy Tal
More Than A Rock

Essays on Art, Landscape and Photography
Guy Tal
Table of Contents
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More Than A Rock
Essays on Art, Landscape and Photography
Guy Tal
Lovingly dedicated to my mother, Sara.
Copyright © 2014 Guy Tal
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected under

International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties.
Any unauthorized copy, reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part

of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any
information storage and retrieval system without express written permission
from the author.
Original fine art prints of Guy Tal’s images, including those used in this book,
are available for purchase directly from the author or galleries representing his
work. Images are also available for licensing.
For more information, please contact Guy Tal via e-mail at info@guytal.com or
visit his web site at http://guytal.com.
A Personal Plea
My work is my livelihood and my calling. I try to price it fairly so it is accessible to everyone. It

is my hope that you find it both interesting and inspiring, and that you appreciate the amount
of work that went into it.
The nature of electronic media is such that it can easily be copied and distributed. Rather
than distrusting my readers, I want to believe that if you appreciate beauty and honesty as I
do, you will not take advantage of this fact. If you are reading this book and did not pay for it,
please do the right thing and obtain a legal copy for $4.99 at guytalbooks.com.
I very much appreciate your support of my work.
Guy Tal
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Contents
A Personal Plea............................................................................................. 3
Experiences.........................................91
Preface............................................................................................................... 5
Ancient Truths..........................................................................................92
In The Blink Of A Lifetime...................................................................94
Art.............................................................. 6
Raison d’Etre...............................................................................................95
The Things Themselves........................................................................... 7
Small Joys.......................................................................................................97
Driving Ms. Camera.................................................................................10
Early Spring Meanders....................................................................... 100
The Phase of No Emotion....................................................................12
Rethinking Happiness........................................................................ 106
Lie Like You Mean It.................................................................................14
Listening to The Stories.................................................................. 109
No Lesser An Art........................................................................................16
The Image & The Experience............................................................ 112
Art and Rebellion.....................................................................................19
Solastalgia................................................................................................. 116
What’s Real....................................................................................................22
Canyon Time.............................................................................................. 118
The Case for Landscape Photography as a Fine Art.........24
The Medium is not The Message......................................................31
Meditations.................................... 122
Contemporary Oligarchy...................................................................33
Things Photographers Can Learn From Musicians....... 123
Art for People’s Sake...............................................................................36
The Meaning of Meaning................................................................. 124
The Important Thing.............................................................................39
A Drive With A Futurist.................................................................... 125
What Makes an Artist............................................................................42
The Art and The Life............................................................................ 128
On Subjectivity...........................................................................................44
Know This................................................................................................... 129
The Mythical Personal Style............................................................46
Photography and The Creative Life......................................... 130
Where Credit is Due...............................................................................48
Stories of My Generation................................................................ 135
The Wonderful Lightness of Being.......................................... 138
CRAFT.....................................................50
Attention Overload............................................................................ 140
Finding the Needle.................................................................................51
The Grateful Mind............................................................................... 143
Projects and Explorations................................................................61
Aboutness................................................................................................... 145
Coming Home..............................................................................................64
Experience, Uninterrupted............................................................. 147
Teachers Wanted......................................................................................66
Hear No Evil.............................................................................................. 149
Rethinking Visualization...................................................................69
The Abyss is Always There................................................................. 152
Visual Fluency.............................................................................................71
About the Author................................................................................. 154
Composition Means Nothing..........................................................73
The Missing Dimensions......................................................................74
The Concept.................................................................................................77
Breadth and Depth.................................................................................79
Isolation........................................................................................................80
The Velvet Handcuffs of Predictability...................................84
Abstractions................................................................................................85
Invisible Gorillas.....................................................................................87
Deconstructing Vision........................................................................89
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Preface
This then: to photograph a rock, have it look like a which may be interesting in its own right. The
rock, but be more than a rock. creative image shows more than a rock, even
if a rock is all that is in the frame.
– Edward Weston
Both creative and representational
In our time, photography of natural landscapes
photography require a degree of skill to
generally is aimed at showcasing the inherent
do well; both can result in works of great
– objective – aesthetics of natural scenes and
aesthetic appeal and both can be considered
subjects, interesting geographic features,
artistic. Still, I believe that the pervasive,
majestic feats of light and other naturally-
popular failure to distinguish between the two
occurring phenomena. The idea of images
is a severe handicap to the acceptance of
as metaphors, although well established
photography as an artistic medium, on equal
in painting and other visual arts often is a
footing with painting, sculpture, music or any
revelation to nature photographers, and one
other.
I emphasize in my teaching and writing.
Where most people have no problem
The above quotation by Edward Weston
distinguishing abstract painting from technical
is one I mention often as a means of
illustration, poetry from a news report, pop
distinguishing creative photography from
music from a symphony, etc., photography is
representational photography. Creativity,
still perceived by most as a single category,
by common definition, is the production
lacking further distinction between genres,
of something that is both novel and useful;
styles and intents. Photographs, whether
while representation, quite literally, is the re-
creative or representational, most often
presenting of something already in existence.
are judged by the same limited criteria and
In the context of photography, therefore,
expectations, to the detriment of both the
representation is accomplished primarily
work and the viewer.
through technology and skill, and a fortuitous
convergence of “right” place and “right” In this collection I wish to share some of my
time. Creativity, on the other hand, requires thoughts and experiences as one who seeks
something beyond what is inherent in the to express more in images than the mere
subject, tools or circumstances that would appearances of the subjects portrayed.
have been obvious to anyone present at the
scene – something subjective, originating
from the unique mind of the photographer Guy Tal
that would not have existed had they not Torrey, Utah
created it. January 1, 2014
The representational image shows a rock,
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Art
The Things Themselves

The artist is a receptacle for the emotions that the most dramatic geology, climate and life
come from all over the place: from the sky, from in the history of the planet. At a time when
the earth, from a scrap of paper, from a passing these sculpted rocks were giant dunes – the
shape, from a spider’s web. largest sand desert ever to exist on Earth –
dinosaurs walked their edges and along the
– Pablo Picasso
shores of the shallow sea that is today colorful
badlands. I know this not only from reading
about it in books; I have seen their fossilized
I had a couple of extra days to make my bones in the rock.
way back home from Colorado after a recent
workshop. Rather than take the boring Rabbitbrush, snakeweed and sunflowers in
Interstate route, I first headed south into profuse bloom were everywhere – harbingers
the high peaks of the San Juan Mountains, of autumn. In the twilight, small bats fluttered
stopping on occasion to admire the about as the low sun ignited the heavy clouds
spectacular scenery. The plan, if it could be of a distant monsoon rainstorms in purple
called that, was to set up camp at the first and gold. As darkness set, the familiar call
place that seemed welcoming and secluded. of a Great Horned Owl and a slight breeze
As with previous trips to these mountains, in the junipers were the only sounds. This is
such a place did not present itself. home, as comfortable and familiar to me as
the inside of my own house.
Awed as I was by the majestic views, they
felt alien to me. Uninterrupted green, verdant I photographed the unfolding evening in a
and fragrant, felt wonderful at each stop, metered rhythm, fitting with the slow unfolding
but the call of the sandstone and the desert of quiet drama before me, a frame at a time,
beyond was far stronger and I kept driving. closing my eyes and inhaling the scents of
Beautiful images were to be had, but I wanted the desert in between.
more than just images. I wanted the comfort
In my studies I realized that art cannot be fully
of open, desolate places. I wanted rocks and
understood on the sole merit of its products,
shrubs and landmarks whose names I knew,
no matter how impressive or interesting they
and whose stories were familiar to me.
are in their own rights. To me, the mind of the
I ended up on a lofty desert mesa, surveying artist – why they created what they did in the
before me layers of rock and earth, from way they did – always serves to magnify my
crumbling Chinle to sensuous rounded experience of the work (and in some cases,
domes of Navajo sandstone. The entire span reduce it to nothing).
of the Jurassic stretched before my eyes –
I realized how much my own relationship with
sixty million years (give or take) of some of
the subjects, the stories, and in a lesser way
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the medium, made my own art more significant To see the Thing Itself is essential (...)”
by virtue of making my life experiences
And Paul Strand, not only a pioneer of what
more significant. I find kinship with Vincent
we now term “fine art” photography, but also
Van Gogh, who died having never achieved
one of the first to deserve the distinction of
recognition for his work nor indication of
being a humanitarian photographer and
his posthumous celebrity, and pursued his
documentary filmmaker, made a similar
art not for financial gain but because in his
observation: “Look at the things around you,
words: “The feeling for the things themselves,
the immediate world around you. If you are
for reality, is more important than the feeling
alive, it will mean something to you, and if
for pictures.”
you care enough about photography, and
Van Gogh was not alone. Edward Weston, if you know how to use it, you will want to
who struggled financially for most of his photograph that meaningness.”
career, nonetheless pursued his calling
My favorite artists are those who seek
oblivious to such mundane considerations,
significance in their work – a significance
having realized that: “Recording unfelt facts,
that comes from familiarity – from having
acquired by rule, results in sterile inventory.
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a personally meaningful relationship with by Pablo Picasso: “washing the dust of daily
their subjects and medium rather than just a life off our souls,” and its role, as expressed
means of recording superficial impressions by Robert Schumann: “to send light into the
of objective qualities (aesthetic appeal being darkness of men’s hearts.”
the most prevalent).
I am equally tired of the delusions of
Robert Adams put it poignantly: “If a view of importance that plague so many artists of
geography does not imply something more our day. All art and all people are ultimately
enduring than a specific piece of terrain, forgotten. Civilizations fall, species come
then the picture will hold us only briefly; we and go, planets and stars and galaxies
will probably prefer the place itself, which disintegrate. Art may endure a bit longer than
we can smell and feel and hear as well as its creators, but nothing is forever. The power
see – though we are also likely to come away of art is the power of the present. It rewards
from the actual scene hoping somewhere to not because anything we do matters in the
find it in art. This is because geography by long run, but because it matters right there
itself is difficult to value accurately – what we and then when we do it.
hope for from the artist is help in discovering
the significance of a place.” However, I do
take issue with his implied assumption that
“the” significance of a place is a singular
inherent quality. A place may have as many
significances as the number of people who
come in contact with it, and sometimes more.
What I expect from an artist is not a portrayal
of “the” significance of a place, but what
makes the place personally significant to
them.
To be sure, I am tired of the rampant self-

promotion in photography. I am disappointed
with the pervasive copycat culture that, for
many, substitutes for art. If anything, I believe
it amounts to a lack of understanding of what
art is, and what it can be – a life enriching,
courage giving, meaningful exploration of the
world, both within and without; a liberator of
the noble, inspired singular spirit that is within
each of us and that is often suppressed by
the mundane.
I hold the purpose of art to be as described
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Driving Ms. Camera

Creativity is not the finding of a thing, but the random circumstances; that their images
making something out of it after it is found. appear just as they would have to anyone else
who happened to be there. Such statements
–James Russell Lowell
easily can lead to the conclusion that these
Photographs, before assuming any meaning, photographers are little more than chauffeurs
are products of machines. Natural phenomena for their cameras, rather than creative minds
are products of forces independent of, and taking an active, decisive, role in expressing
oblivious to, the emotions and significance their own narrative about, or through, the
ascribed to them by human beings. Art subjects photographed. Too many proclaim
is a product of a human mind. In order for with foolish pride that their images are
photography of natural things to enter the objective facsimiles (as if that were even
realm of the fine arts, the photographic artist possible) of naturally-occurring events rather
must find a way to relate these three elements than personally significant “departures from
to one another in a balanced and meaningful reality,” to borrow a term from Ansel Adams.
way. Much of the resistance to photography
To record accurately the light reflecting off
in the so-called art world emanates from the
subjects is a technical matter (a marvelous
fact that most photographers place too much
one, to be sure, but still one made possible
emphasis on the first two, and often neglect
by feats of technology rather than creative
the third. It may pain some photographers
thought). To find aesthetically pleasing
to acknowledge it, but I believe that such
scenes is also a matter of both skill and luck,
resistance is to a large degree justified.
rather than creativity. Creativity – a requisite
Distinct from mere aesthetics, art does not
for art – means the production of something
materialize at random, it has to be created,
new, something of the creator’s own mind that
deliberately and thoughtfully.
was not there before and would never have
Placing too much emphasis on technique, been if it were not for them. If nothing new is
technology or aesthetic appeal already manifested in the image – nothing originating
inherent in the subject reduces the purely of the subjective mind of an artist –
photographer to a recorder, rather than a then what makes it creative?
creator, of images. It baffles me to encounter
There is certainly admirable skill and a
emphatic statements from photographers
degree of pleasure involved in transporting
proclaiming themselves artists saying, in one
one’s camera to unique locations at times
choice of words or another, that their own
when interesting phenomena unfold, and in
imagination played no role in their work; that
successfully recording and sharing such
their images venture no further than what was
moments in beautiful images. But no matter
captured by their machines under fortuitous
how impressive the result, for a work to
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be considered creativeart requires that it story – a line separating creation from

reflect more than just objectively attractive representation, and aesthetics from art.
subjects or naturally occurring feats of light
While there is indeed great joy to be had
and geography. A subjective element also is
in visiting magnificent places, whether
needed.
photographed before or not, and just as much
It is not unusual to find groups of value in sharing natural beauty for its own
photographers competing for the opportunity sake. But, to an artist, such accomplishments
to make nearly identical copies of well worn pale in comparison to creating something truly
compositions in such places as Yosemite’s and uniquely yours, weaving the experience
Tunnel View or Oxbow Bend by the Snake of creative epiphanies, experimentation,
River in Wyoming. The results are predictably discovery, interpretation, excitement,
beautiful or, rather, beautiful yet predictable, curiosity, awe and wonder into something
and decidedly unoriginal. Art is not simply a never before seen.
record of objective circumstances, nor is it
Be more than just a driver for your camera.
the result of recipes prescribed by others.
There’s a distinct line between re-capturing

known compositions of known locations,
and using visual elements to tell a personal
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The Phase of No Emotion

But I did not always know just what it was I to the visual elements. The capacity to
wanted to photograph. I believe it is important express such feelings in one’s work seems to
for a photographer to discover this, for unless he me to correlate with a degree of maturity and
finds what it is that excites him, what it is that mindfulness in the artist.
calls forth at once an emotional response, he is
Recently, I watched a fascinating
unlikely to achieve his best work.
documentary titled Between the Folds.
–Bill Brandt Among those featured in it is physicist-turned-
origami-artist Robert J. Lang who spoke of
Today is different. I’ve been home for a few
the significant point in his work at which skill
days now after two weeks on the road. There
and technique began to take a back seat to
is something about this place that I always
expressing emotion. Among other things,
love coming back to; something that goes
the transition also resulted in simplification,
beyond the veneer of the red rocks and
favoring essence over technical difficulty. I
the big cottonwoods – a deeper sense – a
can attest to experiencing this effect in my
feeling of home. These last couple of days
own work, and have heard other artists speak
were among the most beautiful of the year,
of it, as well. What I found most poignant
but I was still in “work mode” and needed
about Lang’s description, however, is his
to unwind. Today the winds picked up,
assertion that every artist invariably goes
temperatures dropped a bit, big clouds are
through a “phase of no emotion” as they
moving in, the air is laced with the scent of
hone their technical skills and before their
wood fires, and showers of fallen leaves swirl
work becomes truly expressive of the person
down from the tall canopies. I realized that
behind it. I wonder, though, if this is indeed
“looks like autumn” and “feels like autumn”
a period all artists go through, rather than
are two very different things. Today feels like
a phase that only some artists, if they are
autumn.
sufficiently dedicated, manage to mature out
The same distinction, I find, applies to images. of.
Some images look, while others feel; some
Having just returned from a stretch of
images are of things, while others are about
photographic workshops in California, it
things. It is a quality that defies definition and
occurs to me that in a small way, this also
that cannot be distilled into simple rules or
serves to articulate one of the greatest
technique. It can be explained but not quite
challenges of teaching creative pursuits. It is
taught, experienced but not spoken, related
one thing to talk about emotion, about the need
to but not described. We know it when we
for introspection, about slowing down, about
see it. It transcends mere aesthetics and
isolating the creative voice from distractions
interest, adding a distinct personal overtone
and seeing beyond simple aesthetics.
The irony is that in a workshop setting, it is suggest to a budding photographer. While I

nearly impossible to actually implement such am skeptical that any such simplistic advice
lessons. On a workshop, whether you are an can be of real use, one suggestion I will make
instructor or a participant, you are tired and is that, if you recognize yourself being in this
rushed; you are socializing with new people “phase of no emotion,” make a conscious
whom you are not likely to open up to; you effort to move past it. This has little to do with
are overwhelmed by abundant subject matter how technically proficient you are, how many
and new knowledge. All of these will prevent awards you may have won, or any heroic
you from experiencing the quiet reverence challenges you’ve overcome to “get the shot.”
that leads to the making of emotionally-rich If your experiences and work are lacking in
images. emotion, consider taking a break and looking
inward. Ask yourself what it is you wish to
Making emotionally significant work is not
accomplish. All too often photographers look
what attending workshops is about. The real
to technical solutions (gear, travel, software,
test is how much of what you learn you will
technical tips, etc.) for creative problems.
take back with you, work on by yourself, and
The answer is not there. Skill is important, but
implement going forward.
only insofar as having something worthwhile
I’m often asked about “one thing” I might to apply it to.
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Lie Like You Mean It

Why do most great pictures look uncontrived? I realized then that the two conversations,
Why do photographers bother with the deception, though seemingly unrelated, were, in fact,
especially since it so often requires the hardest very similar. We tend to glamorize what we
work of all? The answer is, I think, that the do, even knowing that, when considered
deception is necessary if the goal of art is to be objectively, our characterization may be quite
reached ... far from the ideal we promote. Even in the
presence of the grand, the mysterious, and
–Robert Adams
the majestic, it is all too easy to miss the thread
A few weeks ago, I commended a fellow of true beauty woven into the fabric of what is
photographer on an image of remarkable a much larger experience and never quite so
beauty: a pristine alpine pure and obvious as we
lake reflecting a blazing might like our audience
red sky and rugged to believe. In that sense,
granite peaks. It looked so all photographs lie by
peaceful and inviting, the omission.
kind of place that might
I remember being
move someone to find a
criticized awhile back
quiet perch and conjure
when suggesting that
poetry. His response was
the answer to the not-
casual and blunt, “Oh, the
uncommon question,
mosquitoes were terrible
“Did it really look like
up there.” Not long after,
that?” is almost always
at a formal dinner party,
“No.” In fact, most
I sat next to a someone
photographers I know
who turned out to be a
likely will respond with
mathematician. We both
a very confident “yes”
had a few glasses of
without giving it a
wine and I inquired about
second thought. These
his work. Rather than
are the same people
mathematics, I got an earful
who personally set the
about university politics
saturation slider at 100,
and the challenge of securing grants. He then
cloned out a rogue branch, or even the
was silent for a moment, as if contemplating
ones clearly recalling the sound of vehicles
a difficult question, looked wistfully into the
speeding along the road 50 feet away as
glass and said quietly “people don’t realize
they were carefully composing their “wild”
that math is so beautiful.”
scene to keep out the pavement. To be fair, who follow the trend without questioning,
most of them truly believe the answer is “yes” contemplating, or contributing anything of
because, while others may not have perceived their own; those who try to pass their work
it the same way, in their mind’s eye it really as representing objective reality because it’s
did look and, more importantly, feel “like what their audiences want to hear. These are
that.” Right there is the crux of visualization – the artists in name only.
the ability to see in our “mind’s eye” an image
The casual viewer may never know the
–an imagined possibility relying on, but not
difference, but it is most certainly there. As
bound to, the reality of the scene.
the saying goes: it takes one to know one.
Far be it for me to criticize anyone Anyone harboring an artistic spirit likely will
manufacturing an experience not founded in intuitively recognize those works conceived
reality. In fact, I believe it to be essential to of passion, contemplation, creativity and love;
any art. Still, a good analogy can be found works that express a significance beyond a
in writing. Some texts are fictional, some misplaced allegiance to literal representation
are poetry, some are factual and some are and a veneer of hype and artificiality. The
science-fiction. The existence of one does difference may not be easily quantifiable, but
not invalidate the others. it is real. You have to feel it to know it.
My own work, by this analogy, is more akin The most effective art tells the truth not by
to Nature Writing than science-fiction or being literally descriptive but by expressing
factual accounts. It is a blend of inspiration the true state of mind of the artist. There
derived from true experience, and my inner is a vast chasm between images that are
stories, emotions and thoughts in the period “romantic” and ones that are “romanticized.”
of making the image. Like journal entries,
If you want your work to represent your own
my images describe real events, but do so
truth, embrace the lies and lie like you mean
in a subjective way. The wild influences my
it! No product of human conception can
thoughts and I harness its unique aesthetics
objectively contain all the dimensions of an
as metaphors in my work.
experience; and even if it could, it would not
Much like the photographer and be of much use as art since it explicitly leaves
mathematician, whose passions allow them out the subjective touch of a creator artist.
to draw a clear line between the mundane In my mind, art and objectivity do not mix.
and the transcendent in their work; to filter An artist is one who creates meaning, who
and compartmentalize the two as distinct expresses their own significance and relays
and separate dimensions of the same their own inspiration through their work.
experience that can be easily set apart; to
Postulating about what amounts to “objective
retain the essence and ignore the chaff; to lie
reality” is the business of scientists, journalists
like artists, in the sense expressed by Pablo
and priests. Artists work in the subjective.
Picasso: lies that make us realize the truth.
Then there are those who lie about lying; those
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No Lesser An Art
Photography is not an art. Neither is painting, and hiking in my beloved deserts of the
nor sculpture, literature or music. They are only American West. I started my journey on
different media for the individual to express his the high plateaus, catching the last of the
aesthetic feelings ... You do not have to be a golden foliage in the aspens mixed with
painter or a sculptor to be an artist. You may be early mountain snow, before descending
a shoemaker. You may be creative as such. And, into the southern canyons to see maples
if so, you are a greater artist than the majority turning red and small creeks, normally dry,
of the painters whose work is shown in the art flush with recent rains. Exiting the sandstone
galleries of today. wonderland of the Colorado Plateau I entered
the Mojave Desert, where I walked among
–Alfred Stieglitz
Joshua Trees, creosote bushes, barrel and
These past few days I have been fortunate cholla cactus, and breathed the intoxicating
to witness extraordinary beauty, driving air of a wet desert.
Along the trip I managed also to visit four Such were the teachings of photographic
photography galleries and admired the fine artists from the Pictorialist era, the
works of master photographers working in Brotherhood of the Linked Ring, the Photo
the region. It has been a very satisfying trip Secession movement, Group f/64, the New
so far, and more is yet ahead. It occurred Topographics, and numerous independent
to me that only one of the galleries I visited photographic artists. Yet, in these times
referred to the photographer as “the artist,” when everyone is a photographer and every
and that practically all the works I have seen inkjet print is stamped “fine art,” many of the
were explicitly promoted as documentary lessons of the past have apparently been
in nature, some going out of their way to forgotten.
proclaim the use of “natural” light and
Audiences, drowning in an ocean of
“traditional” processes, attempting to assert
photographic images with few maps to
that these somehow elevated their value,
help chart the waters or highlight favorable
while in fact shifting much of the credit away
lands and explain their unique cultures,
from the photographer’s creative mind and
seem oblivious to the distinction between
attributing it instead to technology, chance
the creative and the representational;
and chemistry.
documentation and creative expression.
It is no wonder that artistic nature Many photographic publications and contests
photography struggles to claim a place impose guidelines that disqualify the works of
among the fine arts when photographers even the most venerable photographic artists
shy away from creative expression and are of old, while present-day photographers fear
quick to dismiss their own role in their work, embracing their own creativity lest their work
reducing themselves to mere spectators and be tarnished with such ignorant labels as
operators of machines rather than creative “manipulated” and “Photoshopped.”
artists; recorders of objective facts, rather
There is more at stake than minor prejudice
than expressing something of their subjective
here. The very future of nature photography
minds; more concerned with literal accuracy
as a legitimate art hangs in the balance. All
than metaphorical significance.
art is manipulation. Photoshop is a tool – a
It seems most expect “nature photography” to noun, not a verb. And lumping all products
be heavily slanted toward mere representation of a camera into one category, to be judged
of things already in existence, while artistic by the same criteria, is as silly as bundling
photography often is perceived as obscure together Impressionistic masterpieces with
and abstract, or focused on the antics, engineering drafts or comic strips.
enterprises and tragedies of the “human
Not all photographs are meant to serve the
condition.” Caught in between, artistic nature
same purpose. Art is about the creative
photography understandably suffers from an
expression of subjective ideas, in whatever
identity crisis. In truth it fits neither category
media and by whatever methods. Whether
and should be entitled to exist in its own right
the tool is a paintbrush, a chisel, a camera, or
and independent of such prejudices.
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a computer program should have no bearing does with that record. Much as the painter
on the validity of artistic work. must work within the constraint of the palette,
brushes and canvas available to them and
To deny artists freedom of expression
the sculptor within the qualities of a given
because of pervasive ignorance associated
piece of rock, so does the photographer have
with their tools is an affront to art itself. And
to work with the materials available to them,
any art systematically denied the privilege of
but not within arbitrary limitations imposed by
personal choice and subjective expression
others.
is a lesser art, or no art at all. One cannot
hold the view that photography can serve
as an artistic medium, while at the same
time demand that it remain a slave to
representation of objective reality.
The art of photography is not in successfully

exposing film or a digital sensor to make a
record of reflected light. The art is in what one
Art and Rebellion

So ... try for that other world, the real world, of the term, and my writing politically
where orphans burn orphans and nothing is more incorrect. At the risk of further offending the
difficult to discover than a simple fact. And with sender, I admit the note prompted some
that pride of the artist, you must blow against the anger, but also great pride.
wall of every power that exists, the small trumpet
You may be wondering what it was I said that
of your defiance.
prompted such a response. In summary, it
–Norman Mailer was my audacious claim that the vast majority
of what is presented as (fine) art photography
It appears I have committed a grave
today is meaningless, repetitious, artificial,
sin. A chiding missive from a concerned
and safely ignorable; and that reliance on
photographer informed me that my moral
found beauty, rather than the expression of
standards are too high, my approach to art
personal significance, in photographic work
incompatible with the contemporary definition
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often is a crutch for the creatively lazy. And so we come to photography of natural
things. A rewarding hobby to many, but
Many an artist before me contemplated
one also fraught with cognitive dissonance.
their role and agency in society. Indeed,
When those who practice it proclaim to seek
I would say that anyone worthy of the title
a connection with the natural world, yet limit
ponders such thoughts with some regularity.
their involvement to short-lived and well-
Regrettably, few dare express them and live
planned “magic” hours, beautiful images
by their convictions.
may be made; a connection is not. When a
To eliminate from one’s work and rhetoric photographer adds nothing of themselves to
anything that might offend, is also to eliminate the outward appearance of found scenes,
from it anything that might matter. Call it beautiful images may be made; meaningful
arrogance, but I have little interest in being work is not. And when images are made
about things that don’t matter. that are not founded in personal conviction,
original concept, subjective significance and
In the most simple-minded perception, art ulterior purpose; beautiful they may be, but
is about the production of beautiful things. art they are not. Not very good art, anyway.
Beauty is the soul and the bane of art. It lures
those seeking distraction from the mundane, We are the fortunate ones. We live in a world
but if it fails to offer ulterior meaning beyond where adventure is still possible, where
mere aesthetics, the work is little more than mystery still exists, where undiscovered
temporary entertainment, and ultimately of no beauty is still there to inspire, where great
real significance. rewards can still be attained for relatively
small risk, where the incessant cacophony of
The production of objects and interpretations motors and gadgets and television sets have
culminates in the tangible legacy of an artist, not yet banished all silence, where livelihood
but they are not what being an artist is about. can still be made by personal enterprise and
Being an artist is about living passionately not in servitude, where fellow humans still find
and deliberately, placing curiosity and awe value in the elevating force of art, and their
and honesty and meaning ahead of social generosity still makes an artist’s life possible.
conventions and material spoils. It is not This world of opportunity and freedom
about finding beauty, it is about discovering is not to be taken for granted. With each
it within, creating it anew, elevating and generation, more are inclined to believe that
sharing and celebrating it in defiance of all a meaningful life can be had in the limited,
that is corrupt and cynical and greedy and dumbed-down bubble of artificial existence
cruel and bigoted and short-sighted in the and in disconnect with the very things that
world. make life possible, let alone their effects on
Works of art, however beautiful, are but the human psyche.
the proverbial means that should never be My work, to the extent that it may be worthy
confused with the artist’s goal, nor separated of being considered art, is not meant to offer
from it. benign glimpses into things that happen to
be beautiful in their own right. If it is to be purposeless pursuit of trophies (let alone

understood as intended, it should serve trophies already shot, bagged, stuffed,
as a stern warning of the wager we placed and mounted by others, leaving little more
on our ability to reinvent reality, not just than hollow shells of former glory). I want
in the material sense but in all the ulterior photography to be worthy of its rightful place
meanings, knowledge, peace, and awe that, as a creative, expressive, and important form
if we are wrong, may never again be possible of visual art, as valid and respectable as any
by artificial means. A generic image of a other. If that makes my standards too high
pretty place will not do. Only the deliberate and me politically incorrect, so be it.
explorations, revelations, and stories we
“I am a greedy, selfish bastard. I want the
tell through original work stand a chance of
fact that I existed to mean something.”
piercing the walls of socialized indifference
built over millennia of decadence, misplaced –Harry Chapin
priorities and unsustainable practices.
I want others to have what I have, to know

what I know, and to feel what I feel, even
if they don’t yet know why it is important. I
want to call to task all those who proclaim
themselves artists yet limit their work to the
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What’s Real
Art is not a study of positive reality, it is the I take no issue with any method of creating
seeking for ideal truth. images, so long as their purpose is fulfilled.
To me, an image should represent a state of
–John Ruskin
mind and a deeper meaning than just found
Some weeks ago, a fellow photographer aesthetics, and I use whatever tools at my
commented that for all my discussion of disposal to convey the mood and “message”
manipulation, my images still appeared I’m after. In so many other cases, it seems, the
natural. Why wouldn’t they? I thought, I goal simply is to command visual interest by
meant for them to appear natural. I realized shock value, surprising or jarring the viewer,
later that there was a greater issue at play, with no other intent or greater purpose than
though. In this day we have come to associate to satisfy the artist’s craving for attention. It
manipulation with obvious – often egregious would be futile for me to challenge anyone’s
– visual effects and gimmickry. personal taste, methods, or motivations, but I
do see a distinct difference between images brain does when I experience fascination,
carefully crafted by an artist to enrich and joy, peace or any other emotion inspired by
inspire their audience, and those merely seeing something unique, whether literal or
seeking to compete for eyeballs. metaphorical.
In my work, I wish to reflect something of The source of my inspiration may be inherent

the experience of creation, discovery, and and obvious, or it may be implied; it may be
romance that I felt at the time of making the something common to all people or unique to
image. It therefore seems obvious to me my way of thinking. In other words, it is rarely
that they should look natural. Computerized a simple objective representation of what is
visual effects are not there to inspire me in front of the lens. My goal as an artist is to
at the scene (and rarely do at other times, focus my viewers’ attention on those visual
either). I create images to satisfy my desire elements that best relay what inspired me to
to experience and to share my experiences make the image in the hope that they, too,
with others who may benefit from them. may experience some of what I have. Some
of it can be achieved through composition
Methods and tools help overcome limitations
alone, but not all.
imposed by the camera, or by arbitrary
qualities of the subject and light that may What’s real about an image is never its
obscure what the image is about. I use objectivity, but how it is subjectively
processing tools to distill the essence of interpreted.
what I want the viewer to feel, just as my own
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The Case for Landscape

Photography as a Fine Art
Photography would have been settled a fine art inspiration not available to the common
long ago if we had not, in more ways than one, person. It was the artist’s role to convey
gone so much into detail. We have always been too their inspiration to the masses who would
proud of the detail of our work and the ordinary otherwise never have attained it on their own.
detail of our processes.
As history had shown time and again, power
–Henry Peach Robinson does indeed corrupt, and artists often were
co-opted to convey not their own inspirations
Without reciting the many twists and turns of the
but those dictated by religious and political
history of Western art, it is fair to say that much
power mongers. For many centuries, nearly
of it is rooted in what is commonly referred
all art depicted biblical scenes and the
to as Classicism, dating back to ancient
likenesses of the rich and powerful, eventually
Greece. Classic
setting the stage
Art celebrates an
for rebellion by
aesthetic beauty
freethinkers in the
manifested in
name or reclaiming
grace and the
art’s independence.
glorification of the
subjects portrayed. Tired of Classic Art
It generally refrains and its place in the
from making social service of political
commentary and and religious
adheres to strict authorities, artists
stylistic rules. The decided to do away
Classic traditions with its glorified
were revived during beauty, celebrated
the Renaissance subjects and shallow
and remained the message, and
dominant paradigm began exploring
for several centuries. new grounds.
The seeds of the
Classical artists
revolution began with
were elevated and
Realism, depicting
believed to possess
common scenes and
a special gift of
people previously
considered unworthy of being the subjects Realism and beauty began to fall out of favor.
of art, yet still with an eye toward aesthetic Moreover, if your photographs are designed
beauty. Still, this was not satisfactory to evoke emotions or represent personal
to some artists who wanted to distance interpretations or social commentary, these
themselves further from the sensibilities qualities, too, will disqualify your work as
of the Classics; thus began the era of worthy art in the minds of many Modernists.
Modern Art. In the late nineteenth century,
Impressionists established a new aesthetic
What is Art and Who is an Artist?
based on light and pattern rather than detail,
evolving over time into progressively more
Ask a hundred people to define the term “art”
abstract renditions and styles, culminating
and you may have a hundred definitions. Put
in Postmodernism, which is marked by art
two passionate artists together and ask them
existing for its own sake with no relation to
to agree on what “art” means, and you may
beauty or ulterior purpose.
have a script for a reality show.
The primary concern for Modern Art was not
The Encyclopedia Britannica defines art
necessarily rooted in the art itself, but rather
simply as “a visual object or experience
in a desire to simply and at all costs be
consciously created through an expression of
different from anything that had come before
skill or imagination.” In other words, anything
it, primarily Realism. While it may seem
created by a conscious being, for any or no
plausible to do away with the past in the
purpose, can potentially fit the definition.
name of artistic freedom, and to reinvent the
Although similar in concept, I suggest a minor
arts in a manner more suitable to the ideas
adjustment to the above:
and sensibilities of a new era, several babies
also were thrown out with the bathwater. Art is a visual object or experience
These included the notion of art’s role in consciously created through an expression
enriching the human experience, relating to of skill, imagination and purpose.
emotions and morals, celebrating beauty, and
Skill alone can make for superbly crafted
representing the creativity, skill, sensibilities
artifacts. Still, craftsmanship is not
and identity of the artist behind it, as well as
limited to art. Every single day engineers,
and the Realist recognition that anything and
architects, carpenters, machinists and other
anyone can be a worthy subject of art.
professionals produce objects of great beauty
And what is photography if not the and utility but with no artistic aspiration or
embodiment of Realism – the very thing purpose. If skill alone is sufficient for art,
Modern Art was conceived to oppose? If soon all art will be produced by computers
you wondered why your beautiful landscape and machines. Requiring both skill and
photographs often are considered personae imagination means that the result should
non gratae at art museums and prestigious be something of the artist’s own conception
galleries, know that the wheels were set in rather than merely interesting, beautiful or
motion during the rise of Modern Art, when well-crafted. Put another way: where there is
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no artist, there is no art. or a more complex narrative. Simply put,

the notion that art should be judged only by
Still, what is likely the more contentious
objective measures and without placing value
part of my definition is the requirement for
on purpose is demonstrably incompatible
purpose. The most prevalent purpose for art
with popular perception of art, making much
in human history is the creation and sharing
contemporary art the domain of a small elite
of beauty. Other purposes may include social
– ironically, the very thing Modernism sought
commentary, moral values, the honoring of
to uproot.
people, events or things, etc. All of these
were explicitly and systematically abolished Indeed, as is evident from the words of many
from the mainstream art scene throughout artists in the early Modern era, the real goal
the twentieth century as art became a thing was to allow purpose and interpretation
unto itself, removed from any greater context to be decided by the artist rather than to
or utility. suggest that art should have no purpose at
all. Painter Paul Gauguin lamented that “the
I suspect that any opinion survey will show
history of Modern Art is also the history of
that the majority of people do actually seek
the progressive loss of art’s audience.” Henri
purpose in art, whether in mere visual beauty
Matisse admitted, “All my efforts go into meaning altered to suggest that art should be
creating an art that can be understood by judged independently of purpose, and using
everyone.” Paul Cezanne went as far as to objective measures such as style and form,
declare that “a work of art which did not begin effectively eliminating subjective aspects like
in emotion is not art at all.” By comparison, meaning, beauty, message and purpose, to
later artists dismissed the role of art as an the detriment of artists wishing to use their
agent of social change, emotions or ideas. work to express their own sensibilities and
Pop artist Andy Warhol defined an artist as narratives.
“somebody who produces things that people
don’t need to have.”
Beauty as a Purpose
Next comes the question of who can be
considered an artist. The belief that artists I mentioned that perhaps the most prevalent
are endowed with a special gift not available purpose of art had been the creation and
to others obviously does not sit well with propagation of beauty. Pablo Picasso
many. As we all know, skill, imagination and expressed it well when he said, “The role of
purpose are not the sole privilege of any art is to wash away from the soul the dust of
special group. Every one of us possesses everyday life.”
them in some form. Any one of us is equally In the mad rush toward abstraction and
entitled to express ourselves artistically if we sterilization of art, stripping it of meaning,
choose. An artist is, therefore, simply one emotion and message, beauty was among
who creates art. the casualties. In the minds of many, though,
beauty remains synonymous with art and is its
primary reason for existence. The unfortunate
The Irony of Art for Art’s Sake
result is that some of the most celebrated
In their effort to shed the restrictions of the contemporary works, at least among current
past, Modernists promoted the idea that art art connoisseurs, often are those judged
should be completely free of expression primarily by their monetary value or by the
and purpose, and independent from any degree to which they align with contemporary
preconceptions. Thus was born the term “l’art fashion, rather than emotional or aesthetic
pour l’art,” art for art’s sake. Initially coined appeal.
as an affront to the expectations of the rich
Evolution in art, as in life, is not linear.
and powerful, the expression was meant to
Every evolutionary tree starts with a trunk –
suggest that art should be at the complete
a foundation for all branches. Fashionable
discretion of artists, to be created, used and
or not, the trunk of all art is beauty. Many
applied as they please.
branches split off this trunk over the centuries,
Ironically, the term was hijacked by a some added value and became the basis for
new art elite – the so-called “art world,” the growth of yet other branches, and some
a conglomeration of mavens in academic declined and petered out. Although dominant
institutions, museums and galleries – and its within our lifetimes, it is my opinion that the
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branch leading toward increasingly abstract saying that it can exist independent of people;
and purposeless art ultimately will be one of that food can exist independent of flavor or
those doomed to fizzle out. I say this based nutrition; or that books can exist independent
in large part on the astounding growth in of stories or readers; an intriguing philosophy,
adoption and popularity of photography, perhaps, but ultimately of no real value.
and particularly photography of natural
aesthetics. Regrettably, I also suspect that,
The Fine Arts
like all revolutions, much will have been lost
to such resurrection, as we tend to adopt one The term “fine arts” often is used to describe
extreme or the other, often failing to preserve works created primarily for their aesthetic
the discrete benefits inherent in practically beauty. Originating from the French term
every school of thought. “beaux arts,” the fine arts were traditionally
While beauty may not necessarily be the considered to encompass a limited set of
purpose for all art, it is an important and valid disciplines such as painting, sculpture and
subject (perhaps more so than any other) and printmaking, and later expanded to include
it provides great value to the life experiences other forms of visual and performance arts.
of individuals and societies. To say that art A source of much confusion is the use of the
can exist independent of purpose is akin to word “fine” as it is not meant to represent an
objective measure of quality. Instead, it is although plausible at first blush, can be

used to place further emphasis on separating attributed to ignorance. Skill in photography
the emotional and creative aspects inherent is required not so much in operating the
in aesthetics, that differentiate art from camera, which is but a small part of the
craftsmanship. As writer and art critic John photographic image’s lifecycle, but more in
Ruskin explained, “Fine art is that in which identifying and crafting visual compositions
the hand, the head and the heart of man go from the abundance of elements available to
together.” All three are required. the photographer, as well as in the processing
and printing of the raw captured image.
Photography as Fine Art Whereas the laying of brush strokes on

canvas may indeed require more skill than
Knowing the history leading to current-day operating a camera, composing a coherent
art and understanding what constitutes “fine and meaningful image from a given scene
art,” it is easier to identify the challenges requires as much if not more skill than having
facing artistic landscape photography. For the freedom to paint and arrange elements at
starters, landscape images rely in whole or will.
in part on real visual elements. In addition,
the purpose behind the majority of natural Similarly, the skill required to control every
landscape images is to evoke emotions tone, hue and detail in the image using
intuitively associated with the beauty of a variety of processing techniques could
natural elements. Both realism and beauty, easily surpass anything even available to
as I mentioned, were pushed to the sidelines painters, sculptors and other artists. Some
in the last few decades. photographers are known to have taken
decades to hone their processing skills
In addition, there are many who doubt that before being satisfied with the quality of their
photography can be conducive to art in the prints and their interpretation of exposures
first place. Recall my definition of art as an produced by the camera. Processing also
expression of skill, imagination and purpose. opens up creative opportunities limited only
While purpose is evident, the skill of operating by the artist’s imagination.
a camera is admittedly much easier to master
than, say, painting or sculpture. And, with the Clearly, landscape photography is capable
introduction of computerized and automated of meeting the criteria for being considered a
cameras, it can even be said that creating fine art. You may think, then, that acceptance
photographic images requires no special skill of artistic photography by the mainstream
at all. Similarly, there are many who consider is just a matter of education. But there is a
photography devoid of imagination since the larger issue at play than ignorance, and one
camera merely records what is in front of it much harder to rectify: prejudice.
and is incapable of manufacturing visual
It’s easy to attribute prejudice against
elements at the artist’s bidding.
photography to elitism on the part of
Thankfully, much of the criticism above, proponents of the other arts. However, much
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of the blame also lies with photographers, saying that all written works must be in the
including those proclaiming to be fine art form of journalism. You will surely agree that
photographers. the rules that apply to a news report have no
bearing or utility when applied to, say, poems
To start with, many photographers self-apply
or fantasy novels, and that none is diminished
established art terminology, such as “fine art,”
by the existence of the others. Still, many fail
without fully understanding what it means. To
to make the same distinction when it comes
wit, many are under the impression that an
to photography. The foolish insistence on
archival digital print is a “fine art” print. To
applying rules of reportage to creative art also
a serious gallery owner this assertion will be
inhibits the degree of freedom artists have in
perplexing at best, as it says nothing about
interpreting, processing and presenting their
the philosophy and purpose behind the
photographic works.
image.
The case for landscape photography
Perhaps the greatest challenge, though, is
as a fine art is not a hard one to make.
photographers’ failure to distinguish between
Letting go of prejudices, though, is the real
editorial/documentary representational work
challenge facing photographic artists. Until
and creative/artistic work, treating both with
photographers themselves accept that
the same set of “rules,” especially as they
documentary images and artistic images are
pertain to photo-realism. To say that all
distinct in purpose and should be created and
photography must abide by the demands
evaluated by different criteria, photography
of editorial usage makes as little sense as
will continue to struggle as an art form.
The Medium is not The

Message
We are confronted today with a dichotomy; as our when I was moved by it, when it affected my
equipment and materials constantly grow in scope mood, my outlook, even my life. To hell with
and quality the creative and technical standards words. I know what it means.
appear to be diminishing; there is a near-cult of
I chose the path of an artist because my
photographers who seem to intentionally avoid
encounters with art changed me in profound
the beautiful and precise image, concentrating
ways, and I could think of no better way to
only on subject and obvious function. My personal
engage with the world.
reaction to this attitude is a determination to
go as far in the opposite direction as possible. Not everyone will understand my art, and
I believe in the most beautiful and appropriate that’s OK. Those who do, however, will also
prints, and the most clarifying and revealing understand me, beyond the hindrances
approach of mind, heart, and craft. I believe that of lesser human preoccupations or the
firm objectives in this direction can fulfill the bothersome things that divide and force
promise of photography as one of the great visual us to take sides on various matters. When
arts. However, we must always be logical in our you connect with art, you connect with the
critical estimates; most of photography is not artist, without regard to their appearance
intended as art and should not be judged as such. or language, politics, religion or nationality;
you connect with them at a much higher
–Ansel Adams
common denominator, as incarnations of
We may never agree on a definition for consciousness rather than flawed and mortal
art, but we still can have meaningful animals struggling to maintain an Earthly
conversations about it. In that sense, art is existence.
one of a distinguished set of words, along
Like most photographers, art was not on my
with consciousness, time and existence. It
mind when I first picked up a camera. In that
is, however, unique among such polysemous
sense, photography as a means for art is
notions in that it refers wholly to things of
handicapped. Most who set out to be painters,
human conception. We invented something
sculptors or musicians already aspire to
even we cannot define - a human-made
become artists. Not so for photographers.
mystery.
The practice of photography as art, therefore,
On several occasions I tried to define to demands that artistic photographs distinguish
myself what art meant to me, and I failed. themselves as such, lest they are doomed to
More accurately, words failed. Yet, I intuitively be judged and sentenced by criteria having
knew that it exists. I knew it when I found it, little to do with their artistic merits.
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How does one distinguish their work as art Art is not about the production of things; it’s
when they can’t clearly articulate the qualities about the expression of things.
of art in the first place? The answer is in the
By the same line of thinking, a painting is not
question. Rather, the answer is in knowing
inherently better art than a symphony; and a
that this is the wrong question to ask. Art is
sculpture is no higher a work of art than a
not distinguished by any objective qualities of
photograph or a building or a wood carving.
its products; it is distinguished by the minds
Miles Davis is what makes Kind of Blue better
of its creators and the things they wish to
art than the majority of paintings; Vincent
convey through their work. Great art can only
van Gogh is what makes Starry Night better
be defined as the product of great artists.
art than most songs; and Dorothea Lange is
All the measurable qualities in the world will
what makes Migrant Mother better art than
not elevate a work whose creator has nothing
most sculptures.
meaningful to express.
Pick your medium by whatever criteria you
Artists find ways of expressing themselves by
wish, but if art is your goal, be an artist first.
whatever means and skills available to them.
Don’t just create things, express things in your
By coincidence alone, the camera was the
creations. More than that, have something to
medium most readily available to me when I
give to the world that is worth expressing.
decided that I wanted – needed – to be an
artist. And so, I happen to be a photographer. True artists speak not only about their art;
This fact, by itself, means nothing. they speak also through their art.
Contemporary Oligarchy
If I did what has already been done, I would be may generically refer to as “landscape
a plagiarist and would consider myself unworthy; photography.” His application was rejected,
so I do something different and people call me in part, because his work was perceived as
a scoundrel. I’d rather be a scoundrel than a “aesthetic” and “convenient,” and with the
plagiarist! suggestion that he should strive to get a
sense of what’s being done in contemporary
–Paul Gauguin
photography.
Sociologist Robert Michels spent much
Though the term “contemporary” is not strictly
of his career studying
defined, a general
the dynamics of power
review of photographic
in organizations. His
art exhibited, taught
research resulted in
and publicly funded in
a startling conclusion
recent decades shows
known as The Iron Law
an overwhelming bias
of Oligarchy, suggesting
toward work exploring
that all organizations,
human subjects
regardless of their original
and interactions, as
mission, structure or how
well as decidedly
democratic they aspire
abstract renditions
to be, inevitably evolve
devoid of purpose
to serve the interests of
and significance. In
a small elite. Since its
particular, sorely missing
publication in 1911, many
from the institutional
studies attempted to seek
notion of “contemporary”
exceptions to the iron
is art utilizing natural
law. Very few were ever
aesthetics in its
documented.
narrative.
I was reminded of the
If, as suggested by
iron law recently when a
Mahatma Gandhi, action
friend shared with me his
expresses priorities,
experience of attempting
then the actions of
to apply for an art grant. His art, like mine, is
many art institutions, as manifested in the
based on the photography of natural subjects.
work they choose to exhibit and promote,
To the learned eye, his work is indisputably
their teachings and the recipients of their
distinctive in style within what laypeople
financial support, seem to express a degree
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of prejudice. with the contemporary art elite has an implicit

vested interest in promoting art that either
It is important for anyone attempting to
validates the current paradigms and/or
navigate the murky waters of the “art world”
maximizes financial profit for those in the art
to have some foundation in art history. What
business. Neither is necessarily bad in itself,
today we know as modern- or postmodern-art
but a balance must be maintained to insure
began with revolutionary trends in the arts,
that art remains what most of us intuitively
originally aimed at wresting art away from
consider it to be: a subjective, personal,
the grip of religious and political institutions,
expressive pursuit, free from arbitrary
and later at opposing the social effects of
constraints of dogma, politics or profit.
the Industrial Revolution. Artists rebelled
to uphold art’s freedom of expression, be it What I found most disturbing about the
founded in social commentary, aesthetics or response my friend received was not the
specific subject matters. rejection per se, but the profound lack of
foresight expressed in suggesting to an artist
Those in power always sought to use art to
that they should comply with the arbitrary
glorify themselves and to legitimize their
sensibilities of “contemporary photography,”
claim to power (be it based in scripture,
rather than urging him to pursue and evolve
celebrity, ideology or riches) as well as to
his own sensibilities. The application was
squelch artists’ ability to challenge and
dismissed merely by virtue of the art falling
criticize the status quo. For many centuries,
into the general bucket of “landscape
the result of such constraints was benign art
photography” and without regard to its
based primarily on aesthetics and devoid of
innovative and personal narrative.
any meaningful narrative that did not comply
with the powers that were. Which brings me to the reason for writing
this essay: I believe that today’s “art elite”
As expected, the iron law prevails in our own
has again come dangerously close to the
time, too. In the absence of political and
dreaded outcome of the iron law, placing too
religious authoritarianism, other interests
much power in the hands of a few. I believe
moved to fill the void. These include business
it’s time for another (peaceful, intellectual
and academic interests who took it upon
and creative) revolution.
themselves to assert control over what
constitutes legitimate art, often for profit and/ What I offer below is something of a manifesto
or glory. Among their goals was the desire for those of us concerned with the future of
to do away with anything that had been art, and particularly our art.
done before, including the role and value of
~~~
aesthetics in art. Some went so far in their
zeal as to declare that art should exist unto We are those who believe that art should be
itself, independent of meaning and purpose free of constraints. Any limitations applicable
– art for art’s sake. to our work are those we choose for ourselves.
The iron law explains why anyone associated We are those who proclaim ourselves artists,
in the sense that we are people who create choice of media to best fit what we wish to
art and who believe that no other qualification express.
is needed.
We are those who believe that our work holds
We are those who wish for our work to be meaning to our audience, and that such
judged, above anything else, by the goals we meaning trumps any consideration of genre,
set for it. movement or other categorization.
We are those who believe that art should We are those who proclaim that all art is
have meaning and purpose, and thus it is worthy.
incompatible with the notion of “art for art’s
~~~
sake.”
What today constitutes contemporary art
We consider art a construct of the human
did not materialize out of thin air. It is but a
mind, and as such, believe that it should
point on a long continuum, much of which is
benefit the human experience. Beauty
still ahead. It undoubtedly will evolve and be
and aesthetics, although not necessary
supplanted many times hence. Many artists in
ingredients, should never be dismissed in
the past were responsible for the evolutionary
and of themselves.
and revolutionary events that brought us to
We are those who recognize other trends, this point. These artists worked in many media
fashions and movements in art, but choose and espoused a great diversity of opinion
to pursue our work in the way that we do, and philosophy. However, they all have one
in a manner most honest with who we are, thing in common: they knowingly chose to do
our personal sensibilities, the roots of our something different than their own era’s idea
inspiration, our own creative voices, and our of “contemporary.”
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Art for People’s Sake

Art for art’s sake is a philosophy of the well-fed. that true art exists independently of meaning
and purpose, use or message. In other words:
–Frank Lloyd Wright
art – a product of humans – should have no
At a recent workshop, I expressed some of bearing on, or utility for, humans. Its value is
my thoughts on photography as a medium inherent in it simply existing.
for art. I said that I considered art to be the
Ironically, the expression originated as a form
product of creative artists. Though seemingly
of rebellion against art placed in the servitude
a simple statement, it holds an important
of political,
implication: art does
religious and other
not exist in a vacuum,
elites, though its
nor unto itself, and it is
meaning was co-
not a random product
opted to serve a
of circumstances; art
different elite: that
is a deliberate and
of fashionistas,
purposeful creation of
academics and
a human mind. I also
financial interests
mentioned that creativity
seeking to control
is often defined as the
what amounts to
bringing into existence
worthy art, making
of something both
it more socially
novel and useful,
prestigious and
based on a commonly-
less accessible to
quoted definition by Dr.
most.
Michael Mumford, who
is widely regarded for The thing about
his innovative essays the way art is
on creativity. One of defined by a given
the participants asked movement or
if I knew that some school is that, much
may disagree with my like the weather,
definition of art. Of if you don’t like it,
course I do. In fact, many academics likely wait a while. A new “ism” will emerge soon
will disagree. enough, negating or even overturning the
sensibilities and “rules” of its predecessor.
There is a school of thought in art that rallies
And that “ism” surely will not come from the
behind the banner “art for art’s sake,” claiming
ranks of those invested, academically or
financially, in the current school of thought. value as the primary purpose of a work. The
more extreme art aficionados may go as far
Art for art’s sake is an interesting philosophical
as to dismiss the value of beauty altogether.
exercise, but one that in my mind loses the
This is a great shame. Beauty, when used as
argument when considerations of value come
an ingredient, carefully blended with others
into play. From here, you could easily make
to produce a work of significance, can be a
the jump to whether there is value in “food
powerful and evocative force.
for food’s sake” – food that has no flavor or
nutritional value and that exists in its own This is the crux on which photographic
right, without needing to be appetizing or art relying on natural aesthetics stands
palatable. Or, how about “books for books’ – the crossroads between gratuitous,
sake” – bounded tomes written (or not) in benign aesthetics and more complex
letters that do not need to spell actual words ulterior meanings. Regrettably, too many
or narratives, and exist for the mere sake of practitioners believe that a heaping overdose
being books. of objective naturally-occurring beauty is
sufficient to carry a work, and they never
It seems obvious that a deliberate product of a
venture into more subtle, complex, nuanced
human mind should possess a value justifying
and subjective narratives.
the work, attention, time and materials that
went into its making, not to mention the A review of the most celebrated art in human
investment required of its audience. And, history reveals the error in such thinking. For
indeed, much of what is created under the a work of art – any art – to endure beyond
creed of “art for art’s sake” rarely is left to the capricious fashions of its day, a certain
exist in its own right as the ideology might degree of complexity is necessary. The
suggest, and, instead, ends up being traded genius of Leonardo or Beethoven is not that
like so many commodities, culminating in they produced work that simply appeals to
“hype for profit’s sake.” the senses, but that, centuries after their time,
we still discover new meanings in them and
Mumford’s “novel and useful” definition is
are inspired by the degree of forethought,
powerful in that it does not stop at creative
work and insight woven into them by their
work being merely unique and different
creators.
from previous ones; the work needs to also
possess demonstrable value. For visual arts, To create is not to simply capture or record;
the simplest and easiest value to accomplish it is to infuse – knowingly, deliberately and
is aesthetic appeal. Accordingly, it also is expertly – something of the artist’s own
the least venerable. The staggering amount mind into the work so that it is elevated not
of exquisitely-beautiful creations posted to by its literal appearance alone, but by the
online media on a daily basis makes even significance inscribed, stamped and sealed
a “dime a dozen” seem like a bargain. into it by its creator – a significance that
This over-saturation of beauty led many would never exist if it were not for imagination
connoisseurs to become jaded about its and skill. This requires hard work and expert
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knowledge of the artist’s chosen medium, not merely existing is to ignore what art had
only in operating tools, but in understanding always been and continues to be for human
the minds of their audiences. beings. It’s enough to simply consider the
role of an artist in any society to derive the
I suggest that art should exist for people’s
true value of art. Artists, seemingly, produce
sake. Beyond being aesthetically pleasing,
nothing of material value, and live off the
it also should enhance and elevate the
generosity of those willing to pay for the
experience of its audience. That audience
experience of being inspired, or to further
may not necessarily be anyone and everyone,
their own inner artist. And it works. It has
but those who choose to seek and grow and
worked for tens of thousands of years. That
be inspired by it, who are willing to invest in
says something about the intrinsic value of
understanding it and who allow themselves
art and the purpose it serves.
to be moved by it.
Consumption of art is not a passive endeavor,

it requires deliberate work and an implicit
consent to be altered by the experience.
To claim that art should have no value outside
The Important Thing

I’m dealing with the most important things there come and go, and taking a front-row seat
are: life and nature. If this doesn’t work, if this as lightning, thunder and rain danced upon
doesn’t sustain me, I can’t go back to nature. the volcanic landscape, now verdant and
I’m right there. There’s nowhere to go, and that vibrant after the brown days between spring
frightens me. and summer. A couple of days ago my
forays came to an unwelcome end as my
–Andy Goldsworthy
knee became sore and infected for unknown
I woke up early today and sat on my porch reasons, forcing me to remain put for a while.
to watch the velvety darkness fade into an A good time to read, write and heal.
overcast and chilly morning. A good rain
I spent much of my adult years examining
came yesterday and the air is rich with the
and revising many of the underpinnings of
perfume of pine and desert flora. I spent
my personal beliefs and philosophy, about
the last couple of weeks on the sagebrush
a variety of subjects, with the goal of finding
plains and sparse aspen groves of a remote
a consistent framework for my ideas and for
high plateau, watching the monsoon storms
what I consider the greatest question any
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person can ask: how to best live my life. It’s and long nodding grasses. Not a spring or
been a difficult and rewarding pursuit, forcing stream of water is known upon all its area,
me to give up things I once considered except at the lowest part ... And yet most of
inalienable, but also fostering an exciting kind its surface is at an altitude where verdure and
of enlightenment when things fit together in moisture abound, and where the summer is
such a way as to leave no doubt about their like the spring of more favored regions. But
veracity. Time after time I’ve found inspiration here the snows of winter are melted early,
in the beautiful fluidity of one idea flowing and the summers are nearly as hot and dry
seamlessly and elegantly into another, even as those of the plains below. A ride across it
(perhaps especially) when for much of my is toilsome and monotonous in the extreme. It
life I believed the opposite ... wanted to takes us over an endless succession of hills
believe the opposite, because it was easy and valleys, clad with a stony soil, usually
and convenient and acceptable. Once found, just steep enough to worry the animals,
I believe it to also be my duty to share such but not enough so to require us, or to even
thoughts. Such sharing may be adorned in encourage us, to dismount.
lofty words about social responsibility, but
As an artist, I find places such as this
such characterization will not be entirely true.
irresistible. Here, I have the chance to
There is some amount of self indulgence, as
experience things never before experienced,
well. The joy of sharing may be almost as
to see things never before seen, and to tell a
rewarding as the joy of discovering.
story never before told.
~~~
Though it may not be intuitive to most, such
The place I mention above is a desolate one, places are not rare. It is likely that one, or
not known to many. On any visit, I likely am more, exist within close proximity to you, no
occupying some portion of it not trammeled matter where you live. Telling its story likely
by humans in hundreds perhaps thousands will yield a more satisfying and important
of years, maybe ever. The first westerner to body of work than any collection of cover
survey these lands was a geologist named versions off the ubiquitous iconic checklist of
Clarence Dutton, at times a member of the “must see” spots.
legendary John Wesley Powell expedition.
This revelation came to me some years
Dutton’s lyrical and emotional descriptions of
ago, as I became familiar with the work
these high plateaus have inspired me many
of Paul Strand, an artist and humanitarian
times before, and undoubtedly influenced
photographer of immense insight. He was
much of my own appreciation for them. Still,
the preeminent “straight” photographer of his
about this place all he had to say was:
day, at a time when stylized pictorial work
It is a dreary place. Upon its broad expanse was the norm. In addition to brilliant abstract
scarcely a tree lifts its welcome green, save a compositions, he rendered the streets of
few gnarled and twisted cedars. Its herbage New York in powerful juxtapositions between
consists only of the ubiquitous artemisia the poor and the wealthy, then went on to
photograph in remote islands and villages, between meaningful and beautiful, between
and to produce films about the plight of significant and inconsequential, between
Mexican fishermen and social injustice in unique and repetitive, too many surrender to
America. It is lamentable that he did not the temptation of repeating the same clichés
leave a richer written legacy, which likely already articulated by others.
would have made him a more prominent and
The important thing is ...
important photographer in the minds of many
than most of those whose names are more You must have something to say about the
recognizable today. world.
In the documentary Strand, Under the Dark You MUST have something to say about the
Cloth, narrator John Walker recalls Strand’s world.
admonition upon their first meeting: “The
YOU must have something to say about the
important thing is: you must have something
world.
to say about the world.” These words should
ring loud in the mind of anyone aspiring for
any degree of importance, in photography
or any other endeavor. In the struggle
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What Makes an Artist

I began to wonder – I knew I was an artist or first two are easy to address: if you don’t like
wanted to be one – but I was wondering whether the way art is defined and taught in schools
I really was an artist. I was doing such ordinary or promoted by art mavens, wait a decade or
things that I could feel the difference. Most people two. Art changes and morphs with the times;
would look at those things and say, “Well, that’s it has for tens of thousands of years. Today’s
nothing. What did you do that for? That’s just a definition is no more final than any that
wreck of a car or a wreck of a man. That’s nothing. preceded it. More importantly, throughout
That isn’t art.” They don’t say that anymore. history, it took courageous artists to buck the
trends and powers of their day and redefine
–Walker Evans
art as they saw fit. With regards to other
A friend recently shared a moving post on people’s impression of artists, keep in mind
his blog, confessing his hesitation in calling that art is among the most subjective things
himself an artist. I’ve met others who were we can create (or consume). Pandering to
similarly apprehensive about the term, others’ opinions is the realm of politicians,
whether because of personal experience with marketers and salespeople, not artists.
other artists, trepidation about other people’s
The third point is, to me, the most interesting.
perceptions, or because they did not feel
As I journey through life I come across many
worthy of the term. Those who attended my
people who think as I do – as artists – but
recent presentations may recall my advice: If
who do not necessarily work in photography
you know in your heart that you are an artist,
or painting or music or indeed any field
don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
generally considered art. I know people who
Wouldn’t it be easy if there was a clear approach rock climbing as art, or computer
qualification for being an artist, like, say, programming, or long distance running or
being a veterinarian or an attorney? Indeed, any number of other things. I realized that the
trying to offer such definitive criteria can be only thing differentiating us in our approach
the bane of anyone writing about art. And yet, to the things we love to do is the product,
I’m going to touch that third rail again. whether a photograph, a first ascent or a
prize dish. Take away the product, and what
I think that there are three mistakes most defines an artist comes down to three things:
people make in deciding whether to refer to passion, creativity and philosophy.
themselves as artists: the first being concern
with formal education in art, as taught in What I mean by philosophy is that the thing
schools or promoted by the “art world;” we are passionate about and that drives us
second is worrying about what other people to ever more challenging creative feats, be
may think; and third is measuring their worth it photography or painting or woodworking
by whatever products they may create. The or gardening, becomes more than the thing
itself; it becomes a metaphor for life. We new creative endeavors, and that factors into
begin to see and interpret and engage with the way you pursue life and engage with the
the world through it. It is not something we world, you are an artist. Wear it proudly.
do at random times and places between
other activities, it is a constant in the way
we think and interact; it factors into the way
we experience the world, everywhere, all the
time.
So, at the risk of more backlash, I think that

what makes one an artist is not the medium
they work in or anything they produce. If
you have a thing – any thing – that you are
passionate about, that keeps you looking for
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On Subjectivity
A work of art is the unique result of a unique proclaims their faithfulness to the subject “as
temperament. Its beauty comes from the fact that seen.”
the author is what he is. It has nothing to do with
Of all human pursuits, art is perhaps the most
the fact that other people want what they want.
subjective. From the things that motivate
Indeed, the moment that an artist takes notice of
someone to create it in the first place, through
what other people want, and tries to supply the
their choice of tools, composition, style and
demand, he ceases to be an artist, and becomes
presentation, everything about art relies
a dull or an amusing craftsman, an honest or a
on subjective choices made by an artist in
dishonest tradesman. He has no further claim to
accordance with their own imagination and
be considered as an artist.
skill, distinguishing their work from that of
–Oscar Wilde others.
My great creative passions are photography In truth, subjectivity in art is not an either/
and writing, and every so often I like to draw or quality, but a point along the continuum
parallels between the two. Of particular between the factual and the imaginary,
interest to me are things derived from the the literal and the metaphorical. In some
maturity of each pursuit, manifested, in part, manifestations, the photographic artist
in the acceptance of established variations may limit their involvement to a choice of
and classification. For example, most composition; in others they may allow a
any reader knows to make the distinction narrow range of refinements to color and
between journalistic reporting and creative contrast; and in others they may pursue
writing, and to apply different criteria in their whatever means necessary.
appreciation. The same distinction, however,
Other than the obvious aesthetic implications,
does not quite apply in the minds of most
the degree of subjectivity in one’s work also
consumers of photography, where an image
determines the audience for it. The more
presented as creative is often still expected
factual and readily understood an image
to maintain the same degree of objectivity
is, the larger its potential audience pool.
and factual representation as photographs
Conversely, the larger the audience, the
illustrating a news report.
lower the common denominator, and the
Creativity is an expression of subjectivity. In more restricted the artist is in expressing
other words, a work of creative art always their own creative voice. This is an important
is biased toward expressing the unique consideration. If you are driven primarily by
sensibilities of its creator. It is, therefore, sales, accolades or popularity, and want to
curious to encounter photographs presented maximize your audience, the less likely it is
as “fine art,” where the photographer also that your work will communicate complex
personal narratives. And, the more personal of your chosen degree of subjectivity is
and expressive your work, the smaller your important. Much as many would like their work
potential audience may be. This is not to to be both objective and creative art, the two
say that one is “better” than the other, just are incompatible in many ways. Make your
that such choices carry implications beyond choice and accept the consequences. For
personal conviction. myself, I yearn for the day when photography
reaches the degree of maturity where its
Finding satisfaction in one’s work also is
consumers know to draw a clear distinction
directly derived from the degree of subjectivity
between representational and creative work,
expressed. The more personal and complex
as they do with writing.
your message, the fewer people are likely to
relate to it. Accept it and don’t try to please
everyone. The alternative is to compromise
your message and/or artistic integrity.
Understanding the implications and sacrifices
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The Mythical Personal Style

Trends, modes, periods, unique photography, It is not surprising that so many people
graphic photography, the finding of the “gem- struggle with the issue of personal style. With
like flame,” all these and more are the shells on a so much of the discourse around photography
necklace. The string? What is that? Merely what focused on tools, techniques and visual
holds these shells in line that are so entrancing. gimmickry, and so little attention given to
In Heaven what matters is the string! topics relating to creative expression, many
end up seeking their style in visual effects
–Minor White
rather than in expressing their own voice – the
If ever there was an artistic chicken-and- very thing that makes them unique – in their
egg situation, it is manifested in the struggle work. Too many photographers spend too
to define one’s personal style – the elusive much time worrying about the style portion
thread that binds all the artist’s work – a and not enough time nurturing the personal
recognizable signature look unique to them. aspects of their work.
Perhaps the greatest mistake in approaching gratification culture. And yet, it holds true.
a personal style is that of adopting a style There are no shortcuts.
first, and then trying to force personal work
By virtue of being personal and representative
into it. This often happens when unseasoned
of the skills, sensibilities, maturity, and
photographers first master an advanced
experience of the artist, a truly personal
technique, such as High Dynamic Range
style is one that evolves organically over
(HDR) photography, blurring effects, black-
time, rather than one decided based on
and-white conversion, night photography or
aesthetic appeal or the learning of any one
the rendering of star trails. Having achieved
skill. Attempting to force it on your work will
such technical proficiency and some praise
only result in confining and limiting your
for a successful image, some will be tempted
expressive powers, possibly preventing them
to continue repeating the performance,
from fully maturing as you restrict your range
calling it their style, whether it truly represents
of experimentation and confine your work to a
an inner vision or not.
contrived style. Keep working until your work
Perhaps a better way to think of a personal is mature. Let your style emerge by itself as
style is as the expression of the unique traits your work and sensibilities evolve. Trust that
that define each of us as individuals and as it will and give it time.
creative artists. In this sense, a personal style
Be yourself and your style will follow.
can be regarded as not a goal in itself but as
a by-product of the creative choices made by
the artist according to their own sensibilities.
This would, of course, require that the artist

is expressing their own unique voice in their
work rather than mimicking that of others.
Mimicry is not a bad thing in itself and is

vital in the training and evolution of an artist.
However, arriving at a style is not a moment-
in-time decision; it requires time to mature.
Regrettably, the temptation to seek shortcuts
is an unfortunate characteristic of neophytes,
and many budding photographers attempt
to achieve a unique style before having a
fully developed creative voice or sufficient
command of the skills required to express it.
This bit of wisdom, which was obvious to artists
of the past who studied and apprenticed for
years before pursuing independent careers,
almost seems like sacrilege in today’s instant
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Where Credit is Due

The ‘bad’ gains respect through imitation; the would seem.
‘good’ loses it, especially in art.
Such attitudes also highlight photography’s
–Friedrich Nietzsche growing pains as an accepted medium for
expressive art, perhaps best illustrated
On a recent discussion about the value
by comparing it to music. In music, there
of originality in photography, a fellow
is a clear distinction between composers
photographer asked about a situation in
and performers, singers and songwriters,
which an original image is later “trumped”
players and conductors, rewarding each
by another photographer, suggesting that
for their individual contribution. Even the
the value of the original composition may
most celebrated performer still takes great
be diminished if someone else managed a
care in crediting the the score to its original
technically superior version of it.
composer. Whether performed by the London
This highlights several issues facing Philharmonic or the Utah Symphony, Bach’s
photographic artists when it comes to Brandenburg Concertos will always be
recognition of their creative efforts. The first credited to Bach.
is an apparent division among photographers
Moreover, credit is given separately to
who consider “getting the shot” a primarily
acknowledge virtuous violinists, pianists,
technical or competitive challenge rather
conductors, etc., celebrating their individual
than a creative one, and those who seek
contribution to a given performance, rather
meaningful expression as the main goal for
than claiming the entire piece.
their work, rather than technical qualities.
When was the last time you saw a
Put in a different perspective, if someone
photographer crediting the composition of an
produced an expertly rendered copy of Van
image to another, whom they know to be the
Gogh’s “Starry Night” and added a trace of the
original?
arc of the Milky Way to the sky, would anyone
suggest that he or she “trumped” Vincent’s When latter day musicians render their own
masterpiece? Or, how about a superb copy interpretation of previously published work,
of the Mona Lisa with the addition of rainbows their performances are openly regarded as
and butterflies above the enigmatic portrait? “covers,” rather than originals. Again, taking
Would Leonardo have been “trumped” by it? nothing away from the creator and only
If such work is made with any seriousness, claiming credit for the performance.
it may well possess some artistic value, but
Similarly, when an old movie is re-filmed,
I doubt anyone will consider it as anything
it is always dubbed a “remake;” When a
other than derivative, taking nothing away
theater troupe performs the work of a known
from the original. Not so with photography, it
playwright, they never proclaim themselves they stand; when a technically superior
the authors or owners of the narrative. When derivative is appropriately presented as
dancers perform a ballet, they may credit a “cover” or a “remake,” and its original
themselves for the choreography and the composer appropriately credited for
performance, never the score. conceiving it.
I long for the day when photographers show

similar respect to the giants whose shoulders
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CRAFT
Finding the Needle

The purpose of life is to be defeated by greater creativity and insight. It did not fit with the
and greater things. way my brain worked, which tended to thrive
on finding correlations and commonalities
–Rainer Maria Rilke
among seemingly unrelated things. Math
I didn’t quite grasp the value of a good teacher seemed to stand alone, having little to do with
until my first semester as a university student the beauty of the natural world, the mystery
when I entered, with great trepidation, my first of a good book or the romance of geography.
calculus class. Up to that point, math had been
And then came a good teacher. This
a necessary and unpleasant evil presence
teacher didn’t necessarily know the material
in my studies, requiring monumental effort
better than any other I’ve had, but he did
just to get by with a passing grade. I always
know something about students like me.
saw it as a dry, formulaic pursuit, devoid of
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Specifically, he understood what it took to only is it impossible to offer formulas for such
make math interesting and useful for someone things, but their nature is such that they may
like me. He did not teach material out of a be different for every student. The solution,
book in a linear fashion but consistently therefore, is not, and cannot be, a recipe.
introduced small anecdotes and links to
Two of the more common questions I hear
other disciplines. A formula was no longer
from workshop participants are: “How do
just something requiring analytical thinking to
I find a good composition?” and “How do
solve, for no real purpose; it was something
I take my photography to the next level?”
derived from a desire to understand greater
Though seemingly abstract and unrelated,
truths about the workings of the world. Each
they are actually two dimensions of the
subject tied into life sciences, social trends,
same theme and, in a deeper sense, are
mysterious workings of nature and a myriad
not about photography at all. Finding
other stories that made it not only interesting
good compositions is about effectively
but meaningful and important. I received a
communicating something of your conception
perfect score in that class - the only one that
to your audience; reaching the “next level”
semester. My second perfect score came
is about increasing your understanding of
the next semester ... in Linear Algebra. Two
how to better communicate such concepts in
perfect scores. In math.
images. Both point right back at the person
That was more than two decades ago. I behind the camera wanting to become a
have since taught many classes of my own more effective, interesting and inspired
and have been a student in many more. With communicator, and, by extension, a more
experience, patterns began to emerge about effective, interesting and inspired person.
what makes for a good learning experience. In
In essence, we are looking for the proverbial
particular, I noticed two areas that differentiate
needle in the haystack: the improbable
good teachers from lesser ones. The first is
revelation that will make you a better
a desire to teach – deriving pleasure and
photographer today than you were yesterday.
satisfaction from seeing students engaged
And, like all great truths, there are many paths
and interested. The second is the ability to
that may lead you there. Continuing the needle
recognize that different people learn and are
metaphor, analytically-minded photographers
inspired in different ways.
may spend their time researching the best
In my photography workshops I seek to teach metal detector to help pinpoint the location
more than just the technicalities of operating of the needle; others, who may recognize
a camera. Instead, I hope to articulate things that the search may be as enjoyable as the
students are not likely to learn from books reward, may find a comfortable shaded spot
or the abundant “tips and tricks” type of and begin pulling strands of hay out of the
advice so prevalent in our industry. Aiming to pile, trusting that in time the needle will be
teach such nebulous concepts as creativity, revealed. Any such approach will give you
inspiration and personal expression are at least a chance of finding your needle. The
especially challenging for a teacher. Not one strategy guaranteed to fail, though, is to
search anywhere other than the haystack. produce somewhat more competent versions
of the same concepts they already knew how
The haystack is not something outside
to express before. Such an approach will
yourself – it’s your own mind. Searching
accomplish little in the way of developing
elsewhere only yields other people’s needles.
creativity and tapping into the personal
~~~ rewards that go with it.
I am privileged in that I get to teach those Anyone can parrot such platitudes as: “follow
things that are personally meaningful and your bliss,” “the answer is within you,” “be
important to me, not just about photography, yourself,” or “listen to your inner voice.” I
but through have yet to meet a
photography. I student who had not
wish to instill an heard these before
appreciation not in some form or
so much for the another. They are all
medium, but for true. And yet, recite
creativity and the them to anyone
ways in which it and you will see
can enrich lives far the cynicism and
beyond the mere puzzlement building
making of images. up. The question
they really want
When workshop answered but may
participants ask be embarrassed to
about improving ask is: How?
their compositions
and the instructor’s The fact that most
response is limited people know about
to such simplistic such high ideals,
advice as “use yet still struggle with
leading lines” or finding their way
“apply the Rule to accomplishing
of Thirds,” at best them, points to the
they may receive true crux of the
an expensive issue: it is not easy
alternative to an and it is not simple
Internet search. And, when someone seeks and it is not obvious. And precisely because
insight into ways of taking their photography it is not easy, teachers are needed who are
to the fabled “next level,” only to be provided more than just technically proficient, but
with technical tips, they likely will go no who are invested in the answers to the same
further than to copy the instructor’s style or to degree as their students, yet may be farther
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along their own journeys and able to offer is not about seeking yet more obvious
concrete advice. It also requires teachers compositions in different places. And, when
with the courage to tell paying clients, who self-expression is the goal, the approach
may have different expectations, that the to the next image has to come from within,
answers are not easy, that progress requires rather than the mindset “my copy of your
personal investment, and that there are no composition is better because it shows the
shortcuts. Milky Way.”
There are ways to help someone better tap The next level is not about images or how to
into their creativity and imagination; there make them. It is about being more effective
are means of expression through visual in conceiving and in telling your own stories.
composition that go far beyond the Rule of
Thirds, and that also can be taught; and there
Stop Chasing after Trophies
are concrete and applicable methods to help
someone better articulate their thoughts and
There are two ways to obtain a trophy; one
feelings through images (or prose, or wood
is to perform a notable act worthy of reward,
carvings, or dance or any other creative
and the other is to go to the trophy store. The
pursuit).
increased popularity of photography, and
It helps to start by explicitly acknowledging especially photography of natural subjects,
that creativity involves the act of creation – has indeed given rise to a thriving industry of
bringing something novel into existence, “trophy stores”; that is, products and services
rather than repeating feats already specializing in making sure you go home
accomplished by others; that self-expression with great images, guaranteed to impress,
is about expressing things that are inherently requiring some investment of time, money
subjective; and that anything requiring the and effort, but not necessarily imagination,
degree of work and dedication needed to find intellect, emotion or originality.
lifelong fulfillment in such endeavors must
Whether acquiring a trophy by copying
be rooted in passion and yield meaningful
a predictable, obvious or unoriginal
rewards to make the required efforts
composition, or whether by paying someone
worthwhile. Such admissions clear the path
to point it out, the results are equally
to seeing the value of originality, honesty,
meaningless. No matter the accolades, an
humility and the need for hard work, which
image that was not born of an ongoing quest
may not be pleasant at any given time, yet
for new knowledge, imagining new concepts
which pay ample dividends when a work is
and discovering new experiences, is just that
done.
– an image. It may have some value in itself,
For those seeking to advance beyond tools but such value pales in comparison with the
and techniques, the answers are not as sustained and transformational rewards of
simple as “use a better tripod.” When obvious a life lived in search of creative expression,
compositions are exhausted, advancement irrespective of anecdotal accomplishment.
Though much is said about objective qualities from physical health to cognitive abilities.
of images (“good,” “bad,” “stunning,” or any The shift in thinking, therefore, is to stop
other adjective) experienced by its viewers, compartmentalizing and to make art not
precious little is taught about the things that just a hobby but a lifestyle. Photography –
make an image rewarding to the photographer, or art in general – should not be something
beyond merely impressing others – the you practice only with your camera, only on
things that elevate the very act of making weekends or holidays, or as a distraction from
images into something that has the power other things. Instead, make it part of who you
to enhance one’s are. Think creatively,
outlook, satisfaction whether you intend
and life experience. to make an image or
not. Remind yourself
at random times
Train the Brain
throughout the day to
Oftentimes, the best think about interesting
way to overcome a visual elements in
challenge is to adopt your surrounding,
a new way of thinking challenge yourself to
about it. In the case of compose them in the
creative pursuits, it is most favorable way,
worthwhile to consider whether they make
not only the short-lived a “good” image or
spike of satisfaction not, and regardless
when accomplishing a of whether you’ll ever
successful image, but actually point a camera
also the persistent and at them. The goal is to
ongoing joy of merely increase awareness
engaging in creative to the raw materials in
work. This is important your environment, no
not only in the sense matter where you are.
that it creates a
Create lists – visual
sustained positive
inventories – in your
thread through all
mind: “graceful curve in tree,” “distracting
that you do, independent of anecdotal
power lines,” “interesting pattern in the bark,”
achievements, but it also trains the mind to
etc. Consider moods, emotions and ideas
be constantly attentive and aware and to
you wish to express and challenge yourself to
contemplate enjoyable things.
identify ways of communicating them visually.
Happiness, as it turns out, is also the linchpin
Think of entering a scene in search of a story
to a wide array of other desirable traits,
as if you are entering a kitchen in search of
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food. There may be an obvious loaf of bread others.

on the counter, or a bowl of fruit on the table,
When experiencing a concept, stop and
but you may never know what delicacies you
think about it. Make it the primary focus of
may be missing if you don’t also take the time
your attention. Distraction, while a fine state
to open the cabinets and drawers, peek at the
of mind for conceiving random ideas and
spice rack and see what’s in the refrigerator.
revelations, is also the bane of productivity.
Rather than reaching for the obvious, develop
Once a concept – an idea, a thought or a
the habit of noticing and acknowledging the
feeling – materializes and whispers in your
raw materials you have to work with before
ear, “there’s something here,” it’s time to
deciding what to do with them.
shift gears and focus on the work. Give it the
In time, intention becomes intuition. Rather attention it deserves.
than consciously thinking about what’s
As artists, we tell stories in our work, and
around you and what you may be able to
when we realize there’s a story to be told it
do with it, with repeated practice your brain
becomes incumbent upon us to learn enough
will know to instinctively scan the scene for
about it so we can be effective in telling it to
potential ingredients and come up with ideas
others. Begin by articulating the story – reflect
of how to portray and combine them. It’s a
on how you feel and try to distill what makes
good habit to have, but habits are formed
you feel this way. Not everything is inherent
over time and require incessant repetition to
in visual elements alone, so be conscious of
become instinctive.
the experience in all its dimensions, from the
When you train yourself to be aware of the raw temperature and scents in the air to your own
ingredients, move on to developing and fine- mood. These are the things you will need
tuning your recipes. Start with a cookbook to translate for your viewers using visual
to gain a sense for processes and methods, metaphors.
then move on to develop your own.
The process of transforming an abstract
concept into a tangible representation is
Embrace the Concept, Visualize Constantly called visualization – a mental process aimed
at imagining the different ways in which the
In my books and classes, I describe the concept can be realized and picking the
concept as the starting point to a creative most effective one. It is in the process of
expression. The raw concept is little more visualization that we consider things such
than an inkling – something that catches as composition, technicalities of equipment,
your attention and makes you feel that exposure, and possible processing methods.
there’s an image to be made or a story to It is not a momentary decision point but an
be told, before you even know what it is or ongoing process of mental experimentation
how to realize it. The concept is always a and refinement that carries from the moment
great start, and the creative challenge is in of inspiration and until the final product – be
successfully transforming it into a tangible it a print or a digital image, a single frame or
visual expression that can be shared with
a portfolio, or anything else – takes shape. to research, study and practice the visual
language.
Learn the Language Artists of the past relied on the experience

of their predecessors. Many studied and
Not everything about art is intuitive and apprenticed with accomplished peers and
insightful. Some amount of book learning can mentors, sometimes for years or decades.
save a lot of trial and error and provide you Revelations about visual perception
with wisdom accumulated since the dawn of discovered by artists of ancient Greece, for
art. example, were handed down to the artists of
We are fortunate to live in a time when science Rome, the Renaissance and beyond, through
can offer us glimpses into the mysteries lore and theory and study and word of mouth.
of the brain, from the way creativity works Though things like the golden ratio and other
to the way visual signals are interpreted compositional tools were known, they were
and transformed into emotional responses not always rooted in understanding and
reaching far beyond aesthetics. Take the time sometimes were attributed to divine origins.
Today, we have more answers than ever, but
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the tradition of apprenticeship is largely lost. attention can be reassigned elsewhere.

Still, the knowledge is there, in books and in
When an image is too obvious or static (i.e.,
teachers and on the Internet. Find it. Learn It.
its visual elements all appear at rest) the brain
Use it.
will instantly make up its (actually, your) mind
Learning a visual language is no different about it and move on to other things. This can
from learning any other, and one must enter happen with overly simple images or ones
the process with the blank slate of an infant. that are just plain uninteresting. Like a good
No matter how old you are or how many years spice, using tension in just the right amount
of self-taught experience you have, have the is critical. Too much of it, and the viewer may
humility to start at the beginning. Learn the decide it’s not worth their while to spend the
effects of placement within the frame, the time figuring it out; too little and they may not
secrets inherent in the direction of lines, the even realize it’s there.
power of the frame, the significance of tone
Obtaining optimal tension requires an
and hue. Learn about such concepts as
understanding of the visual forces at work
visual weight, directionality, color harmonies
within your frame. An object placed in one
and visual forces. The more you practice, the
spot may appear at rest, while the same
more fluent you will become and the more
object in another spot will appear to be in
effective your stories will be.
motion. When the brain is not certain where
Sadly, the absence of visual fluency is something is going, why it is where it is, and
rampant. Many venture no further than the whether it may indicate something of greater
expressive skills of a toddler: relying on a importance than may first appear, tension is
limited vocabulary of simple nouns (tree, created, additional processing is required
arch, sunset) and adjectives (pretty, colorful, to unfold the story, attention is focused and
extreme) and commanding attention by interest ensues.
turning up the volume rather than telling
And, in order for the story to be of interest,
a compelling story. So often missing
it must evoke a response. It should have
are nuance, subtlety, metaphor, insight,
meaning, whether obvious or implied, real
complexity and mystery.
or manufactured, decisive or left open to
viewer interpretation. By virtue of art being
Create Tension and Meaning subjective, the more interesting stories we
tell are not the ones already inherent in our
Intrigue is the spice of a good story, whether
subjects, but the ones of our own making and
written or visual. In a visual work, you often
imagination.
hear about the value of tension. For all its
importance, though, it is not an easy quality to Strive to use the visual language to tell effective
define. It is what prompts the brain to spend stories. Don’t stop at simplistic utterances.
extra time studying an image and deciding Weave plots, suggest interpretations, hide
how to feel about it, rather than resolving it clues to guide and challenge the minds
instantly and dismissing it outright so precious of viewers. And remember, being a good
storyteller will not get you far without also sufficient command of language and masters
having an interesting story to tell. the use of a writing instrument, the next level
is not in learning more menu functions in
their word processor or memorizing the word
The Next Level
of the day; it is in becoming an effective
story teller. Composition is the language of
The much sought-after “next level” for a
the visual arts, and the camera is the word
complete beginner may be better command
processor of the photographer. Telling your
of their tools, but those already proficient in
stories more effectively in images is the next
the technical aspects of their craft will remain
level, and the one beyond it, and all the ones
stuck unless they manage to re-prioritize
beyond that.
their goals. When a budding author achieves
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Creative endeavors, if they are to truly We all come into this world the same way,
enhance your life experiences, must be an and we all leave it the same way. The only
integral part of those life experiences. There thing that matters is right now, and the only
are always new stories to be told and new ways thing to fear is that last moment of clarity
to tell them. The lifelong pursuit of conceiving when you look back upon your life and count
new stories and becoming a better storyteller your blessings and regrets and wonder if you
will amount to greater personal reward – for had truly lived.
you and for your audience – than any trophy
For good or bad, life is a journey. You never
image.
know where the next turn might take you.
From all your experiences you will most vividly
Live a Creative Life retain the best and the worst of times, and
this is where you have to make the choice –
The practice of art is a symbiotic relationship you can embrace the worst of it and become
between the artist and their audience. Both bitter and cynical and morose; or you can
the production and the consumption of choose to be grateful for the gift of life and
creative work are among the more satisfying the immense beauty you are fortunate to have
of life experiences; and the value for both the available to you, and choose happiness.
artist and the audience increases through
the ongoing exchange of insight, gratitude, In the end, finding happiness as a
beauty and, yes, livelihood. It is why artists photographer or an artist or a human being
are invested in the growth and success of is not about the camera you use or even the
other artists, and in raising appreciation for images you create. It’s about living a life
their art. that is meaningful and rewarding. It’s about
experiencing things that elevate your soul
And yet, the greatest reward for a creative and telling your stories in your work.
life is not in what you create, but in how you
live. It is in how you train yourself to view and So, never take for granted what others say
respond to the world and internalize the many or think about how you should live and work
experiences and meanings and mysteries and practice your art. Trust your instincts,
that come your way. It is about finding peace and listen to your inner voice and don’t let
and satisfaction in a world rife with cynicism, fear be the reason for giving up on life’s
violence, competition and greed. greatest rewards. Be humble and grateful
for the things available to you, for the things
Life is bigger than any of us. So allow yourself you know and feel, and for the secrets and
to be humble. You will never see it all or do mysteries still waiting for you in the most
it all or fix it all, and if you don’t take the time unexpected places.
to live, you will have wasted the greatest gift
you will ever be given. Find your creative life. Find your needle. Find
your happiness. So long as you are alive
It doesn’t matter how rich you are or how there is always a next level.
talented you are or what you do for a living.
Projects and Explorations

While rocks were photographed, the subject of when I feel I have learned and said all that
the sequence is not rocks; while symbols seem to I’m going to, and find myself more drawn to
appear, they are pointers to the significance. The something else. It will be done when I say it’s
meaning appears in the space between the images, done, and I may change my mind later on.
in the mood they raise in the beholder.
What threw me off was the word “project.”
–Minor White Projects are efforts aimed at achieving
specific goals (or requirements) under a
I’m actively working on a number of themes
given set of constraints: time, cost, desired
these days. Some involve specific subject
features, etc. A project is done when the
matter, others result from a fascination with
goals are achieved, when they are no longer
specific locations – primarily those making up
deemed feasible or desirable, or when it
the greater geography of my beloved home
becomes known that they cannot be met.
on the Colorado Plateau – and some that at
These conditions directly translate into
this time can only be described as “abstract
success or failure.
concepts.”
I am no stranger to projects. In my former
I was surprised, however, when a friend
career I was involved in thousands of them.
recently asked how my Dessert Sky Symphony
For a period of time I managed a group of
project was coming along. I answered that
project managers and a portfolio often
I discovered several interesting areas I had
exceeding a hundred concurrent efforts.
not been to before, and that my resulting
Each had well-defined goals, strict time,
portfolio of images was coming together
cost and feature constraints, measurable
nicely. “When will you be done?” he asked.
indicators of progress and probabilities of
“I don’t know,” I answered instinctively, to his
success. My work on the desert skies (and
surprise. As soon as I answered, though, I
any number of other themes), by comparison,
realized that I actually did know. I’ll be done
has none of these things. I have no specific
when I no longer feel like working on it; when
goal or outcome in mind, and, since I am
the theme is no longer interesting to me, or
not driven by anything other than my own
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desire, it doesn’t really need to be complete something to motivate you to work on it.” “I
by an arbitrary date or other constraints. At agree,” I said, “My interest is what drives
this time, I can’t even say what “complete” me to work on it, and when I’m no longer
means. interested, that’s when I’ll know I’m done.”
“Projects” is, therefore, simply not a good This exchange reminded me of a separate
term for the way I pursue such bodies of discussion, in which I explained some of my
work. reasons for becoming a professional artist.
Though I had an interesting and well-paying
Certainly, I can come up with goals,
corporate career, and I could work on my
constraints and metrics for such efforts,
art for a day or two each week, I realized I
and turn them into projects, but why would
could not simply turn it on and off at random
I want to? There is no doubt in my mind that
times. I could not spend my week working in
at some point I will feel I have worked on
“project mode,” and switch to “exploration
them enough and want to shift my attention
mode” for a weekend before going back. The
and resources to other things, but I have no
more passionate I became about my creative
way of determining that point in advance. A
work, the more I realized it was not something
forced deadline is unlikely to coincide with it,
that I do, but something that I am, and that
meaning that I will either have to quit before
I could not temporarily suspend it any more
I feel ready or be forced to stick with it when
than I could suspend my breathing for a few
I’m no longer interested.
days each week.
I realized that I need a new word to describe
I still work on the occasional project – be
these ongoing efforts and decided on
it an essay, a book, a workshop plan, or a
“explorations.” An exploration is sparked by
presentation. In these times I am reminded
a desire to understand something, to learn
how random creativity can be, and how many
about it, to spend time with it, without defining
compromises need to be made in order to
a specific outcome in advance. Like a project,
complete something under a deadline.
I know it will often result in something useful
(images, portfolios, books, ideas, personal When I worked in project management,
satisfaction, etc.), but until I know what it is, we often would throw a party to celebrate
I find ample and sustained reward in merely the completion of a project. The “mission
being engaged in something that interests accomplished” moment, we tried to convince
and fascinates me: a journey that is more ourselves, made up for all the frustration and
important than the destination. the compromises. Today, though, I’m happy
at the completion of a project for different
When I shared these thoughts with my friend,
reasons: being able to return to my ongoing
he was skeptical. “Without a deadline and
explorations and finding joy in simply working
goals, you may never be done,” he said. “So
on them.
what?” I answered, “Why do I need to be
done if it continues to give me pleasure?” The most important aspect to a project is
“Yes,” he said, “but it’s human nature to need to finish it. The most important aspect of an
exploration is to engage in it. Productivity leisure is associated with sloth rather than
and accomplishment come with both. personal growth. Mass media enforce the
The difference is that with projects, stereotype by providing excuses to engage
accomplishment is conditional and dictated in mindless entertainment, rather than
in advance, often by others, and may turn explorations when the “real work” is done.
the work into a stressful and frustrating The more insidious employers even go as
experience. Projects may succeed or fail. far as to convince their employees that their
Explorations, on the other hand, are always accomplishments on the job, personal growth
enjoyable and successful, even if they result and self-worth are one and the same. Do
in no immediate tangible outcome. you believe that they are? Some do, and can
maintain a happy existence within that frame
It used to be that employment was about
of thought. But what happens if or when you
making ends meet, so that time and mind
realize that you don’t?
can be freed to engage in more rewarding
personal or social pursuits. The competitive Explorations should not be managed like
need to always earn more and beat the “other projects because meaningful living dictates
guys” gave us a corporate culture where different priorities than employment.
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Coming Home
Of all the things I wondered about on this island, that make a lifetime, these are the instances
I wondered the hardest about the paradoxical that quietly sear themselves in the mind as
contrast and affinity of redrock desert and the most meaningful, the ones we wish we
turquoise ocean, the seduction of certain could go back to in other times.
geographies that feel like home not by story or
It seems sometimes as though one’s persona
blood but merely by their forms and colors. How
is transformed in relation to number of people
our perceptions, as someone once said, are our
within close proximity. While there is little
only internal map of the world, how there are
doubt that our technology and dominance
places that claim you and places that warn you
as a species are owed in large part to our
away. How you can fall in love with the light.
ability to function and collaborate in social
– Ellen Meloy units, such interactions tend to bring about
those traits most beneficial to survival rather
It’s quiet in my living room. An afternoon
than the ones that set apart and reward the
thunderstorm is brewing, as they do this
individual. The more crowded the place, the
time of year, and the sky has darkened.
angrier, more cynical and more violent its
The cottonwoods in the yard are swaying in
culture seems to become. And, after a while,
the warm wind; scattered raindrops dot the
the preoccupation with such matters crowds
windows and the only discernible sound is my
out the emotional, the poetic, and the artistic
dog’s quiet breath as she sleeps at the foot
that are in each of us, sometimes forgotten
of the couch. This is the first time in days that
after years of neglect. It takes moments of
I can hear no man-made sound. Of the many
quiet solitude and beauty to be reminded of
things I love about living in a small rural town,
those things that make life worth living. As
it was this silence that struck me first after a
social as we are, our most profound emotions
long trip back through crowded airports and
and realizations are often experienced in
hours on cramped airplanes.
scarce company, or no company at all.
The air is now rich with the scent of wet
It is dangerously easy to give up such things
earth, and through the window the red cliffs
in exchange for comfort, security, and an
are beckoning just a short distance away. I
effortless existence. It is easy to suppress
may go for a quick drive later. I doubt I’ll see
our amazing ability for thought, feeling,
another human out there.
knowledge, intuition and creativity for the
Such are the gifts of this life, and their ease of pre-packaged ready-to-consume
undeniable effect on the soul. Frustrations, ideas, entertainment and lifestyle templates. It
bitterness, cynicism, and anger seem to melt is easy to have others experience adventure,
away in such moments and placed in proper discovery and achievement on our behalf and
perspective. Of the infinite stream of events to live vicariously through them, believing
that we ourselves are not cut out for the task, Right now I crave the smell of wet sagebrush
or to assume that at some undetermined and the thrill of spotting lightning on the
point in the future we’ll get around to doing horizon. Turning the computer off ... now.
something meaningful, after we’ve taken care
It’s good to be home.
of some trivial matters. These are also the
most dangerous of traps to fall into.
If you’ve ever wondered what it feels like to

stand on top of a mountain, go find a mountain
now. If you ever wished to know more about
this or that or the other, kick your TV and go
learn about it now. If you ever wanted to see
an epic sunrise, go set your alarm now. And,
if you want a life other than the one you’re
living today, make a plan now.
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Teachers Wanted
It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy exhibit in Stieglitz’s gallery had the power to
in creative expression and knowledge. launch an artist’s career and their name into
the history books.
–Albert Einstein
Stieglitz exhibited photography alongside
I’m teaching more these days. I find it
some of the greatest names in American
increasingly important. There were times
and European art of the times. He was the
when photographers studied, practiced or
one who introduced a young Ansel Adams
even apprenticed for
to Paul Strand, who,
years before venturing
in turn, advised the
to create their own work.
inexperienced Ansel on
Today, photographers are
matters of technique,
created as early as when
equipment and vision
a camera is delivered to
that shaped his future
their door.
and the practice of
In some ways, one could nature photography as
get a better education in we know it today. He
fine-art photography in was also instrumental in
the 1940s and 50s than the careers of Edward
they might today. Part of Weston, Edward
the problem, as I see it, Steichen, Georgia
is an ocean of knowledge O’Keefe, and many
and opinions available others. The tradition
at our fingertips, and a of great teachers and
dearth of real teachers to mentors was then
help navigate its waters. carried forward by the
Where the great teachers likes of Ansel Adams
of the past left off very few and Minor White,
picked up, and Professor Internet filled in, fostering students such as John Sexton, Paul
with as much distraction and misinformation Caponigro, Jerry Uelsmann and Philip Hyde,
as valuable lessons about the art and among many others. Some of them went on
purpose(s) of photography. to become great teachers, as well.
There was a period in which American Today, it seems, most nature photographers’
photographers made pilgrimages to New pilgrimages are not for the sake of seeking
York hoping for an audience with Alfred wisdom and tutelage, but to see iconic
Stieglitz. A favorable review, let alone an locations, incessantly repeating compositions
made by others, and very few even know of goal: the balancing of otherwise utilitarian
Stieglitz, Strand, Weston or White, let alone pursuits, and the keeping of one’s soul from
recognize their works and teachings. being drowned by the mundane.
Originality, creativity and personal expression Art always reflects the artist behind it, whether
– the foundations of art – no longer seem to they wish for it to do so or not. If you want
carry the day. I’ve lost count of web sites your images to be daring, strive to be daring.
consisting of yet more copies of the same If you want them to appear joyous, strive to
compositions with a prominent link above be joyous. If you wish for them to be original,
proclaiming to tell me “About the Artist.” What creative, authentic and inspiring, strive to be
artist? original, creative, authentic and inspiring.
Pretending will not do. The view in the other
The trend is not unique to photography.
direction is even less complimentary: if your
Compare the complexity, social commentary
art lack in composition, is technically flawed
and envelope-pushing of movies, novels or
or poorly presented, what does it say about
music over the last few decades, and the trend
you? Worse yet, what does it mean if your
becomes clear: big, bold, loud and over-
work look like someone else’s?
simplified triumph over sophisticated, subtle,
nuanced and intellectually-challenging In the arts, the role of teachers should not be
almost every time. Gimmick replaces craft, to regurgitate facts or to affirm the methods
extreme replaces smart, conformity replaces you already use, the prejudices you already
innovation, and celebrity trumps genius. It’s a possess or the approaches you already take,
trend we should condemn and reverse lest all but to help you gain new insight and find your
art becomes meaningless and unnecessary way to creating better work, more personal
repetition, little more than decor. A world work, more creative work, more important
devoid of meaningful art is not one I wish to work.
live in.
Good art teachers must also be mentors.
Along with the dearth of teachers in our They should lead by personal example. Given
day also comes a great lack of commitment the subjective nature of art, they may not
to art among photographers. Art is not have a ready answer for every question, but
something practiced over the weekend and they should be able to guide you to one that
left neglected until the next break from other fits what you hope to achieve. They must do
occupations. It is also not the simple chase more than just demonstrate technique; they
after iconic views, themes and compositions should also challenge, question, introduce
already exploited by others. Art is a way of life. new concepts, open doors, foster growth,
It does not have to compete with existential offer honest critique and make you confront
necessities, but it should be on the artist’s the questions you were afraid to, or did not
mind constantly in order to evolve beyond even know, to ask. They should know when to
the easy and the obvious. It should also be impart wisdom and when to step back and let
at the forefront of thought to achieve its true you take the stage. They should not be afraid
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to learn from their students. Most importantly, knowledge of what was already learned, the
they should help you articulate the reason evolution of the art itself will be at best random
and purpose for doing what you do. Without and coincidental, at worst non-existent. Be
this foundation and understanding, growth one or the other or, better yet, both.
and progress are meaningless concepts.
Without good teachers and hungry students,

the lessons of the past will be lost; and without
Rethinking Visualization
I now measure my growth as a photographer or other physical characteristics. It is the
in terms of the degrees to which I am aware of, thing instinctively recognized by the artist,
have developed my sense of, and have the skills to commanding their attention and suggesting
symbolize visually the four-dimensional structure ulterior meaning – an intuitive recognition of
of the universe. something worthy of further exploration.
–Wynn Bullock Visualization – the ability to see in the “mind’s

eye” the finished work before applying
In my book Creative Landscape Photography,
tools and techniques, is the mental process
I introduce a framework for creative image-
of intuitively recognizing the best way to
making relying on six phases. The premise
express a concept through visual elements.
is that all images begin with a concept: a
It requires knowledge of the medium, tools
nebulous, amorphous “trigger” that sets the
and limitations of photography, but also a
creative wheels in motion. The concept may
keen understanding of visual perception –
be a thought, an emotion, a response, or a
how colors, shapes, form and lines translate
sensation that the artist experiences and
into emotions, mystery, tension and interest.
wishes to express in the finished work. Once
experienced, the artist’s task is to transform Think of the artist as having the job of
the shapeless, abstract concept into a visible bridging two worlds: one of feelings, notions,
image. The concept has no lines or colors meanings, and abstractions available only to
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them; and one of literal objects perceptible the artist’s tools; however, understanding
by physiological senses that can be shared visualization also serves to illustrate the role
with others. Visualization is the process of of such such tools and skills in the creative
translation, where a work of art assumes process. Instinct, awareness, and imagination
physical characteristics and crosses from give rise to the concept; visualization
one world into the other. transforms it into an image; equipment makes
the image tangible.
Simply speaking, there is no way to make the
transformation from idea to object without
craftsmanship and skilled application of
Visual Fluency
I found I could say things with color and shapes enhancing the reader’s experience beyond
that I couldn’t say any other way – things I had the making of simple statements.
no words for.
We all learn to communicate in the languages
–Georgia O’Keeffe prevalent in our environment. We start by
picking up words, aphorisms and other
It’s no surprise that the term “a picture is
figures of speech in our daily interactions. We
worth a thousand words” was coined by a
learn to form lingual constructs like sentences
marketing person; it is very catchy, assigns
and paragraphs so that our communications
an arbitrary value to a product, and, when
are more productive, more contextual,
considered more carefully, turns out to be
more interesting and less ambiguous. We
quite nonsensical. It makes no more sense
later learn to read and write and expand
than saying that a book is worth a thousand
our linguistic skills through stories, poems
bananas.
and complex narratives. Similarly, we pick
As one who enjoys both writing and up visual signals, symbols, shapes, and
creating visual art, I often think of myself as colors, and learn to associate them with
communicating in different languages. concepts not always translatable into words.
Yet, in the absence of a need, most visual
The visual language has its own vocabulary, vocabularies stop at simple utterances and
terminology, grammar and euphemisms, literal statements of fact, turning instead to
some of which can express meanings not the spoken or written word for more complex
quite possible in any other. In spoken words, expressions.
nuanced variation in tone, timbre or pitch
may communicate different messages, even Still, there are things that can be
using the same words. Similarly, an image communicated through images that cannot
may communicate meaning through nuances be expressed as well – or at all – in words,
of hue, brightness, contrast, lines or form. not a thousand, not even a million. Such
communication requires both the artist and
As in writing, where well-constructed their audience to possess greater command
sentences and paragraphs and considered of the visual language. A language unused to
use of grammar can unfold complex stories its full potential is one doomed to languish and
beyond the mere naming of a given subject, perish, taking with it concepts expressible
visual composition can convey much more only in it. As visual artists, we should strive
than just what something looks like. As in to speak our language with eloquence and
poetry using symbols, metaphors and rhyme, to educate others in it so they may share in
so can arrangements of visual elements the joy of exploring those things that cannot
evoke emotions, connotations and aesthetics be articulated in prose or speech, as both
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consumers and producers of visual art. tension and employ nuance to effectively tell
your stories, but also so that others may learn
It is worth reminding ourselves that the visual
to use the visual language with the same
language is capable of so much more than
fluency and share in those things that cannot
the uttering of simple nouns, and that, as
be verbalized, vocalized, or articulated in
with words, always yelling at the top of our
any other way.
voice – through saturated color, extreme
perspectives, high contrast or jarring special Beyond just making visually pleasing
effects – is not necessarily the most effective images, make your stories interesting; create
way to get every message across. narratives and mystery and riddles, challenge
your viewers to think and feel and seek clues
Scream if you need to, but also be conscious
to a deeper understanding.
of those times when a soft whisper is more
appropriate. Venture beyond merely stating
the obvious. Tell stories, weave poems, imply
Composition Means Nothing

Language serves not only to express thoughts, but grammar is sufficient for a good story will do
to make possible thoughts which could not exist well to remember the nebulous cowboy who
without it. flaunted longingly at the saucy gaze of a
cream-filled platypus.
–Bertrand Russell
Good grammar can be used to create a
I am easily amused by sentences starting
perfectly meaningless sentence, just as good
with the words “photography is all about.”
composition may belie a perfectly uninspired
Earlier today I found one such proclamation
photograph.
decreeing that photography is “all about
composition.” Nonsense, I thought, but Grammar is important, but not as important
curiosity got the better of me and I looked as having something to say.
it up. To my horror, the all-knowing Internet
found nearly 15,000 matches!
Composition is the grammar of the visual

language. Those who think that good
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The Missing Dimensions

It is the artist in photography that gives form when examined closely, the question itself,
to content by a distillation of ideas, thought, no matter how you answer it, does little more
experience, insight and understanding. than affirm a misunderstanding of how images
are perceived by viewers. Certainly, the
–Edward Steichen
experience derived out of an image is always
Questions and answers are powerful means a different one from that of the photographer
of gleaning information and opinions. Still, present at the scene. But, neither is it limited
while answers are often scrutinized and to two-dimensions.
validated before being accepted as truth,
While seemingly a reasonable question, one
such examination rarely is applied to most
has to wonder why writers are never asked
questions. If an answer seems plausible, the
how they can relay complex experiences
question is seldom deconstructed. Thus, it is
using just a two-dimensional page covered in
quite easy to lead a curious mind down a futile
little symbols; and musicians are not asked
path by providing well-reasoned answers
how they can stir the hearts of listeners using
to nonsensical questions. This does not
one-dimensional invisible waves.
necessarily imply ill will on the side of either
party, but it does suggest a responsibility The more helpful answer is this: The
on the part of anyone addressing important question relies on two false assumptions:
topics to also recognize those situations that photographs (and photographers) are
when the questions are flawed and should limited in their expressive powers to simple
not be simply answered as asked. representation of appearances, and that the
evocative powers of an image are limited to
Especially suspect are questions containing
just its visual aesthetics.
statements of fact. For example: “Since the
Earth is flat, how come nobody ever falls Let’s start with the understanding that an
off the edge?” If the stated fact is patently experience is not derived exclusively from
incorrect, it is far more useful to address the senses. An experience is always the
the fault in the question (however well- product of a mix of stimuli, perceptions,
intentioned) than to venture an answer within sensibilities, memories, beliefs and
the constraints of error or ignorance. states of mind. Therefore, an experience,
whether triggered by a real-life situation,
One such question that seems to come
a musical score or a photograph, is always
up often with regard to photography is:
multidimensional. It can be said that artists
“How can you portray the richness of a
don’t just record experiences, they create
multidimensional real-life experience into a
them for their audiences. These experiences
two-dimensional rectangular frame?” The
are derived not only from the raw materials,
correct answer is: obviously you can’t. But,
tools and processes used in the creation of a starting point for what may be a far more
a given work, but also from interpretations complex experience.
and meanings originating from the artist’s
Taken a step further, the actual memories
mind and expressed in their creative choices
really only exist in the mind of the person who
(from composition to the use of color, line,
was literally there. An image may tap into
tone, etc.). The cumulative effect of the literal
more than just memories, though. Color, line
components making up a visual creation (or
and tone may be linked to visceral sensations,
a musical one) is known as gestalt.
to emotions, to moods and concepts that are
More important is an understanding of how common to given audiences, perhaps even
we recall memories. Neural networks in the to all people, and some that are unique to the
brain link data together. A scent, a sound viewing individual. This is how we can convey
or an image may trigger a memory, which is deep meanings through the use of symbols,
linked to other memories – perhaps of other music, euphemisms, etc.
sounds, moods or sensations – which, in turn,
In photography, as in every other medium
may be linked to others. The dimensions of
of art and communication, the finished work
an experience – visual, emotional, auditory
can never contain every fact found at the
– are all there in memory. The image is only
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scene. If the artist is skilled enough, though, all; they are manufactured in the mind of the
they may unfold a complex story by merely viewer. An artist may opt for the ease of simply
arousing the right kind of connotations in relaying objective experiences associated
their audience, through an understanding of with easily-predictable interpretations, or
visual perception, effective use of symbols, an artist can assert control to elicit more
metaphors and common sensibilities. nuanced responses by taking the time to
study how visual information is converted into
Through the power of perception, an artist
perceptions of meaning. The two-dimensional
may literally control the brains of their
image can offer so much more than simply
viewers, prompting them to produce a
portraying what something looked like; it can
desired experience and reaction, oftentimes
also suggest what “it” felt like, or, better yet,
far exceeding the simple graphics contained
what the artist wanted the viewer to feel about
within the frame.
“it.”
Viewers of a work of visual art are no different
from viewers looking out a window. They may
not have the actual experience of being on
the other side, but they have enough for their
minds to form an idea of what it might feel
like. Art goes beyond that, though. More than
just a window, it is a deliberate arrangement
that can be consciously designed to prompt
desired reactions.
The missing dimensions are not missing at
The Concept
There is nothing worse than a brilliant image of a tone and composition. What the concept
fuzzy concept. does have is significance – a message, an
emotion, a statement, a metaphor or a story.
–Ansel Adams
Regrettably, many photographers never
When teaching photography workshops I
consider the need for an image to have a
always emphasize the importance of starting
concept. In fact, it seems that most pursue
an image with a concept – something that
the opposite approach: they set out in
stops you in your tracks and whispers in
search of aesthetically pleasing subjects
your ear “there’s something here worth
and compositions, without considering any
photographing.”
greater meaning than “Oh, look! pretty!” to
A concept has no visual characteristics, and be expressed through them. This may be
the role of the photographer is to find a way the equivalent of writing a text in beautiful
of expressing it through line, form, color, hand-drawn calligraphy, while paying no
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attention to the actual meaning spelled out artist, however, knows that a far more
by the words. In both cases a viewer may be important question is, “What does this image
momentarily impressed with the artist’s skill say about me?” Do your images say that you
but ultimately find little to hold their attention are creative? lazy? thoughtful? formulaic?
or enrich their experience beyond it. sensitive? an imitator? unique? generic?
When in the field with a group of students, When you consider that the image reflects
I often ask them to articulate their thoughts the person who made it, you must also
about the scene – what they feel about it and acknowledge that everything that may be
what makes them feel that way. It is surprising said about your image is ultimately said
that while all humans share an understanding about you. More than that, it means that
of the visual language and are affected by you have the power to control your artistic
such things as graceful lines, bold color, legacy. Rather than repeating formulas or
visual order, etc., few are able to express producing images devoid of meaning, make
themselves in it. sure there’s a concept behind your images
– something deliberate you wish for them to
At an early stage it is worth trying to articulate
express – something of your own making and
the concept in actual words. This helps bridge
that represents you – your thoughts, your
the gap between the spoken language,
relationship with the things you photograph,
which most of us are taught to communicate
and the meaning you wish your viewers and
effectively in, and the visual language. This
critics to find in your work.
may be the equivalent of learning how to
translate simple expressions from your native
tongue to one you are not as fluent in. Still,
it is worth keeping in mind that, like any
language, the visual language also has its
own expressions that may not be expressible
in others. Once simple translations are well-
understood, it behooves the artist to let
go of one language when communicating
in another; and to not just express things
visually, but to think visually.
Film director Federico Fellini expressed what,

to me, is a great truism when he said that all
art is autobiographical. This simple statement
illustrates the gravity and importance of
thinking about our images as more than just
visually attractive photographs. Someone
who had not yet understood this premise
may ask, “Is this a good image?” The serious
Breadth and Depth

I know that to paint the sea really well, you need offers insight into the artist’s own sensibilities
to look at it every hour of every day in the same and the way they engage with their subjects.
place so that you can understand its way. I am not a travel photographer, not because
I have any aversion to travel or to interesting
–Claude Monet
images of foreign places, but because I am
In a recent interview for LensWork Magazine, limited in my abilities to do it all well, and I
I mentioned to editor Brooks Jensen that my prefer to spend my scarce time and resources
work requires an intimate familiarity with my getting to know few places better.
subject matter – the kind of familiarity that
Much as I would love to see exotic and
can only be accomplished over prolonged
scenic places, and witness various cultures
periods of time.
and practices, I cannot photograph them with
Because of that, I likely will never be a travel the same sense of familiarity and reverence
photographer. By the nature of their work, as I do the American deserts. For nearly two
travel photographers make relatively short decades I’ve made repeated trips to these
forays to a variety of places and portray in places only to realize that to photograph
their images fleeting impressions, always them as I want and to know them as I want,
from the perspective of an outsider. In I need to do more than just visit. I have to
contrast, I never feel confident telling the live in them. I have to become part of their
story of a place unless I, myself, am a part story, as much as they are a part of mine. I
of that story. In other words, the kind of work found that by limiting my impressions to just
that most appeals to me favors depth over the qualities of a place revealed to me on
breadth; first-person narratives over third- short excursions, I also limited the depth of
person observations; and an intimate insider meaning I could experience and express in
perspective over impressions of visual my work.
veneers.
Considered from the other direction, I am
This is not meant as criticism, nor to make grateful that other creative artists strike a
a value judgment, but rather to highlight a different balance than mine. They tell me
difference in approach, which I believe also stories I will never arrive at on my own.
translates into a difference in aesthetics and Through their eyes, I see other worlds as I
in the way the resulting work is perceived. could never see them by myself. What better
way to appreciate a world both broad and
Considered more honestly, it is as much a deep than through the eyes of artists?
reflection on our limitations as artists. We
have to strike a balance between breadth and May each of us find our own balance.
depth. We cannot do it all. The choice also
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Isolation
A creation of importance can only be produced some purposes, social synergy, the melding
when its author isolates himself, it is a child of of minds and being motivated by others
solitude. may be of great value, while for others,
quiescence, reflection and the ability to avoid
–Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
distraction, to focus attention on the creative
Toward the end of a recent workshop, while experience and to comfortably step beyond
hiking through one of the canyons near the emotional barriers that may hinder creative
town of Moab, a participant approached me work, may be vital.
and commented that he didn’t see me expose
Of course, much of it has to do with the
a single image during the workshop. Indeed,
temperament of the person behind the
I make a point of not using workshop time to
camera, too. Being a consummate introvert, I
pursue my own work. The primary reason is
need solitary interludes to maintain my sanity.
that I never want participants to worry about
This has little to do with how much I like and
interrupting me. Also, we only take clients to
appreciate the people I happen to be around,
places I am very familiar with and have visited
or how much I enjoy their company in any other
and photographed many times before. But,
setting. The difference between extroverts
there is another, less obvious, reason: almost
and introverts is sometimes characterized
all my creative work is done in solitude.
as having to do with energy: extroverts
In many senses, working in isolation is gain energy from social interactions, while
an indispensable condition for me. This introverts need to invest energy in them.
may seem anathema in this age of social Being the latter means that when my attention
photography, photowalking and photography is focused on socializing, there is little of it
tours, though in truth it only illustrates the left for creative pursuits.
many ways and purposes that can be served
It may seem that the concept of social
by photography. When considered from this
photography is a new one, but in fact
perspective, the making of photographs
photographers throughout history, like most
becomes of secondary importance. In some
human beings, often banded together to
situations the primary goal may be social
practice their work, to promote a shared
interaction; in others, it may be the learning
philosophy or to follow a charismatic leader.
of skills to be applied in future scenarios;
Indeed for many there is a sense of safety in
in some cases it may be communing with
the collective, in conformity and in repetition
meaningful places and things; or the sharing
of known rituals.
of one’s innermost thoughts through creative
work, and so on. In each situation, different In industrial times, it is easy to point to
modes of work yield the most benefit. For accomplishments only possible when a
group of people works in collaboration. Art, anything truly novel that may upset their own
however, is in some ways the antithesis foundations. They usually are reluctant to
of industry. When it comes to the creation break their own norms, to shift the spotlight
of significant works, some of the greatest away from their established leaders, to step
creative breakthroughs in art (and science) outside the common denominators uniting
can be attributed to individuals isolating their members, or to otherwise stray from the
themselves, by choice or circumstances, safety of the pack.
from the din of the social hive. The reason
We live in a time when the Internet brings
is simple: creativity is about bringing
people together more easily and more
something novel into existence – something
pervasively than ever before. Workplaces are
originating from the singular minds of unique
becoming more demanding of employees’
individuals. Social groups rarely strive to do
time and loyalty, and marketers use the
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power of mass media to group people into easily usurped by other activities, social
low common denominators, in ways more interaction being primary among them. In a
insipid, blatant and harder to escape. It is not sense, creativity often requires “overriding”
surprising, therefore, to see studies observing our own programming and adapting to new
a noted decline in creativity in recent years. ways of thinking that prioritize socializing
The problem is compounded by the fact against other worthy pursuits, rather than
that virtual and professional socializing also following our innate urge to favor it over other
promotes sedentary lifestyles, disconnected beneficial uses of attention.
from the physical world and from sensory
Isolation in a social world is not easy. Author
stimuli and less conducive to creative
Ralph Waldo Emerson summed it beautifully
thinking.
when he said: “It is easy in the world to live
It is noteworthy that half the people after the world’s opinion, it is easy in solitude
participating in a recent creativity study said to live after your own; but the great man
they turn to photography in their spare time is he who, in the midst of the world, keeps
to satisfy their creative urge. Photography is with perfect sweetness the independence of
especially suited to bridging the technology solitude.”
driven artificial world with the innate
There is no need to follow the masses to the
human desire for self-expression. And yet,
latest hot spots in order to produce significant
photography is not immune to the same social
and meaningful photographic work. In fact,
forces that promote conformity over creativity
it may require the exact opposite. Though
in other areas, which is another reason why
we may all build on foundations set by those
creative photographers should, at least on
who came before us, we must strive to
occasion, isolate themselves to protect the
produce original, creative work if we are to
wellspring of their own creativity.
leave something of our own for those who will
To further highlight the value of isolation in follow.
the age of social technology, a recent study
Significant work comes not from the
from the University of Utah concluded that as
predictable sunset light on a mountain, from
few as four days spent in a natural wilderness
sleuthing someone else’s “secret” location or
setting, disconnected from electronic media,
from searching the Internet for photographic
resulted in an astounding fifty percent
hot spots. Meaningful work comes from the
increase in creative problem solving.
unique sensibilities that make each of us
The human brain is the most complex thing different. It comes from isolating your own
we know of. Each is unique in its own way, voice and having the courage to allow it to
and each is capable of creative thinking be expressed and to distinguish itself from
and revelations not available to others. But, others.
in order for such creative ability to manifest
Some take this notion to the extreme, avoiding
itself, it must be allowed due attention and
on purpose the work of others. This seems
cognitive space, which are scarce resources
silly to me. We all benefit from inspiration, as
artists and as human beings. I will go as far as to copy them. One is about synergy and
to say that inspiring others may be the highest revelation, the other is about discipline and
goal an artist can attain and their greatest courage. The isolation I refer to is not about
contribution to humanity. It is likely that none blocking out others, it’s about protecting
of us would value art, let alone choose the those things about each of us that make us
life of an artist, if we were not inspired by unique, that allow us to express things and
artists working before us. It is one thing to create experiences for our audience that
be inspired by someone and quite another would not be possible in any other way.
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The Velvet Handcuffs of

Predictability
When photographers get beyond copying the the same predictable ways and the same
achievements of others, or just repeating their predictable places. There is comfort in it,
own accidental first successes, they learn that which is tempting, even reinforced and
they do not know where in the world they will rewarded by the mainstream. We see the
find pictures. Nobody does. Each photograph that same images of the same compositions
works is a revelation to its supposed creator. repeatedly featured in popular media, winning
awards and garnering popular appeal. It is
–Robert Adams
easy to believe (or to willfully fool ourselves
Few things are as intimidating to a creative into believing) that the value of living as an
artist as the mystery of where and when their artist is measured in popularity.
next great insight may materialize or, worse
It used to be that a predictable routine gave
yet, the fear that it may not come at all. Indeed,
me comfort. The knowledge that I could
in my experience one of the defining traits of
handle the task ahead felt safe. In the early
successful artists is the ability to accept, live
days after giving up my office career, the
with and continuously overcome this fear; to
lack of predictability was a source of great
persist through the drudgery and occasional
anxiety. Now the opposite is true: I find that
failure, holding on to little more than hope that
it is actually the novelty of each day that is
something, some time, will again trigger the
far more comforting to me – knowing that
creative spark; knowing that victory is always
what I already know is not all that there is;
fleeting, lasting only as long as the thrill of
that new opportunities await and that the
their last meaningful creation. Like Sisyphus,
joy of discovery is still there to be had; that
we are doomed to start over at the bottom of
there is more to life than the routine and the
the hill just after catching a short glimpse of
mundane. Having tasted the thrill of creative
the view from the top. And yet, it is precisely
accomplishment makes it a far greater
this constant battle – the ongoing conquering
sacrifice than I’d be willing to accept for the
of fear for the sake of ephemeral success –
small comfort of more predictability. Finding
that offers the greatest reward to an artist.
solace in the routine, I learned, is just a form of
A taste of creative accomplishment is all it numbness, of sensory deprivation, of apathy,
takes in order to realize that succumbing to of surrender, of rationalizing a life lacking in
the fear ultimately is a far worse fate than excitement and adventure and mystery.
living with it. Many seek to circumvent the
The creative journey can be approached as
cycle by reaching for the safety of repetition
an epic voyage into uncharted waters, or as
– re-creating the same predictable works in
a leisurely stroll. Chain me to the mast!
Abstractions
A bit of advice, don’t copy nature too closely. subjects, is unsuitable for abstraction, but
Art is an abstraction; as you dream amid nature, this is obviously not true. Like any other
extrapolate art from it and concentrate on what artist, the photographer may willingly omit
you will create as a result. significant details to force their viewers into an
experience they may not notice if distracted
–Paul Gauguin
by extraneous elements.
Abstraction is one of the most contentious
In a sense, every photograph extracts a
topics among visual artists and consumers
selection of elements from a greater context,
of art. Abstraction is an act of purposeful
allowing the artist to isolate such things
elimination – leaving something out,
as line, pattern and form through careful
whether literal or contextual, knowingly and
composition, to a point where the literal
deliberately. By preventing the viewer from
subject may become altogether recognizable.
recognizing specific subjects or situations,
As such, in photography we can talk not only
other visual properties such as lines, shapes,
about a work being abstract vs. literal, but
patterns and form, gain in prominence or
also about degrees of abstraction.
even become the subject.
It’s fair to ask why, when our medium is so
There’s an inherent discomfort associated
well suited for rendition of exquisite details,
with abstract art. It requires greater
we may deliberately choose to create
investment of time and latitude of tolerance
abstract images. The most obvious answer is:
from viewers than art that is self-explanatory.
for aesthetic appeal. There are many cases
Artist Roy Lichtenstein observed: “Everybody in which the knowledge of what the literal
knows that abstract art can be art, and most subject is may overshadow and distract from
people know that they may not like it, even the visual qualities we wish to emphasize.
if they understand there’s another purpose The image on the next page, for example,
to it.” Painter Wassily Kandinsky claimed is extracted from an otherwise not very
that abstract painting is “the most difficult interesting slab of sandstone, and flipped
of all arts, requiring the artist to be a poet in upside down. What I wanted to convey to
addition to merely knowing how to draw.” On the viewer was the elegance of the graceful
the other hand, some dismiss abstract art as, patterns, rather than anything having to do
according to writer Albert Camus, “a product with the fact that it is found in a piece of rock.
of the untalented, sold by the unprincipled to
A more nuanced answer is that our brains
the utterly bewildered.”
are very good at re-assigning attention when
It may seem that the photographic medium, encountering something obvious. An image of
recording real light reflected off actual a flower-filled mountain meadow with distant
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peaks lit by the setting sun, for example, are so willing, which explains Lichtenstein’s
may elicit oohs and aahs on first impression, assertion that most people may not like it.
but is not likely to hold the viewer’s attention Still, aiming your art to the tastes of “most
for longer than it takes them to recognize people” is one of the greatest handicaps you
that they are looking at something beautiful. can impose on your work. A low common
Abstract images, on the other hand, can be denominator may be useful in solving some
a tantalizing puzzle for the mind, forcing it mathematical problems, but in art it can
to contemplate an image, trying to decipher handicap the artist’s unique expressive
it, and deciding how to respond to it. This is repertoire.
what artists refer to as visual tension.
Rather than chase after popular appeal, create
It also should be acknowledged that in order according to your inner voice and let your
to fully experience the power of abstract audience, large or small, find you. Abstract
art, the viewer, much like a reader of fiction, art may well be your way to articulating things
must be willing to suspend disbelief, to allow that nobody else can and to transcending
the artist the benefit of opening their mind the foolish mantra of the creatively lazy that
to new visual experiences. Not all viewers “everything has been done before.”
Invisible Gorillas
How high your awareness level is determines we are quite bad at multi-tasking. The more
how much meaning you get from your world. things we try to pay attention to, the less we
Photography can teach you to improve your are likely to notice.
awareness level.
Many of us, I’m sure, have spent time in the
–Ansel Adams field with other photographers only to be
surprised afterwards when seeing the images
A few years ago, scientists Christopher
they found that we did not. Sometimes,
Chabris and Daniel Simons came up with an
they are elements we remember but did not
interesting experiment. They created a video
consider photographing ourselves, and other
showing two teams of basketball players.
times we may not even recall seeing them at
Players on one team wore white shirts and
all.
players on the other team wore black ones.
At the beginning of the video, the viewer is In my books and teachings, I describe the
instructed to count the number of passes importance of awareness. Clearly, we will
made by players wearing white shirts. After not experience things, let alone photograph
counting passes for a few minutes, the video them, if we are not even aware of them.
comes to an end and the viewer is asked: Awareness requires attention, and attention
“Did you notice the gorilla?” is a woefully scarce resource.
Halfway through the video, a person wearing Whether we know it or not, our world is full
a gorilla suit walks into the scene, bangs its of “invisible gorillas,” some with the potential
chest and then walks slowly away. About half to inspire important and meaningful images.
of those viewing the video, preoccupied with It is therefore beneficial to not become
counting passes, never notice it. Chabris and preoccupied with things not relating to the
Simons named the phenomenon The Illusion experience we wish to express in our work,
of Attention. especially things that are unimportant or that
can be deferred to more appropriate times.
We like to believe that if something interesting
occurs in front of our eyes, our conscious Awareness means being conscious of as
mind will be aware of it. In truth, we are aware much as possible and recognizing the array
of far less than we believe we are. Surprising of possibilities available to us – stories
as it may sound, there are parts of our brains inherent in, or inspired by, the landscape,
whose purpose is to prioritize and selectively and the visual ingredients we can use in our
suppress sensory information before we ever compositions. Given the limitations of our
become conscious of it. Our brain is simply attention, it is critical that, when presented
not powerful enough to pay attention to with an opportunity to do creative work, we
everything that our senses detect. Moreover, deliberately stop paying attention to other,
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less important, things. Even such things as set out to capture a well-known composition,
preoccupation with trivial details of everyday sometimes in a rush to be there for the “right”
life, casual banter between friends, a light. Like counting basketball passes, this
desire to keep hiking toward a pre-planned preoccupation likely will blind you to other
destination rather than slow down, likely will potentially important and meaningful aspects
result in missed opportunities. of the experience.
One of the greatest distractions for As in Aesop’s The Tortoise and the Hare,
photographers are preconceived ideas, such when it comes to awareness of compositions
as the desire to capture a specific, known, in the landscape, it often is the slow and
composition; or the misplaced confidence in persistent that wins the race.
knowing what there is to photograph in a given
place. Too many times, a photographer will
Deconstructing Vision
Art arises when the secret vision of the artist and not add much to my appreciation of the
the manifestation of nature agree to find new photographer as an artist.
shapes.
Next on the list is creativity. One of the better
–Khalil Gibran and more widely acceptable definitions for
creativity was coined by researcher Michael
The word “vision” often is used in the visual arts
Mumford and suggests that creativity is
as a catchall term to describe the intangible,
“the production of novel, useful products.”
cognitive qualities of an artist or a work that
In other words, being novel (i.e., original) is
go beyond equipment and technique. We’ve
not sufficient for something to be considered
all likely heard about the importance of the
creative; the work needs also to have
“artist’s vision” to the success of an image,
something more to offer than just being
and we’ve likely seen discussions separating
different from previous ones. What, then,
craft from vision. Yet, defining artistic vision
makes a work of art useful? I suggest that it
is not a trivial matter.
is the degree to which it engages the viewer,
Among the many factors involved are the and the richness of the experience they
artist’s personality traits and sensibilities, derive from it.
their sense of aesthetics, their feelings toward
Now that we have some criteria for assessing
various subjects and scenes, their knowledge
vision from the viewer’s side, we can examine
and experience, etc. To further complicate
traits of the artist that may be conducive to
things, vision is not a fixed quality that, once
them.
attained, remains constant; it transforms and
matures with the artist. Originality requires both imagination and
courage. Imagination is needed in order to
Perhaps a good place to start is with the
invent something that was not there before.
perception of the artist’s vision as judged
Courage is needed in order to act on new
from the viewer’s perspective. What qualities
concepts and produce unique imagery rather
of an image may lead us to conclude that its
than repeating safe formulas. Courage may
creator has a good artistic vision, beyond
also be needed to pursue original ideas
being skilled at operating a camera? For
in the face of opposition, criticism, or even
me, originality is high on the list. No matter
pragmatic considerations of popularity, sales
how aesthetically pleasing an image is, if the
potential, etc.
subject matter is trite and/or the composition
predictable, vision goes out the window. I Creativity requires imagination, as well, but
may still appreciate such things as qualities in order to produce something that is not only
of light or other appealing aesthetic aspects novel but also useful, some degree of insight
of the image and enjoy viewing it, but it will into the human psyche also is needed. In
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other words, the artist needs to know how It may be Malcolm Gladwell’s fabled 10,000
to use their medium to evoke a desired hours or some other number, but time has to
response from their audience. Though some pass – time spent working, experimenting,
aspects of such knowledge can come from succeeding and failing. There are no
scientific research, for most artists it is an shortcuts. More importantly, vision is not
acquired skill honed through experience and something to be learned and mastered; it
experimentation to a point where it becomes grows with you and makes the journey ever
intuitive. more rewarding the longer you travel.
These realizations lead to some powerful Just as important, without the courage to try
conclusions. If the worth of a work of art is new concepts, even in the face of opposition,
determined by both its technical excellence criticism and even financial risk, no amount of
and its creator’s vision, it is also fair to say time will yield a powerful and mature vision.
that while technical skill can be learned by A journey spent walking in circles on well-
most anyone and in a relatively short period traveled paths is not nearly as satisfying as
of time, vision takes much longer to evolve. one charting new courses.
Experiences
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Ancient Truths
You might as well expect rivers to run backwards critters scurrying in the brush. Life returns
as any man born free to be contented penned up. after a harsh winter in this most beautiful of
all deserts.
–Chief Joseph
I arrived at my destination just as the sun lit the
This place haunted me from the day I first
opposite canyon wall, reflecting warm light
visited, and maybe even prior to that. I’m
onto the old masonry adorning the entrance
not a superstitious man, yet I must confess
to a large alcove. I sat down to absorb the
there’s something here that touches me
warm rays and listen to the quickening of the
deeply; something in the
world around me before
shards of pottery, the
descending into the dark
withered husks and cobs
womb hidden in the far
of maize strewn in long
recesses of the alcove.
abandoned granaries,
Here I dropped my pack
the fingerprints in the
and sat in the large silent
ancient clay, and the
underground hall that
sculpted rock tools, that
used to be someone’s
sends an undeniable and
home hundreds of years
tangible current down
ago. All around me is
my body.
evidence of old fires,
The early lime-green metates, and middens of
buds on the cottonwoods coals, maize and bits of
seemed almost bone mixed with the soft
fluorescent against the powdery sand.
red rock when touched
I waited for it – the calm
by the first light. By then
quiescence after the
I was already a ways
effort of the hike had
down the canyon, on
subsided. I am here for
my own, on a perfect,
a reason, for the chance
fragrant, early spring
to think, to look inside myself unencumbered
morning; a small stream running clear and
by distractions of any sort. As I have done
cold and joyous by the faded trail, awakening
many times before when in need of answers,
new grasses and small purple flowers. A pair
I am here to tear myself down and pull the
of Mourning Cloak butterflies flutter by me in
pieces back together again; to make sure
an airborne mating dance. The gurgle of the
I was still honest with myself, and still able
stream interrupted by the rustle of unseen
to affirm who I am and to consider my life’s
path. It is a cleansing experience, a solitary for eons, human and other. This is my place
ritual of letting go ... of everything, betting to break down without having to explain.
all on a leap of faith that after all is laid out
To truly live, one must always strive to think
in tiny pieces, raw and exposed, when all
more clearly, to feel more deliberately, and to
the questions and fears and yearnings are
create more passionately. Do what it takes.
allowed to emerge from the depths of memory
Make no excuses.
and denial, a more inspired person will arise
once again. Find your inspiration, confront your fears
and doubts, resist cynicism, find places and
These moments are always most powerful
things and people that feed your soul, be
when in remote, wild, and beautiful
guided by beauty and compassion, and you
surroundings, and this place is no different.
will always be rewarded.
This is my own world for a short while, just
as it was for those who lived here centuries
ago, and others who occupied these lands
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In The Blink Of A Lifetime

Every moment of light and dark is a miracle. Upon returning, a friend sent me a link to a
footwear commercial proclaiming that “it’s in
–Walt Whitman
these rare moments that you really feel alive.”
There is no telling what secrets and revelations How very sad. Beyond the nonsensical notion
may haunt in these lonesome wee hours of the that a pair of shoes has the power to bring
night. I spent four days driving empty roads, about such experiences, why should feeling
walking in untrammeled alpine meadows and alive be confined to rare moments? If feeling
sleeping among the verdant aspen groves alive is not worth taking risks and breaking
on the slopes of the Rocky Mountains before away from self-imposed confinement, what
returning home to my beloved high desert. It’s is? And if those “rare moments” are indeed
always hard to sleep after such a trip. There’s the only times you feel alive, what do you
something about long drives and nights in feel the rest of the time? If you don’t like the
the woods, steeped in the silvery glow of answer, what will you do about it? The clock
a bright moon, that sticks in the mind and is ticking. Life is fleeting. If you don’t feel
chases away sleep. Now, sitting on my little alive now, when will you?
porch at 3 a.m., listening to a quiet breeze in
If you are of a certain age, you likely know
the cottonwoods and savoring each lungful
the feeling of astonishment at the thought of
of sage scented desert air, the moments
years and decades gone by. A memory or a
replay in my mind, peaceful, beautiful and
song or a photograph that seems so vivid and
rewarding.
fresh is suddenly twenty years away, maybe
Somewhere in Colorado, a local radio thirty, maybe more. In that moment of truth
announcer spoke longingly of his “weekend not too far away, a lifetime may not seem all
getaway” in the mountains. In this land of that long, and surely not quite sufficient. What
opportunity, why would anyone choose a life will you have to show for it? Make it more than
they need to get away from? Why do so many just a handful of rare moments.
spend their lives in fear of living, constantly
seeking to silence and distract themselves
from the mournful calling of unfulfilled
dreams?
So many work to satisfy others, to mimic

others, to become others, willingly sacrificing
the majority of their own precious time on this
magical Earth in what Thoreau so perfectly
termed “a life of quiet desperation.”
Raison d’Etre
In addition to the natural wilderness, there is also just a hair more powerful than the fear of
a personal wilderness. It too can be explored and doing, and there was no going back. It was
draws many wanderers simply because it is there. not a happy moment. It was a terrifying
realization that I had to jump track, to start a
–Tony Kuyper
new journey, not even knowing where it may
An obscure anniversary came and went last lead but taking some comfort in the thought
month, and I did not realize it until some that it had the potential to be better than
days after. Seventeen the one I was traveling.
years. A fateful It was a feeling I had
decision, a dazzling known before and will
mix of excitement and experience again, with
fear, happiness and the same terror, some
guilt, wonder and relief years later.
and anxiety. I wished to
How strange it is, sitting
start a new life. I did not
in my living room now,
expect to also become
silently watching the
a new person. Nothing
sublime red glow of the
could have prepared
rising sun creep up the
me for being where I
ancient sandstone cliffs,
am now, who I am now,
lighting up the delicate
knowing what I know
little branches in the
and having experienced
bare cottonwoods along
what I have. Seventeen
the street, in a tiny town
years ago I stepped
nestled in a high valley,
off a plane and life was
hundreds of miles
never the same again.
removed from any city,
I remember sights and thousands of miles from
sounds, smells and the geography of my
voices and infinite little youth, much of which no
details that were all new. It was a bright and longer exists. And yet, I feel more at home
perfect California morning and I felt I could here than I ever have, anywhere.
do anything. Beyond the excitement, though,
I have to pause every so often and digest
I also can vividly remember the days just
what I’ve learned, to put it into a coherent
before. Most clearly, I remember the exact
context, to see the patterns and directions,
moment when the fear of not doing became
and to try to determine what my life is “about”
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without resorting to platitudes. It’s a mode of life to be, and I’m done running.
thought that did not occur to me much in my
I’ll be on the road again next week, and again
first thirty-some years but one that I ponder
lose myself in the vastness of the Western
with increasing frequency as time passes.
landscape. Days alone behind the wheel on
For whatever reason, I never quite mastered long empty roads, some miles on and off
the skill of believing my own lies. At times the trails, reading by the light of a headlamp
I found it to be as much a handicap as at night and admiring a canopy of stars,
anything else. Maybe I’m just a bad liar. Still, listening of a chorus of coyotes and the soft
it is this incessant need to explain myself to crackle of a small campfire. This is what my
myself that kept me running, that brought me life is “about,” and how could I ever have
to this desert paradise after a strange and predicted it?
improbable journey; and, having found it, for
the first time I know what I want the rest of my
Small Joys
I will not be just a tourist in the world of images, dramatic backdrop to an empty road and the
just watching images passing by which I cannot vast landscape ahead. On occasion, shafts
live in, make love to, possess as permanent sources of sunlight filtered through the velvety gray,
of joy and ecstasy. like slow-moving searchlights sweeping the
landscape. The spectacle lasted for many
–Anaïs Nin
hours and miles.
I left home on Saturday. I remember looking
By early afternoon, I set up camp among the
forward to long road trips when living in
Joshua trees on the slopes of a small mountain
other places. These days, however, there is
range overlooking a broad dry valley. A steep
a certain bitter-sweetness in leaving my little
but short hike got me to the craggy top of a
house and the beloved views of my home.
prominent summit and I sat down for a snack
Crossing into Nevada, a light winter storm and a few minutes of meditation. There’s a
drifted over the Great Basin, providing a distinct flavor of happiness that accompanies
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such experiences that is hard to describe to light, listening to the occasional hoots of a
those not already familiar with it: a subtle, distant owl as darkness faded into deep blue
sweet, and somewhat melancholy version and lavender, and a few glorious moments
of euphoria that can only be experienced of orange glow before the sun rose above a
in quiet solitude, in magnificent settings. layer of clouds.
It is a strange mix of elation, humility, and
The previous day’s weather persisted. I
overwhelming gratitude, making it hard to
stopped here and there along the lonesome
draw a deep breath without experiencing a
roads to marvel at the plays of light
slight burning sensation behind the eyelids,
and shadow before arriving at my next
suggesting that tears may not be far behind
destination. That evening, I wanted to soak
if you allow your mind to wander and become
in a natural hot spring I knew of, and I spent
too overwhelmed with the grandeur.
the afternoon looking for a nearby camp site.
I began my descent in the warm afternoon To my delight, I followed an old mining road
light, not wanting to hike back in the dark. to discover a beautiful section of high desert,
From the summit, I could see a deep wash dotted with cedar and pine trees, abandoned
on the opposite side of my camp. I decided mine shafts and small miners’ camps, many
to hike down it, then back up the slope still containing various mementos of the lives
where I parked. At the bottom of the wash, of hardy folks who were here so many years
crumbly layers of shale told the story of an ago.
ancient sea bed. One small slab showed the
I spent the rest of the afternoon reading,
distinctive imprint of an ancient crustacean
taking occasional breaks to scramble up
and I collected a few promising rock samples
some of the nearby hills for views of the area.
to examine later. Back at camp, I carefully
After the sun set, I drove the few miles to the
tapped them with a rock hammer, separating
hot spring for a naked soak in its steamy,
the layers like the pages of an ancient book,
sulfury, warmth. So wonderful was the feeling
exposing several tiny trilobite fossils to the
that I almost considered falling asleep right
last light of the day – and the first light they
there in the water. By the time I drove back to
had seen in more than half a billion years.
my camp, I could barely keep my eyes open.
A few sips of tequila and gentle notes from
So ended the solitary part of my trip. I left
Ennio Morricone’s soundtrack to Cinema
camp before dawn to meet with friends in
Paradiso made for an evening of deep
Death Valley, and a new kind of adventure
contemplation and dreams I know I had but
ensued. Our first hike found us huddled
cannot remember.
below a rock arch as flurries of snow began
I woke up to cold darkness about an hour to blow across the desert. A perfect setting
before dawn. The warmth and rich aroma of for catching up with old friends.
fresh coffee brewer on my little stove eased
The next couple of days saw us hiking through
the chill, and I was on my way again. I waited
desert canyons, shivering on lofty viewpoints,
by a grove of large Joshua Trees for the first
savoring every moment of beauty in the
daytime and laughing around the campfire take for granted.

and poker table at night.
These experiences are another kind of
On Wednesday, I checked into a hotel room retirement savings – the moments and
to clean up and prepare before meeting with memories I will some day look back upon
workshop clients. To my delight, we had an with the same bitter-sweet joy and immense
amazing group of participants, each with a gratitude as I did when experiencing them,
passion for making images and interesting and know that I had truly lived.
life stories to share. The week flew by.
In the end, it’s not about photography, it’s
In so many ways this was a typical outing, about living the life.
but I still find it hard to relate to such things
in terms like “typical,” “normal” or “usual.”
There is nothing mundane about these small
chapters in the unfolding story of a life I
marvel at every day and that I could never
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Early Spring Meanders

It is a lovely and terrible wilderness, such a shared with those already familiar with them.
wilderness as Christ and the prophets went out Words fall frustratingly short of describing
into; harshly and beautifully colored, broken and what it means and why it is important to
worn until its bones are exposed, its great sky someone who doesn’t already know.
without a smudge of taint from Technocracy, and
I left home early in the afternoon and began
in hidden corners and pockets under its cliffs the
a meandering drive toward the canyon I
sudden poetry of springs. Save a piece of country
planned to visit. The choice of time and place
like that intact, and it does not matter in the
were not random. The date is an important
slightest that only a few people every year will go
anniversary, though not one relevant to this
into it. That is precisely its value. Roads would be
narrative. The place, beyond being one of
a desecration, crowds would ruin it.
the most beautiful canyons on Earth, was
–Wallace Stegner the setting for memorable times in my life. I
wanted it all to converge. I wanted to think
As spring slowly awakens life on the high
about it all and put it all in perspective and
plateaus, I went on my first solo backpacking
tie it all together.
trip of the season. While nights at home
still dip below freezing, the canyon country The road was recently “improved,” though
is already warm and welcoming. Now back is still unpaved. Still, what once required
at my desk I revel in the sweet fatigue that a long, bumpy ride in a high-clearance
follows such excursions; remembering with vehicle, is now possible in any passenger
vivid clarity the brilliance of new foliage, the car. Justification for such projects almost
warm glow in the narrow sandstone passages, always touts increased visitation, a boost to
the swirling cascading songs of wrens in the the local economy and all other derivations
high cliffs and the velvety silence at night, of the ultimate in human endeavors: growth.
interrupted only by the hushed gurgle of the You may note that terms such as “economic
nearby creek. I miss it already. growth” are never placed in the context of
a counterbalance. It’s always good, and
Though I am fortunate to live in what to
the more of it the better. Conspicuously
many would be wild country, there is still the
absent from such decision frameworks are
palpable shift between time spent living – as
terms such as silence, solitude, inspiration
a physical, emotional, being – and the bizarre
and wildness. The closest you will find is
artificial reality of modern society, business,
“recreation,” which is far from the same. To
politics, the Internet and other contrivances
a bureaucrat, value that can’t be measured in
of the human mind. It is a sad and painful
dollars and cents is no value at all, and what
disconnect at times, made worse by the
has no value deserves no protection.
fact that such experiences can only be truly

I set up camp among the red rocks. Local small flask of tequila. Ultralight hiking is for
cowboys left a folding chair and bullet-riddled masochists.
barrel here, which I made use of. On this first
I started my walk around mid-morning on
evening I could camp by my vehicle, which
a gorgeous early spring day. Some early
usually means a nice fire and a good dinner.
bloomers – milkvetch, paintbrush, gilia, and
As the sun set, I read favorite excerpts from
others – were already in flower, adding dots
the Daybooks of Edward Weston.
of vibrant color to the desert brush. Many of
As darkness set, flames from my small fire the trees were adorned in vibrant fluorescent
offered a hypnotic spectacle of dancing light green buds. Everything felt and smelled and
on the red rocks. The moon climbed slowly in sounded joyous, blissfully free of the buzz
the night sky and, one by one, more celestial of engines, chirping of electronic gadgets
friends appeared. Venus was first, and not and human chatter. I knew I could count on
too far behind, aldebaran – the follower – kept having this remote canyon to myself and took
watch of the seven sisters of the Pleiades. great joy in every step carrying me further
The belt of Orion stayed visible for just a few from the road.
minutes before venturing beyond the edge
It didn’t take long to realize that the canyon
of the cliff. These are ancient worlds whose
was also used by cattle ranchers. Cow
light has kept me company on countless such
excrement was everywhere, as were eroded
nights for so many years.
paths through the delicate ecosystem. Who
I spent the next morning slowly arranging in their right mind would consider such a
my large backpack, thinking with some place appropriate for grazing? Not the cows,
amusement of people I know who pride I’m sure.
themselves on being “ultralight” backpackers
About a mile into the canyon I was in for a
– people who will stop just short of removing
very pleasant surprise. A sweet scent filled
essential organs in order to save a few
the narrow passage – one I had not smelled in
ounces. Not me. I’m quite fine with moving a
months. I recognized it instantly – a member
bit more slowly and carrying a couple of extra
of the barberry family known as Fremont’s
pounds for such
Mahonia. Many
small pleasures
of these bushes
as a good cooked
grow here and their
dinner, small treats
delicate perfume
that I knew will
stayed with me for
taste better on the
much of the trip,
trail than anywhere
conjuring wonderful
else, a good book,
memories of other
notepad, fresh
canyons and other
ground coffee and a
hikes.
French press, home-
baked bread and a Other than the steep

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red cliffs so iconic of this region, this canyon natural phenomena, far beyond mere utility.
also has a rich Native American history. Many And, after all, they were as human as I am,
of the alcoves above its channel had not been having the same brain and the same ingrained
fully explored, and on occasion a rare find will appreciation for, and awe of, such places. I
present itself, stop me in my tracks and send was an adult when I arrived here, raised in a
my imagination soaring. Today I took some very different environment, but I found these
time to explore a small tributary and was canyons exquisitely beautiful since the first
rewarded with an exquisite discovery indeed: day I saw them.
a metate (mortar) with mano (grinding stone)
Further down
still in it, just as they
the canyon, a
were left by those
large wall juts
who lived here
up into the sky,
hundreds of years
hundreds of
ago. The area was
feet tall. Along
thick with scrub
its base are
oak, suggesting
some of the
that the metate
most fantastic
likely was used to
petroglyphs
make acorn flour.
I have seen
I placed my hand
anywhere, some
on it, wondering
as high as fifty
what other human
feet off the
hands touched
ground, carved
it before mine. I
into the blue/
stood there for a
purple desert
while, surveying
varnish. This
the area, trying to
was a place of
imagine what life
power, of spirit,
was like for those
of ritual. It is
whose home it once
evident in the
was. Other than the
rock art but also
cows, chances are
in the feeling
it looks very much
one gets from
the same to my
standing in the
eyes as it did to their.
sandy clearing at the base of the commanding
My wife once asked me if I thought “they” cliff. I can understand why the natives chose
found these places beautiful, or if it was just a it. People, bighorn sheep, owls, snakes and
common life to them. I think they did. Much of large anthropomorphs told stories whose
the art and artifacts still remaining celebrates meaning is now sadly long forgotten.

A couple of miles further started the riparian snake and countless lizards. When I wasn’t
portion of the canyon. A small crystalline stream walking, the only sound was the trickle of
now flowed at my feet and will accompany water rushing along the smooth slickrock
me for the rest of the hike in. Another mile or interrupted occasionally by the song of a
so brought me to a huge alcove – my home wren cascading down from the high cliffs.
for the next couple of days. I set up the tent
I thought of the things I came here to
and arranged my camp in the shadow of an
remember and to honor – people and animals
old cottonwood, below a towering slickrock
and experiences
wall curving above
and events. It’s
me. A curious
been so long, and
lizard watched
the weight of the
me as I arranged
years is undeniable.
my belongings
In so many ways our
and hung my food
lives are but a blink
bag from a high
of an eye, yet our
branch to keep it
capacity to bear the
away from rodents.
weight of emotions
I put together a
and memories has
small daypack
a limit measured in
and left camp for
pain. To live longer,
the afternoon to
we must either
explore the lower
forget or endure
regions of the
more pain, and I
canyon – one of the
can’t forget.
most spectacular
stretches of slotted I photograph, not
narrows on the to create art, but to
Colorado Plateau. hold tangible what
little I can of the
For the next few
experience. There
hours I was in a
will come a day
state of waking
when I can no longer
dream, walking and
make this journey in
wading through
body, but I know I will want to do so many
twisted passages, bathed in golden light
times over in mind and spirit, and images will
reflecting off the steep walls. The budding
help. I only wish I could bottle and preserve
cottonwoods and willows combined with the
the intoxicating scents.
wet earth to fill the air with a rich scent that
defies description. I stopped occasionally to My first memory of life takes me back several
study patterns and shapes, a young gopher decades and thousands of miles away.

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It’s easy to dismiss my being here as a than living beings. From ancient crustaceans
coincidence but, being the lay scientist that whose shells and skeletons became the
I am, I cannot discount the overwhelming limestone pebbles in the creek beds, through
odds against it, now, by myself, in this remote many forms of life no longer in existence,
and strikingly beautiful vestige of remaining early humans on the heels of the last Ice Age,
wilderness on Earth. My rational self refuses followed by thousands of years of various
to accept it, but somewhere in me a little voice desert-dwelling cultures and all the way to
keeps saying that it has to mean something, an immigrant photographer marveling at bits
and it will not be of light launched
silenced. toward the Earth
hundreds of years
I was reminded of a
ago only to paint a
recent conversation
little bright dot on my
with a friend. When I
retina at this point in
told him of my then-
time. More souls than
planned trip, he said
I could ever hope to
he always wanted to
count, each with a
see this place, but
life story greater than
“life got in the way.”
any novel.
Beware of life getting
in the way of living. The next day was
spent in further
I slowly made my
explorations of
way back to camp,
the canyon and its
arriving late in the
tributaries. By this
afternoon, shortly
time I was no longer
before sunset. I set
even thinking of life
about cooking my
outside the glowing
dinner in the last light
walls. This was my
of the day. Indian
world and in it was
bean curry, French
more mystery and
bread, avocado
beauty than I could
slices, and a couple
hope to experience.
of shots of Corralejo
Little else was
Reposado. Tired from walking, the food tasted
needed to feel happy and grateful. Wrens were
wonderful and prepared me for a restful night
chattering and singing in the cliffs, butterflies
as my mind continued to wander.
fluttered around placid pools, large beetles
I never understood the expression “not a soul” buzzed around the cottonwood canopies and
used to describe places where humans are new foliage, lizards darted around making a
absent. Here, it seems, there were more souls racket in the dry fallen leaves, ravens floated

above sometimes so close that I could hear experience. A couple of miles down the road
their wing beats, limestone pebbles revealed I stopped to chat with a couple of young kids
the occasional fossilized shell. Further down carrying large packs. Their clothes were filthy,
the canyon, fresh trees felled by beavers they were tanned and unshaven and smiling
diverted the flow into a large pool. Everything (as I’m sure I was). They had just come out
was full of wonder and beauty. This is a place of their first canyon hike and I could see the
of no pretending. Like a large city, you are glimmer in their eyes as they talked about it.
either part of it, or a complete stranger. In I remember my first time, almost twenty years
cities I am the latter. Here I’m alive. ago. It changes you. In a good way.
Another evening, another night, more Have you ever felt true and profound
discoveries and revelations, sadness and gratitude? Not just being thankful for a small
joy, breakdowns and affirmations. favor; I’m talking about an overwhelming
sense that at this exact moment you are,
The following morning I took my time breaking
without a doubt, the happiest, luckiest form
camp, pumping water and working up the will
of consciousness in the universe.
power to hoist the heavy pack for the long
trek back. That’s OK, I’m not in a hurry. It will Here I was again, driving down a long dusty
take as long as it takes. On the way back I empty dirt road, kicking up a small plume of
paid more visits to the ancient dwellings, dust that floated into the endless sagebrush
the metate and the fragrant Mahonias, and I plains, watching a hawk hover silently above;
scrambled out of the canyon. and the majestic cliffs beyond, seeing clearly
to the distant high plateau that is now my
My trusty truck waited among the tamarisks
home ... and feeling truly and profoundly
where I left it, now a bit dusty. I grabbed a
grateful.
cold drink from the ice chest in the back, sat
on the tailgate and savored the last of the

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Rethinking Happiness
I’m not interested in any outcome. I’m not into a coherent, meaningful framework. And
interested in any achievement. I’m not trying to the most challenging of these are the ones
get somewhere. I’m not trying to succeed in my that make you different from those around
life. My life is not about success. My life is about you. Conformity is highly valued in our
self-realization and fulfillment. society, and tolerance, though celebrated, is
in reality woefully scarce. Few things will hold
–Satish Kumar
one from being happy as being shunned,
For most of my life, few people would have criticized or even hated for being different.
described me as a happy person. In fact, for And yet, we can’t help who we are and can’t
most of my life, I would not have thought of be happy living a life that does not reconcile
myself as one, either. And, in truth, it didn’t with the unique amalgam that defines each
seem very important. There were times of of us as individuals.
contentment, comfort, satisfaction, pride and
We are raised not to be happy, but to fit into
reward; but not true happiness as I now know
the proverbial house we grow up in. Be it
it to be. Like love, happiness, I discovered, is
faith, custom, sensibility, political leaning
something you never really know and never
or even sexual orientation; if the things that
really miss until you’ve had your first taste of
make you who you are are in conflict with
the real thing. When you do, the first thing
the “values” of your home, your community,
you realize is how different it is from what you
your social circle, your country or any other
imagined it to be.
framework you are born into, you have a
Each of us, it seems, is endowed with a nearly impossible choice to make: pretend
certain baseline of happiness. By default, and conform, or embrace your differences in
some are happier than others. Still, we all the face of prejudice.
possess the same capacity for it, whether
Nobody wants a life of fighting against
we ever achieve it or not. For millennia,
prejudice and ire. Also, nobody wants a life of
philosophers and scientists studying the
perpetual inner conflict. And yet, a choice will
nature of happiness and what makes some
be made either by doing or by not doing. In
happier than others repeatedly come to the
such situations, happiness is the tie-breaker.
same conclusion: happiness is not a by-
Only one path has the potential to lead to it,
product of circumstances; it is a choice,
and it is by far the harder of the two. Yet a
and it requires practiced skill to achieve and
chance at happiness is always preferred to
sustain.
guaranteed misery.
If my own experience is an indication, the
Certainly it’s easy to apply such arguments to
greatest barrier to happiness may be the
faith, political leaning and any number of other
ability to reconcile all the forces in one’s life

existential topics. When placed in the context acceptance ultimately ring hollow; and a
of possible persecution, excommunication, choice must be made, implicitly or explicitly.
or imprisonment, it seems almost trivial to
Similarly, when one fails to find fulfillment
speak of such things as finding happiness in
in pursuing established models, business
one’s art, but it is an easy one to start with.
practices, styles, or any other aspect of their
For anyone practicing some permutation of
art, the only path to happiness is to break
“nature photography,” having grown up in
with the pack, even at the risk of personal or
the house of Ansel Adams or Galen Rowell,
financial penalty from the often opinionated
it may seem sacrilege to admit when one’s
and sometimes intolerant majority.
sensibilities draw them in directions other
than idyllic glorified pristine natural beauty Lest I trivialize far more important life choices
or the confines of “straight” photography. and the strife endured by so many who found
The easiest path is the one well-trodden by the courage to make them, I will mention
the masters and the masses; guaranteeing that this post was inspired not only by my
acceptance and praise. But, when such own life choices, but also by brave people
a path fails to yield personal satisfaction who inspired me along my journey – people
and happiness in one’s work, praise and who found happiness and contentment in

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their lives at risks and costs that may be – the alternatives one gives up in exchange.
unimaginable to some. And things such as happiness and freedom
are costly alternatives indeed.
We are brought up to believe we should be
driven by accomplishment and success; I experienced such moments when I realized
hanging our happiness on things quantifiable I could not be happy in the country I grew up
and measurable and pushing ourselves in and was taught to love, when my political
ever harder. Never slow down, never invest views failed to live up to my morals, when I
precious resources in things that don’t have a placed a high paying job in the context of lost
material return, always worry about tomorrow, freedoms.
look up to those who have accomplished
I chose to be happy. It was hard and scary and
riches and celebrity rather than wisdom and
nothing like the shallow and inconsequential
contentment.
glee I always thought happiness was. The
And yet, as individuals, many people are moment of choice felt good and uplifting
unhappy most of the time. Many don’t and painful and terrifying and astoundingly
even know they are unhappy, having never difficult and utterly miserable, all at the same
experienced the intoxicating euphoria of true time. And, yet, it fills me with great pride every
happiness, and possibly not even believing it single day to know that I have it in me to be
is attainable. that person and to make such decisions.
And then, if one is so fortunate, comes that When I am fortunate to experience a moment
defining moment – the first taste – the instant of true bliss, I forget about tomorrow and
when you realize with stunning clarity and about other things and other places and
surprise: “Right here, right now, independent other possibilities. Living in the moment is no
of anything else, I am truly and wholly happy longer a trite platitude, it’s all that matters.
with who I am and where I am and what I
am doing,” and everything changes. The
house of cards built upon the foundation
of careers and possessions and titles and
critical acclaim begins to rattle and shake
and a terrifying realization presents itself: I
am different, and I have a choice to make.
To be clear, such moments are indeed

moments, and may be separated by stretches
of frustration, anxiety and hard work. Still,
a life with them is infinitely more rewarding
than a life without. Put in context, such things
as social acceptance and financial reward
never stand on their own; they each have
what economists call an “opportunity cost”

Listening to The Stories

Every moment and every event of every man’s life felt that I needed to do what I do, whether
on earth plants something in his soul. I could clearly articulate the reason or not.
There was never a doubt in my mind that my
–Thomas Merton
own sense of self would not be complete if I
Many thoughts were on my mind as again I didn’t. Yet words failed me. And then I found
took to the long and empty roads, en route it – the answer. It was so simple and clear
to a workshop in Death Valley. A train of and obvious, and in a place I never thought
thoughts was set in motion, sparked by to look.
a startling revelation just days before my
On occasion I like to read the musings of
departure. I’ve often suggested that the most
artists, scientists and philosophers. Not just
important question an artist must be able to
any artists, scientists and philosophers, but
answer is: Why do what you do? It is no small
ones who found their way to transcending
irony that my own attempts at an answer were
the narrow confines of their formal disciplines
heretofore not quite satisfactory. I always

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and were able to derive profound meaning if perhaps some day someone will try to
from their work. Nietzsche ranks high among imagine the gaps in what remains of my own
these, in no small part due to his fascination story.
with art and how it relates to the human
This is the America I fell in love with. Not
experience and our perception of reality.
the America of Hollywood and skyscrapers
“There is one thing you must have,” Nietzsche
and celebrities and excess, but the America
said, “either a soul that is cheerful by nature,
of free spirits and eccentrics and defiant
or a soul made cheerful by work, love, art,
individualists, and stories of life in these
and knowledge.” And there it was. Anyone
breathtaking soulful and still-wild places.
who knows me well will tell you that my own
Something invaluable will have been lost if
soul is not cheerful by nature.
we forget how to live in such places, in the
I need to engage in creative work – in love, land, disconnected from the buzzing hives
in art, in knowledge – in order to give my of cities and the self-defeating pursuit of
life meaning. That is why I am an artist, and riches. Here, there may be found peace.
why I believe I was destined to become one Here, people move at a slower pace so they
despite a life spent in large part on decidedly may experience more of each moment, and
artless pursuits. I need to engage in the work neighbors know each other as only characters
so that I can look away from The Abyss. in the same story can. How arrogant for
anyone to suggest that such a life is not, in
~~~
so many ways, better than the stresses and
The empty road leads me down from the artifice of congested streets, malls and office
high plateau of my home. For a short and buildings.
uninspiring period I am on a freeway before
As I drive, a radio show highlights advances
departing again into the blissful solitude
in social networking and artificial realities. A
of rural roads. The land reveals episodes
celebrated guest pontificates the advantages
in a saga of monumental events on a time
of living online over “ordinary” reality. I
scale that makes my own existence seem
struggle to perceive a mind so narrow as to
miniscule. Every small town tells the stories
dismiss the greatest mysteries of existence
of dreams and struggle and change: here,
– the very nature of reality – as ordinary. Is
the skeleton of a pioneer home; there, the
this the generation to emerge from spending
rusting chassis of a vehicle that had seen
one’s formative years “socializing” through
its fair share of demolition derbies ... each
“media?”
attached to unknown people who lived
and loved, laughed and cried, failed and I stop often. Shapes arouse my imagination
succeeded. The stories surround me, aching and demand attention. The Mojave is a desert
to be told, to be passed on, and I take joy in so different from the canyon wonderland of
filling the missing chapters in my mind. I stop the Colorado Plateau, where I live. Its prickly,
to make photographic records of meaningful jagged veneer barely mask the sensuous and
anecdotes along my own journey, wondering delicate forms underlying its arid nakedness.

More stories find me, emanating out of rocks canyon of steep limestone walls, away from
and birds, a lone coyote, skid marks on the the park roads, and I set up camp for the
road and the desert wind, each responsible night. Warm afternoon light mixes with the
for a small part in the rich tapestry of story delicate scent of creosote bushes. After the
lines that just happen to converge with my long drive, I take pleasure in walking around
own here and now. the hills as the light fades. I toast the first stars
with a few sips of scotch and spend most of
~~~
the evening watching the darkness, listening
Arriving in Death Valley seems a different to the silence, and allowing my thoughts to
experience in the quiet winter months than drift.
during the “busy” seasons. Mine is the only
I am wiser now. I am a soul who is not cheerful
vehicle on the road. I have one day to myself
by nature. I am a soul that is cheerful in
before meeting the workshop group. I drive
nature.
the rugged and recently flooded road into a

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The Image & The Experience

All of us have had the experience of a sudden made similar revelations when he spoke of
joy that came when nothing in the world had Equivalence – have the photograph represent
forewarned us of its coming - a joy so thrilling not what you saw, but what you felt; and Minor
that if it was born of misery we remembered even White took the concept even further, going
the misery with tenderness. beyond Stieglitz’s clouds and into complex
abstract compositions that, without regard
–Antoine de Saint-Exupery
or even knowledge of the subject, still pack
I must confess that I do like some seasons an emotional punch. And here I was, having
better than others, and that summer is my a moving experience, and no image to fully
second least favorite time of the year. There represent it. I photographed these storms
is, however, one wondrous thing about before, many times, but at that moment, while
summer in this beautiful desert: the monsoon having that actual experience, I was not even
rainstorms. When a particularly powerful one moved to touch the camera.
arrives I make an effort to be outside to greet
I thought about other significant times I had
it. I love the big chunky drops pounding on
in these places: near-death experiences,
leaves, rocks and windshields, I love the
close encounters with wildlife, cathartic times
intoxicating scent of wet sagebrush and pine,
of healing and discovery. In most cases,
and I love the spectacular lightshows that
I did not have images directly related to
almost always ensue. But, give me autumn
them. Then I thought of my most memorable
and I’m truly happy, in that deep and slightly
images and the realization came to me: the
melancholy way.
making of a truly significant image almost
An interesting thought came to me while always is the most moving experience of its
standing out in the rain yesterday. Close to time. The image doesn’t represent a random
the epicenter of a storm, lightning bolts were experience, it is the experience.
hitting a nearby ridge, followed by massive
Not all meaningful experiences result in
explosions of thunder. The air had the rich
images, but all meaningful images are also
scent of desert brush and wet earth, and I
meaningful experiences. I had a new lesson
was watching the show from the safety of the
to teach.
edge of a small aspen grove.
~~~
For years I’ve been preaching to students
to “photograph the experience.” Forget My first “nature photography” experience
about chasing postcards and seek, instead, occurred nearly thirty years ago, when for
meaningful experiences; then make an reasons I can’t even remember I borrowed
image, not of it, but about it. There is nothing my father’s old Minolta and went to play
new about this notion. Alfred Stieglitz outside. Not a single image from that roll

of film turned out, but the joy of seeking As my interest grew, I also became
photogenic subjects and fitting them into the an obsessive reader and collector of
finder frame was intoxicating. My memories of photography books – the coffee-table variety,
that day include iridescent beetles, the scent as well as the stories and biographies of
of wildflowers, warm sunshine on my face, notable photographers, and, to a lesser
watching a tortoise slowly chewing fragrant extent, technical references, as long as
clover leaves, stalking large swallowtail accompanied by noteworthy images. There
and monarch butterflies, the diffraction of always seemed to me to be an interesting
late afternoon sunlight filtered through wild schism in the way that photographers
thistle heads, and the occasional pause, described their images in these books. Some
setting down the camera and just soaking opted for the dry technical data – camera,
in the experience of being in a quiet place, lens, exposure. Others described something
away from the din of the human hive, with of the location and technique used. But
all my senses on high alert and savoring the those that fascinated me most were the
magnificence of a perfect spring day. The ones describing moving and emotional
images may not have registered on film or experiences associated with the work, a love
paper, but they were very much there and for a subject or place, a reverence for natural
very much real. beauty, the awe in the face of serendipitous

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circumstances, the merging of a passion My images failed to capture such emotional

for the wild and rare revelations with the depth because, I can admit now, I did not
expressive abilities of the photographic actually feel it. I would leave home early, rush
medium. to beat the sunrise, spend the remainder of
the day rapt in an incessant, and at times
“I seek out places where it can happen more
frustrating, pursuit of something – anything
readily, such as deserts or mountains or
– that may yield an appealing photograph
solitary areas, or by myself with a seashell,
before rushing back. In my mind, then, the
and while I’m there get into states of mind
only difference between what I was doing
where I’m more open than usual. I’m waiting,
and those wonderful experiences described
I’m listening. I go to those places and get
by other photographers was merely in the
myself ready through meditation. Through
time I had to dedicate to it. I went to the same
being quiet and willing to wait, I can begin
places, used the same equipment, practiced
to see the inner man and the essence of the
the same techniques and came back with
subject in front of me... Watching the way the
good images. But it did not feel like the real
current moves a blade of grass – sometimes
thing because, reluctant as I was to admit it,
I’ve seen that happen and it has just turned
it was not.
me inside out.”
When I finally decided to leave the urban
–Minor White
corporate world to pursue a life of creative
Those were the experiences I sought and writing and photography, I looked forward to
which made photography so fascinating to finding those deep and moving experiences I
me. The descriptions were visceral. Since my remembered from my own childhood and from
earliest childhood I spent much of my time the accounts of naturalists and adventurers
alone in fields and could easily transport I read in books. For a while, though, I was
myself into these experiences, adding in my still unable to accomplish them. There was
mind all the missing dimensions of being a period of transition. I still worked in the
there – what it sounded like, what scents same rushed mode, favoring images over
were in the air, what the temperature felt experiences.
like, the quickening beating of the heart
But, slowly, things began to change. I found
when encountering a rare sight. Still images
myself daydreaming again, leaning against
animated themselves in my imagination and
rocks and tree trunks taking deep breaths
I could feel what it was like being the person
and smiling for no apparent reason, savoring
behind the camera taking it all in with great
smells and warmth and the dance of light on
awe and gratitude.
water. Slowly, I began to trust that images
I can distinctly set aside a period in my life will present themselves in time without me
lasting more than a decade in which my own seeking them out, and that my being there was
images failed to live up to such experiences. I more important than anything I may record.
was in pursuit of the “keeper,” often in a rush, Gradually, the barriers came down, the rush
on a short break from a corporate career. gave way to quiet contemplation, the beauty

and magic that seemed like manufactured to savor and interpret and study and be
tales in other times became real and visceral fascinated, the why became a far a more
again as I remembered them from my youth. serious and rewarding aspect of what I do.
The poetic and emotional descriptions of
Being in these places that inspire me stopped
images that once captured my imagination
being about sunrises or sunsets or “secret”
are no longer flowery platitudes, they are real
spots and became about living and feeling
and every bit as beautiful as I always hoped
and being the protagonist of an epic story
them to be.
that captivates me beyond any work of fiction.
Where for years I took very seriously the

how of making images, with time and peace

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Solastalgia
... the pain experienced when there is recognition mile. I feel fortunate that my life unfolds in the
that the place where one resides and that one space between humanity’s follies and their all
loves is under immediate assault ... a form of too predictable consequences. I feel fortunate
homesickness one gets when one is still at home. to be able to gaze into a star studded night
sky in perfect silence from my own backyard.
–Glenn Albrecht
I feel fortunate to be able to drive and hike
I am home. This may seem an obvious into places that have no names, where other
proclamation, but it didn’t always mean the humans may not have been in hundreds of
same thing. I always had places of residence, years, if ever, and may not be again for just
family, friends and community, but the word as many, if at all. I feel fortunate to not be
home took on a very different meaning when around when those exciting population-dense
I came to live in a place I love, a place that mega-cities where everything is convenient
hurts to leave, a place I could be bound to for and accessible and safe and controlled and
the rest of my days and not think it was such artificial become norm. I feel fortunate to not
a bad thing. The thought came to me recently be around in the time when livelihood can only
as I listened to several lectures, podcasts be accomplished in submission to organized
and radio shows extolling the virtues of cities, industry. I feel fortunate to feel wind and sun
celebrating “exciting” developments in urban and rain and snow and dust on my skin, to be
planning, and spinning obscure statistics like able to drive and hike and climb and discover
the number of patents per capita. places unknowable by any other means, to
find solitude and quiet when I need them, to
Studies predict that the vast majority of humans not be tracked and monitored and quantified
will live in cities in the coming decades. and targeted and profiled by intelligent
Compared to our cities today, the cities of machines at all hours of the day.
the future will be larger, more crowded, more
restrictive in movement (by design), more Forget patents; what about wildness per
centralized, more regulated, less private, and capita, mystery per capita, or adventure per
with only carefully controlled limited natural capita? What about hours of solitude per
spaces (the term “natural” hijacked to mean capita, places of silence per capita or free
areas where select plants and pre-approved time per capita? Where do these fit into the
wildlife is allowed to persist). And this, we design of the urban Edens of the future?
are told by futurists, architects, captains
of industry and a significant proportion of
intellectuals, is a good thing.
I feel fortunate to make my home in an area with

a population density of one person per square

“Something will have gone out of us as a the environment of trees and rocks and soil,
people if we ever let the remaining wilderness brother to the other animals, part of the natural
be destroyed; if we permit the last virgin world and competent to belong in it. Without
forests to be turned into comic books and any remaining wilderness we are committed
plastic cigarette cases; If we drive the few wholly, without chance for even momentary
remaining members of the wild species into reflection and rest, to a headlong drive into
zoos or to extinction; if we pollute the last our technological termite-life, the Brave
clear air and dirty the last clean streams and New World of a completely man-controlled
push our paved roads through the last of the environment.”
silence, so that never again will Americans be
–Wallace Stegner
free in their own country from the noise, the
exhausts, the stinks of human and automotive
waste. And so that never again can we have
the chance to see ourselves single, separate,
vertical and individual in the world, part of

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Canyon Time
In sublimity – the superlative degree of beauty is no longer. The place became a little less
– what land can equal the desert with its wide wild, and none other than a few “old timers”
plains, its grim mountains, and its expanding may ever know the difference. The simple fact
canopy of sky! You shall never see elsewhere as that challenge is an indispensable ingredient
here the dome, the pinnacle, the minaret fretted to a sense of accomplishment is often lost on
with golden fire at sunrise and sunset; you shall policy makers managing these lands, some
never see elsewhere as here the sunset valleys of whom make their decisions having never
swimming in a pink and lilac haze, the great mesas known the experiences they so casually
and plateaus fading into blue distance, the gorges sacrifice for lesser ones. It is a shame that our
and canyons banked full of purple shadow. Never land management agencies fail so miserably
again shall you see such light and air and color; at the task of preservation, originating in a
never such opaline mirage, such rosy dawn, such pervasive inability to fully acknowledge what
fiery twilight. And wherever you go, by land or by there is to preserve and to place proper value
sea, you shall not forget that which you saw not on it.
but rather felt - the desolation and the silence of
Preservation is not just about setting aside
the desert.
a piece of geography for recreational use.
–John C. Van Dyke Wildness, the state of being in wild places, is
not recreation. It is a much deeper and more
As I have for quite a few years, among the
nuanced experience. So many things that
first things I do after a long absence is spend
can change a place in profound ways have
a couple of days by myself in a remote desert
nothing to do with its physical constituents.
canyon, to reconnect with old friends –
Completely absent from such decisions
places and spirits, rock and water, remnants
are the need to preserve these sensory
of past cultures, dark nights, deep silence,
dimensions - the silence and the sounds,
cottonwoods and sagebrush and bighorn
the scents, the effort required to travel in –
sheep and maidenhair ferns in the recesses
and through – such places, are all parts of
of sandstone alcoves and a thousand other
a true wilderness experience. The emotional
things that make these places so infinitely
dimensions are every bit as important, too
magical. I love my home.
– the sense of solitude and freedom and
I drove down what used to be a long, remoteness and danger and sanctuary.
lonesome and rutted dirt road until just a few
Photographs can preserve, and even create,
years ago. It had since been “improved” –
some of the missing dimensions. Careful
dumbed down and smoothed and widened.
composition, deliberate inclusions and
The bumpy drive, which used to be part of
exclusions, can leave the right amount of
the experience and the sense of remoteness,
space to be filled by imagination and mystery,

to recreate a sense of an experience. But, vehicles were around. Parts of the road had
the real loss of a real experience, even if the washed out in recent floods and it was obvious
land is protected by some arbitrary measure, nobody had driven them in a while. To my
is still far more real and painful than any delight, these included the small spur road
photograph or prose can substitute for. leading to a favorite camp site. The floods cut
a deep gash right at the intersection, making
A few miles down the road I found myself
it look much harder to drive across than it
crawling behind a strange 6-wheeled vehicle
really was. I had the place to myself and did
with a European license plate, looking like a
not see anyone for the remainder of my trip.
prop from a post-apocalyptic B-movie. The
driver had no idea I was behind him. He My mood changed for the better as soon as
stopped in the middle of the road for a few I settled into camp. I have a lot of memories
seconds and suddenly swerved to make a from this place, many conversations and
U-turn, almost colliding with me. A case of laughs and tears experienced by campfires
too much machinery failing to compensate in this little fire pit, alone or with others. Over
for too little sense. the years I was here with friends and loved
ones, human and canine, some of whose
Thankfully, once I got far enough, no other
journeys had since come to an end, leaving

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in their passage both sadness and gratitude are around. Autumn is such a beautiful and
that our paths crossed, and knowing that we melancholy season here. Each in its way, life
are better for it. Here, I have seen countless and stone and water and light say goodbye
spectacles of light as the sun rises and sets, before retiring into the stillness of winter.
and spent many late hours staring into a
A night by a fire, crisp desert air blended with
stunning star-studded sky lost in thought.
the sweetness of burning juniper and pinyon
It feels good to be here again, among the
pine, and a darkness as deep and soft as
memories and the red rocks where I feel at
a velvet blanket permeate like warm liquid
home.
into every cell in my body and the deepest
Early November marks the end of autumn recesses of my mind. Bitterness melts away,
in these beautiful canyons. The last of the frustrations disappear, clarity arises. The
golden foliage still clings to the gnarled crackle of burning wood interrupted by
old cottonwoods; fallen leaves decay along distant owl hoots, almost too faint to hear, but
the stream beds, emitting a subtle but unmistakable. Planets and constellations drift
unmistakable aroma so characteristic of the from horizon to horizon. Thoughts keep me
season. Oils released from the leaves settle awake well into the wee hours of the night.
on the surface of shallow pools, forming a When I awoke the following morning, it was
thin iridescent patina to a deep red glow
refracting light into reflecting from a large
a dazzling array of sandstone cliff. It felt
colors when viewed like my soul got a
at various angles. deep tissue massage.
Light-colored silt, I made coffee and a
washed down from hot breakfast in the
the high plateaus in silence of a remote
massive monsoon desert morning,
floods, now settled at packed a bag for
the bottom of some the day and headed
larger pools, gives down a steep canyon.
the crystalline waters
I have been here
a wonderful emerald
many times before,
hue. The chatter
and learned many of
of ravens and the
the canyon’s secrets,
swirling crescendo
yet these are places
of canyon wrens
that forever remain
still echoes among,
mysterious. With each
and cascades down
season, they change.
from, the tall cliffs,
Floods carve new
but few other birds
passages and wipe

out old ones, old trees die, new vegetation like here, then and appreciating the fact that
erupts on recently-formed sandbars, wildlife the view has not changed much since.
may appear around any bend, and the light
Farther down the canyon I am lulled into a
bouncing off the steep walls never puts on the
state of flow, all my senses attuned to the
same show twice. I pay a visit to an ancient
colors, shapes, scents and sounds of a wild
rock art panel, and to an area of old storage
and vibrant desert canyon, uninterrupted
cists. People had lived here for hundreds of
by human-made sounds other than what is
years, yet their traces often elude even the
generated by me. When I stop and stand still
keenest of observers. I walked by this spot
I am keenly aware of the
dozens of times before
fact that I’m the noisiest
thinking to take a closer look
thing around. I stop often
a little deeper into a side
to experience and record
canyon. Discovering such
in my mind the natural
treasures always make the
soundscape – what this
heart and imagination soar.
place would be like had I
The slightest evidence
not been here.
of bygone cultures
changes the story of the I follow sharp curves in
place instantly. What was the canyon, admiring the
previously a wild place is beauty of light reflecting
now someone’s home. Here, from the red rock and the
generations of children water. I marvel at smooth
were raised, fields of maize passages carved into the
were planted and harvested rock by the relentless flow. I
and long forgotten stories sit by pools of lucid waters,
were shared. Hundreds ones covered in leaves or
of people woke up in psychedelically-colored
the morning to this view. residue, and ones showing
Love stories and rivalries, patterns of subtle eddies
tragedy and elation all accentuated by streaks of
unfolded right here, before this continent foam. Everything is beautiful.
was even known to most of the world. Not too
Whatever stress and tension built up on my
far, mysterious ceremonies were conducted.
travels the months before is no longer. Winter
Faint moqui steps lead up a steep and
will be here soon. I am ready for it, but I will
precarious ledge where shamans (perhaps)
miss this.
perched. Petroglyphs tell the stories of
animals encountered and imagined: deer and Until spring ... farewell.
snakes and bighorn sheep, and other beings
too strange to describe. I spent nearly an
hour looking around, imagining what life was

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Meditations
Things Photographers Can

Learn From Musicians
It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in and “performed by”. Even the greatest guitar
imitation. virtuoso will give credit to Led Zeppelin when
playing “Stairway To Heaven” and the most
–Herman Melville
celebrated classical pianist will proudly
It is a long standing tradition in photography admit to performing a score by Mozart, Bach,
that the person who clicks the shutter button Vivaldi or Beethoven.
gets to claim all accolades for the resulting
Have you ever seen a photo credit along the
image, whether it is their own original concept
lines of “image by such-and-such, original
and composition or a blatant copy of someone
composition by someone-else”?
else’s. Chalk it up to maturity of each art
form, but in music there’s a clear distinction Are you a performer or a composer? a vocalist
between composer and performer, between or a songwriter? an original or a cover?
singer and songwriter, between “lyrics by”

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The Meaning of Meaning

When I have a terrible need of – shall I say the over.
word – religion, then I go out and paint the stars.
The greatest virtue is to care deeply.
–Vincent Van Gogh
The greatest ignorance is ignorance of
It’s hard, sometimes, to be a creator within the beauty.
boundaries of others, to know things that are
The greatest sin is indifference.
not secrets yet cannot be expressed, to be
the guardian of truths that cannot be spoken. The greatest reward for a life well lived is to
The weight of the night seems to magnify the have no regrets.
burden and sleep will not be my salvation this
~~~
time. Let me share but hints of what occupies
my mind and keeps me gazing at the stars. Time for a nocturnal drive. There must be
something out there.
The greatest conquest is the conquest of
fear.
The greatest courage is the courage to start

A Drive With A Futurist

If future generations are to remember us with To his credit, Steffen attempts to bring a
gratitude rather than contempt, we must leave positive message and creative solutions to
them something more than the miracles of what he perceives as the challenges facing
technology. We must leave them a glimpse of the humankind in the years to come. According
world as it was in the beginning, not just after we to his bio, he believes that the approach
got through with it. to sustainability in an over-crowded world
should not be in lamenting how bad things
– Lyndon B. Johnson
are but how good they can get. In a world of
Driving the long and empty rural roads of eight billion urban dwellers, Steffen suggests,
Southern Utah is one of my favorite things to “good” means finding ways of increasing
do. The beauty and solitude inspire peaceful urban population density, reducing travel
contemplation – fertile soil for new ideas and distances and having “the things we need”
realizations. In recent years I also discovered close by. By this, he is apparently referring
that this is the perfect setting to listen to to restaurants, entertainment and a cubicle
interesting talks. Among those I happened to job to wile away one’s life in, in the service
have along for this trip was a TED talk by Alex of corporations. This statement struck me as
Steffen, described by the host as “an author especially misplaced at the time I heard it.
and futurist.”

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As I was listening to the talk, I was about you can take one of two ways to my home: the
half way through a two hundred mile stretch scenic route or the even more scenic route.
of scenic rural roads. The late afternoon sun I chose the longer of the two. Something
hung low in the sky, bathing the scenery in about Steffen’s talk still lingered in my mind,
a warm golden glow below a layer of dark churning and begging for an answer: is this
thunderstorm clouds. It had been about an really as good as the future gets?
hour since I last saw another vehicle on the
I listened to the talk again. Seemingly
road. If I had turned the engine off, the only
Steffen’s premise is simple: given the
sounds remaining would have been the slight
anticipated size of future urban population,
breeze in the grasses and the occasional
an increase in density has obvious benefits.
bird call. The air was rich with the smell of
This just seemed like the wrong way to look
wet sagebrush as a small rainstorm passed
at it. It’s a little like saying that if we have to
just moments before. What about this, Mr.
live in a toilet, we may as well make the best
Steffen? I thought; I also need this.
of the smell. Who said we have to live in a
Before starting our hike, we spent a night toilet, though? What thinking, feeling, loving,
among the sparse conifers and oaks on a inspired human animal wants to live in a
high volcanic plateau. After a couple of beers sardine can? Is it not time, instead, to wake
and a few hands of poker by the campfire, up from the delusion of perpetual growth?
darkness set. The clear night sky, completely Why continue to spiral when we can strive for
devoid of light pollution, offered a stunning a sustainable population level where open
view into the cosmic neighborhood. The faint space and peaceful refuge are considered
outline of the Milky Way slowly made its way right along food, clothing and television
above us as the night progressed. We took among the “things we need?” Rather than
turns identifying the occasional star, planet accept statistical projections and find ways
or constellation, marveling at the distances to live with them, why not treat them as
traveled by the light to meet us here, at this warning signs instead? Would it not be wiser
point in time and space. Flashes of light to reconsider the unsustainable foundations
among the trees caught our attention and of our social and economic policies and say:
we walked in darkness toward the nearby “enough!” We have grown to capacity. Let’s
edge, about 8,000 feet in elevation, to stop here and, instead, use our innovation
witness raging electrical storms on the far and creativity to increase prosperity rather
horizon. We stood there in silence as bolts of than population?
superheated plasma lit the edge of darkness
It was interesting to see the choice of data
every few seconds, so far that we could not
Steffen used to support his argument. Greater
even hear the thunder. This, too, Mr. Steffen
population density means lower per-capita
... I need this, too.
emissions. While a great statistic to use in
After a couple of days in the canyons, the designing space for machines, does it truly
time came to drive back. I had to make a take into account the human experience?
familiar choice. From anywhere in the region, Lest we forget, greater population density

also is correlated with increasing crime rates gratitude for having the freedom to roam, to
and reduced happiness. People need leg drive, to explore and witness and experience
room and generally are happier and less the awe of being alive in these immense and
prone to violence when having the option to magical places and to have them to myself,
unplug from the industrial machinery, and as I and every other form of life had evolved to
from each other, from time to time. Do we need and appreciate. I understood perfectly
sacrifice one of the great necessities for our why Steffen didn’t just use the term “good,”
emotional and intellectual wellbeing for the but needed the ironic qualification “good as
sake of accommodating more of us on this it can get.”
already over-burdened piece of real estate?
Another small storm came and passed and the
Why?
afternoon sun again lit every rock and branch
Let’s not also forget that emissions are a and blade of grass with startling clarity. I was
byproduct of consumption. Any solution nearing home. I could feel it. I could smell it.
based on unchecked growth in consumption Just before the sun set, a rainbow appeared
is at best a temporary one. A hundred SUVs as I was approaching my beloved Aquarius,
still pollute less than a million electric cars. just a few miles from home, as if welcoming
me back.
I could let it go now. I knew the argument
was based on the wrong premise and the If there is any solace for me in mortality it is
data used to support it anecdotal and the small comfort of knowing I will not have
incomplete. I was sad, though, because I to be here to live in Alex Steffen’s “good as
knew that chances are Steffen’s predictions it can get,” high-density, no-open-space,
of population growth and urban density likely vehicle-free, all-you-need urban hell.
will come true. As I have nearly every day
since coming to live here, I also felt profound

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The Art and The Life

Poets say science takes away from the beauty of It’s a thing we say, for those who can’t
the stars – mere globs of gas atoms. I too can see understand, to make them go away thinking
the stars on a desert night, and feel them. But do they understand. I didn’t understand until it
I see less or more? The vastness of the heavens happened to me. Do you understand?
stretches my imagination – stuck on this carousel,
I am a photographer. What does that mean?
my little eye can catch one-million-year-old light,
It means I own a camera and push its buttons
a vast pattern of which I am a part. What is the
every so often. It means nothing. I am me.
pattern, or the meaning or the why? It does not do
Photography is my art. Just because. Pictures
harm to the mystery to know a little about it. For
don’t matter if I don’t matter. Pictures are not
far more marvelous is the truth than any artists
important if I’m not important. That’s what
of the past imagined it. Why do the poets of the
makes it real; to me, anyway.
present not speak of it?
Trapped on a small planet. Ninety million
–Richard Feynman
miles from an ordinary star; one of more than
It’s not about photography. It’s not about art. a hundred billion in an unremarkable galaxy;
It’s about living the life. Then again, they are itself one of a couple of hundred billion; in a
one and the same. The purpose of one is the universe that may well be one of a great many
purpose of the others. They are not things in others. Who cares if I make a photograph? I
their own right. They are parts of the same care, and you care, and that is enough.
whole, which would not be a whole without
any one of them.
The rock, the mountain, the sky, the canyon,

the coyote, the stars; all travelers in time, as
am I. It calms me down, the vastness of it all.
Order comes from chaos, peace from

violence, beauty from perception, existence
from nothing at all. And consciousness?
Where does that fit in?
Good art is the product of good artists.

Good artists are good people. Good people
possess compassion, empathy and humility.
There is not enough good art.
I am an artist. What does that mean?

Know This
If I have anything to give you through camera, it are the musings and contemplations of a
must be of myself. . . . A gnawing burns inside . . . flawed and troubled mind seeking knowledge
to make something of myself worth giving. and meaning. Know that they exist for a
reason, and that each has a purpose. All else
–Minor White
is of no consequence.
What do you wish to know about my images?
Should you read these words some decades
Know that they were conceived in moments of or centuries from now, know also that we
peace – at times joyous, at times melancholy had these wild places to find inspiration and
– in the most sublime of places, and most blissful solitude in, to find peace in, to break
often in solitude. Know that they were made down and pull ourselves back together in,
in silence, and that their making was not to be real men and women in. Should these
hurried or rushed. Know that they embody places be lost to you, may you at least find
the thoughts, reverence, awe and love solace in their memory.
that inspired them, and that these were not
manufactured after the fact. Know that they

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Photography and The

Creative Life
The characteristic of a genuine heroism is its derives some joy from photographic images
persistency. All men have wandering impulses, of the natural landscape and from the practice
fits and starts of generosity. But when you have of photography. If my decidedly unscientific
resolved to be great, abide by yourself, and observations are any indication, it’s also
do not weakly try to reconcile yourself with the likely that most of you have found your way
world. The heroic cannot be the common, nor the to this genre of photography through the
common the heroic. appreciation of natural beauty that is inherent
in most humans. It’s no wonder that most of us
–Ralph Waldo Emerson
intuitively and emotionally respond to natural
It is likely that everyone reading this article scenes and phenomena. After all, we are

the product of four billion years of evolution, new ways of seeing and interpreting, and
throughout most of which, our ancestors the courage of creative individuals to step
relied on instinct alone to tell good from bad, outside the bounds of the common, the
pleasure from pain and safe from dangerous. accepted and the fashionable; to challenge
In time, imagination and creativity served to established concepts and at times to endure
provide us with the solutions to progressively personal hardship as well as the ire and
more complex problems, allowing humanity ridicule of peers and critics.
to rise to a degree of intelligence, prosperity
I came to photography, as many do, by
and dominion unprecedented in Earth’s
chance and with little knowledge of, or
history. Visuals once found conducive to
aspirations for, the creation of art. To me,
survival became the foundation for our
photography was an extension of my love for
sense of aesthetics; scenes once associated
the wild, a means of capturing, documenting
with awe, challenge and opportunity were
and sharing the things I’ve seen and the
incorporated into our perceptions of beauty,
places I’ve been, at least the ones I found
adventure and spirituality; and the need to
worthy and interesting. This was the impetus
effectively and visually communicate our
behind my photography for the nearly two
thoughts and inspiration to others set the
decades over which I became progressively
stage for our languages and arts.
more proficient with tools and techniques. I
Yet, for all our progress and intelligence, our began earning some income from my images
brains often function in primitive ways. When and believed I was content with my work. As
challenged, we tend to fall back on instinct, long as my images were technically good,
repeat patterns already established to be aesthetically pleasing and well received,
successful, seek safety in numbers, conform little else mattered. Or, so I tried to convince
to popular trends, avoid conflict and heed myself.
the authority of those we accept as superior
In truth, my work had become repetitive and
or more successful. Indeed, the survival
formulaic. I visited beautiful places, waited for
and dynamics of a productive and well-
the ubiquitous “magic” light, captured a few
functioning society depend on compliance
“pretty” images on large film, and rushed to
and repetition being the norm rather than
post or publish them, knowing the accolades
the exception. The same, however, cannot
from the usual crowd were to follow. It was
be said about progress, which requires the
easy. It required little forethought, emotional
occasional disruption: something novel – an
investment or expertise beyond being in a
aberration – to introduce new possibilities and
scenic place with a camera. Worst of all, it was
the potential to advance toward something
utterly and completely meaningless. Short-
better than the prevailing paradigm, albeit
lived pride in “getting the shot” soon began
often at some risk.
to feel hollow. Give anyone a camera and
Like the evolution of life, so is the evolution some time to practice, and they’ll find their
of art dependent on the introduction of way to making the same images that I did.
something novel – new ideas, new methods, There was nothing in them that was unique to

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me, that required creativity, that expressed places, and demands to be considered on
my own sensibilities, state of mind, personal its own rather than as an illustration for an
relationship with the subjects or any ulterior article or an advertisement. It is, therefore,
message more complex or meaningful than of limited use for editorial purposes. On the
“ooh, pretty.” My images were the equivalent other hand, photographic art is still a long
of fast food: simple, momentarily gratifying, way from earning its rightful place in most
requiring little thought, easy to like, and just galleries and museums. I was entering a
as easy to forget and move on from. world that fascinated and challenged me with
little idea of how I could earn an income in it.
Ultimately, I realized
Still, once the seed
that what I was doing
was sown, I knew
was not enough. I had
that I could never
a choice to make. I
be satisfied being
could continue to
“ordinary” again.
trickle repetitive
and unremarkable There is nothing
“pretty pictures” into wrong with taking
the ever-surging pleasure in repeating
torrent of similar, if the successes of
not identical, work; the past and in
continue bickering remaining faithful to
about minutiae of already-established
gear and visual methods and styles,
gimmicks with other just like there is
photographers; revel nothing wrong with
in the safety of being spending an evening
like everybody else, watching a movie
or I could make my with loved ones,
life and my work earning a steady
about something income in an un-
greater, aim for exciting job or eating
something higher, a favorite dish for the
and strive to create a third time this week.
new aesthetic and purpose for my work. Some people, however, would rather spend
the same evening admiring the view from a
From a professional viewpoint, this was a
port-a-ledge hanging 4,000 feet up a cliff, or
daunting proposition. Photography as art
sitting alone by a small campfire in the middle
relies on complexity of message and ulterior
of nowhere listening to the mournful howls
meanings beyond mere aesthetics. As such,
of coyotes, contemplating the universe, or
it tends to demand more of the viewer. It also
smashing sub-atomic particles hoping to peer
is rarely about benign beauty or recognizable

into other dimensions. These include people to visit more remote locations, to photograph
who may not yet know that they would have under more challenging conditions), it no
such preferences and that they are indeed longer mattered. Bragging rights seemed so
capable of realizing them; people who may shallow a goal compared with experiencing
never know unless they allow themselves to a moment of deep awe, so joyous as to move
try. me to tears, and then to convey at least a
small part of it through a photograph.
I will tell you this: you will never experience a
more profoundly satisfying moment than the I soon learned that I was not alone. Almost
instant you realize that you have it in you to every photographer I met expressed a similar
be that person – a hero in your own mind, desire to produce more personal and original
without excuses or wishful thinking. work. The vast majority of them, though, were
still beholden to a fear – a fear of letting go.
I went to live in a tiny town of 200 residents,
Yet, they were willing to listen, and I began
surrounded by millions of acres of wilderness.
to teach. I was soon able to earn a modest
I began making a different kind of images:
income from the most satisfying of all jobs:
more considered, more personal, more
inspiring others.
creative. I made it my goal to come to know
the land around me intimately so that I could By daring to venture into the unknown
listen to its stories and understand what it and merely being myself in the face
had to offer. I washed my mind clean of the of overwhelming pressure to accept
formulas of the past and forced myself to see photography as practiced and defined by
deliberately – just me and the subject, with the masses, I was able to not only produce
no filters, preconception or concerns about more satisfying work but to live a life that was
what others might say or think. previously but a dream: a creative life.
I also became an avid reader of books, There is undoubtedly the risk of failure, but
journals and biographies of artists and for those bound to be different, the choice
thinkers I admired, and was amazed to find of breaking with the pack should be made in
the same common thread: the art and the consideration of the greater failure of never
life become one and the same. The purpose knowing if your gift and, indeed, your life may
of one becomes the purpose of the other: to be going to waste. You will be far less happy
experience first, to feel in the raw and with going through life perpetually wondering
no cynicism or judgment, then to translate “what if” than any ill fate you may suffer for
the experience into a work by whatever daring to unleash your true self. And, if all
tools available. For better or worse, the tool comes crashing down, you will at least have
available to me and with which I had the most the benefit and peace of mind that comes
experience was the camera, and it became from knowing you tried and you gave it your
my brush, my notebook and my chisel. best.
Where in the past I tried to push myself in the How do you know if it’s right for you? You
physical sense (to climb higher mountains, just know. It nibbles at you from the inside; it

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makes you daydream and fantasize; the more can be used for the creation of art and ulterior
you feed it the more restless and frustrated meaning with the same power and nuance as
you become until you muster the courage to any other medium. It can be much more than
heed your calling, not for lack of fear but for mere illustration. The purpose of illustration is
lack of choice. to say: “Here’s what you would have seen had
you been there.” The purpose of art is to say:
There is more to it than personal satisfaction,
“Here’s what you would not have seen had I
however. The very concept of photography
not shown it to you, even if you were standing
as art hangs in the balance. Some of the most
next to me.” In the former, the photographer
iconic photographers of the past worked
is but a passive bystander, a mere operator
tirelessly and against staggering prejudice to
of machinery; in the latter, the photographer
promote their work as worthy as any painting,
is an integral part of an image and its reason
sculpture, novel or symphony. At some point
for being.
in recent history, the great photographic
artists of their day have passed, and few I no longer consider myself a nature
dared continue their struggle for acceptance. photographer or a landscape photographer.
I do not photograph nature or the landscape;
At the core of opposition to photography as
I use their visual elements to create images
art is the assumption that all photographs
of my own making.
have but one purpose: to illustrate something
already in existence in a way that most While the proposition of turning your life
closely resembles how a random person around on a hunch may understandably be
would have seen it. Certainly that is one use daunting or unrealistic, there is a simple shift
for photography but it is not the only use. you can apply in your work right now, at no
Photography can be a means for creative practical risk to your livelihood: stop shooting
expression capable of illustrating much and start creating.
deeper concepts than “this is what I saw.” It

Stories of My Generation
Whoever wants music instead of noise, joy instead random events, the desire to share stories of
of pleasure, soul instead of gold, creative work my own experiences also is what drives me
instead of business, passion instead of foolery, to seek such experiences, many of which end
finds no home in this trivial world of ours. up transforming me in ways far beyond the
images inspired by them.
–Hermann Hesse
I sometimes like to imagine the life
It feels, sometimes, as though invisible winds
experiences of other people. I do so often
carry ideas and realizations among people
when visiting ancient dwellings and cultural
of like minds. Telling my stories is the driving
sites. I try to imagine the daily routines of
force behind my work. It is part of the reason
those who built and occupied them; what it
I do what I do and live as I do and, I suppose,
was like to be a child growing up there, what
think as I do. Beyond merely recounting
the proverbial “day in the life” was, and how

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these people responded to the natural beauty monsoon rain, mountain meadows in bloom,
of the place, in a world without industry and glowing aspen groves on a silent and chilly
electronics and motorized vehicles. I try not autumn morning, arriving at a prominent
to romanticize too much. Modern life, I’m summit after a long scramble as the last light
sure, is much easier in many ways than it was of the day is fading and the world is bathed in
even decades ago. Still, it would be arrogant purple and lavender, the crackle of campfires
to assume that such lives – quieter, closer to and the gurgle of streams and the whisper
the land, likely more spiritual and full of myth of breeze in forest canopies, and so many
and wonder – were not, at least in some ways, more.
better than ours.
I think of people who lived in the old house
I also imagine others’ lives when encountering I now occupy and how different their lives
fellow travelers on the road: the woman and were from mine. I think of the experiences
dog sleeping in the back of an old sedan of my childhood, before color television
in a remote rest stop on a freezing winter and computers and cellular phones and the
night in rural Nevada; the bleary-eyed young Internet; a life I’m sure is familiar to some
couple eating an early readers now but that
breakfast at a roadside many already living
diner, their U-Haul today may never again
parked outside, en be able to experience;
route to new places and a life where one can find
new possibilities and perfect silence, spend
new lives; the blonde hours in a field or forest
in a convertible yellow or beach or desert with
Volkswagen zooming nothing and no one for
around the curves of a company other than
remote mountain road; their own thoughts, the
or the hitchhiker in the timeless landscape and
middle of the desert, its natural inhabitants;
likely not aware of a sign a couple of hundred a life where most time was spent out of doors
yards away warning motorists not to pick up and most interactions occurred in person.
hitchhikers due to the proximity of a jail. I These multi-dimensional and multi-sensory
have dozens of them carved into my memory. experiences now reduced to virtual worlds
What I don’t know, I try to guess and fill in. of sensory deprivation and mindless banter;
often accompanied with apathy toward, or
Of course, there are also the solitary
fear of, wild places, of relying on one’s own
experiences – stories of wildness and
faculties to partake in the things that make
wilderness: a face-off with a bighorn ram in
life itself possible – the things we evolved to
a narrow canyon, the surreal shimmering of
find beautiful and meaningful, yet opted to
deserts in the summer heat, the bewitching
give up in exchange for material comforts.
scents of sagebrush and wet earth after a

And I worry. Before my eyes I see the things the baby boomers – brought with them
that made my own life so rewarding rapidly economic prosperity in the wake of a great
disappearing, replaced with ever more war, civil rights, the Vietnam war, television
confined spaces, ever more controlled and Rock & Roll. According to a model put
environments, ever more generic and together by William Strauss and Neil Howe,
predictable lives, and ever fewer possibilities the boomers were an idealist generation,
for mystery and discovery and thrill. I worry whereas mine – Generation X – is a reactive
not just about the kind of world we leave one. I fear, however, that our reaction will be
for our children, but also about the kind of remembered not as a positive one altogether.
children we leave for our world. We instigated the personal computer
revolution and brought the Internet to the
I consider myself fortunate to have the
public; we saw the end of the Cold War; we
freedom to venture into places where humans
also brought consumerism and greed to
may never have been, where discoveries still
levels never before seen in human history.
await. I appreciate being able to grow some
We are the generation who learned about the
of my own food, and to wake up to silent
evils of pollution, the risks of climate change,
mornings interrupted only by the chirping
the dissonance of a growth-based economy,
of birds, and to see a plethora of celestial
and the rise of global financial powers “too
lights on a dark night, free of light pollution.
big to fail.” We may well be remembered for
The day is not far when lives such as mine
being the last generation who still knew life
may be considered as primitive as those of
before gadgetry, who saw the changing tides
cave dwellers; yet I am sure cave life offered
and could still do something about it … but
profoundly moving experiences, too, that are
didn’t.
no longer possible.
Tell your stories with passion and eloquence.
There will soon be a time when we will be
Keep alive in them the things and experiences
looked upon with disdain for having used
and revelations that may not survive
potable water to wash and to adorn our
otherwise. Of the legacies we leave, very few
dwellings with flowers just because they are
may ultimately be more important than letting
beautiful. If futurists are to be believed, the
those who will follow know what life was
next century will turn the vast majority of
like before the era of cramped confinement
humans into transient resources for industry,
and social media. Tell stories of the thrill of
crammed in tiny spaces in large cities
experiencing the world in person, off line,
centered on airports. Part of me, I regret to
and away from the cacophony of cities.
say, takes small comfort in mortality and in
Make your readers realize that growth is not
the knowledge that I will not have to live such
the same as prosperity, that riches come in
a life.
forms not always measurable in money, and
Each society can point to the achievements that there is more magic in real reality than in
and failures of its own generations. Here, any artifice of human conception.
in the United States, my predecessors –

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The Wonderful Lightness of

Being
We pass through the present with our eyes erased, much like ourselves, and, therefore,
blindfolded. We are permitted merely to sense and should not be considered with too much
guess at what we are actually experiencing. Only gravity, hence the unbearable lightness.
later when the cloth is untied can we glance at the Even at that young age I still remember being
past and find out what we have experienced and astounded, wondering if she was fully aware
what meaning it has. of the implications of the words that just left
her mouth.
–Milan Kundera
I was reminded of it again recently while
Every so often, I receive inquiries from high
hiking through a deep limestone canyon in the
school students charged with writing about
desert. Limestone consists of the remnants
an artist of their choice. It warms my heart
of ancient marine life, accumulated, a speck
to know that even at that early age, some
at a time, over hundreds of millions of years.
already have an appreciation for beauty and
Trillions upon trillions of living beings, most
art. My own high school experiences are, for
no longer distinguishable, reduced to tiny
the most part, best relegated to the dusty
grains in massive deposits of solid rock,
attic of unimportant trivia. Of course they did
anonymous and inanimate. No one will ever
not seem that way at the time, but with the
know of their deeds and antics, their fears
advantage of hindsight they are easy to place
and desires, their successes and failures. No
in such context. That is to say that if any high
one will take note of them ever having existed
school students are reading – don’t worry
as individual beings, let alone remember
about the stresses of this confusing episode
them as they were when alive.
in your life; it get better – much better.
Among the limestone walls, faint shapes
Still, some high school memories do stand
carefully pecked into the rock a mere few
out more vividly than others. One, in
thousands of years ago tell of human beings
particular, was a literature class in which we
passing this way millions of years after the seas
were required to read Milan Kundera’s The
had gone, mountains raised and eroded, and
Unbearable Lightness of Being. The teacher,
the land turned into a harsh and arid desert.
casually reading a note from the teacher’s
Their identities no longer discernible, their
edition of the book, explained that the moral
loves and doings, their beliefs and yearnings,
of the story is that, given our mortality, nothing
enterprises and downfall no longer known to
we do has any permanent – or, ultimately,
anyone living today, their faces never again
important – consequences. All our doings and
to be seen, their names never to be uttered
wrong-doings eventually are forgotten and
and their traces soon to be erased, too.

Wait long enough, and nothing matters. when? If a life is not filled with beauty and
wonder while it is still a life, still alive, still able
It is hard, in the face of such things, to hold on
to appreciate the great gift of consciousness,
to the illusion of permanence, preservation,
it will not be found later. Later is rock.
importance or legacy. It is hard to argue
with a rock, and harder still to argue with a It is the most liberating notion of all. Nothing
rock that used to be a living being, that has matters, except for the short blip of existence
seen the rise and fall of species no longer in – the greatest gift any of us will ever be given.
existence, and the feeble and fleeting lives It is reason to not be distracted from the
of humans like ourselves. proper tasks of life, from what beauty there
is, and from the satisfaction of simple virtues,
If there is any conclusion to be drawn, it is
art, empathy and compassion. The rock is
that anything that matters, matters now, that
the great equalizer and the great liberator,
anything worth striving for is found in the
the great reminder, the great setter of
moments, the days, and the years of our
priorities, and the great debunker of illusions,
own lives. The rock belies the folly of fame
dissonance and delusions of grandeur.
and riches, of conflict and competition. If
contentment is not found here and now, then

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Attention Overload
Attention may sound dull, but it is an essential titled The Master and His Emissary by
aspect of consciousness. In fact, it governs what psychiatrist Iain McGilchrist – a brilliant and
it is that we turn out to be conscious of, and deeply troubling account of Western history
therefore plays a part in the coming into being of correlated with the evolving dominance of
whatever exists for us. certain brain functions. One thing about the
book that I found immensely fascinating
–Iain McGilchrist
was McGilchrist’s reference to the brain as
I recently parked at a roadside pullout to a generator of attention, and the different
retrieve a cold drink from the ice chest in parts of it as responsible for different kinds
the back of my truck. I turned the engine off, of attention. More specifically, some parts
thinking that this would be a good place to of the brain pay focused attention to things,
perch on the tailgate for a bit and appreciate independent of context, while others seek to
the beauty of the day and the place. I was in understand the whole and are more tolerant
one of Utah’s National Parks, scouting for a of ambiguity in details. It is the balance
new workshop itinerary. between these two types of attention that
makes up our perception of the world.
As I stood there, rummaging through the
ice for the last can of iced tea, a car parked The experience I describe above made me
behind me. With its motor still running, the think about this separation between focused
driver’s window slid partly down to reveal the versus holistic attention. The photographer
top half of an iPad aimed at the view across was entirely interested in one focused task: to
the road. I could smell the artificial scent make an image he could bring back to show
of chemical air freshener wafting out of the others – a conduit to future social interaction
narrow slit, and hear the loud booming beat having little to do with the context out of
of music I could not recognize. A second which the image was taken. In the process,
later I heard the synthesized sound of a fake he was completely oblivious to the sensory
shutter, the window slid back up, and the car and emotional aspects of the experience.
continued on down the road, its passengers His physical presence put him in a place of
never knowing the silence left in their wake, astounding beauty and infinite complexity,
never feeling the grit of the sandstone, never but in a sense he was never actually there.
smelling the delicate aroma of juniper and
This led me to another interesting account
desert brush, never hearing the mocking
I read a while ago. In his book Beauty in
laughter of Pinyon jays, never feeling the warm
Photography, photographer Robert Adams
breeze on their faces – never experiencing
writes:
the place.
Our discouragement in the presence of
This occurred shortly after reading a book

beauty results, surely, from the way we have word in the greatest context possible: the
damaged the country, from what appears to physical, emotional, spiritual, intellectual and
be our inability now to stop, and from the fact multi-sensory array of experiences that make
that few of us can any longer hope to own such places elevate our experience as living
a piece of undisturbed land. Which is to say beings).
that what bothers us about primordial beauty
It’s not that unspoiled beauty is “no longer
is that it is no longer characteristic. Unspoiled
true”; rather, it is that we choose to believe
places sadden us because they are, in an
so. We’ve bought into the idea that such
important sense, no longer true.
things are no longer, and we are in too big of
These words were written in 1996. I believe a hurry to write them off and to plan a future
that they are as untrue today, seventeen without them. In truth, the United States alone
years later, as they were then. They do, has nearly a million square miles of mostly-
however, painfully and faithfully represent undeveloped lands. Legal designations
our collective Stockholm Syndrome when aside, there is still wilderness –natural wild
it comes to natural beauty (and I use the beauty – to be found in relative abundance on

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this planet. The problem is that we stopped and objects of interesting shape and hues
paying attention to them, shifting our limited explicitly designed to command our attention.
resources instead to the manufactured reality
Attention is crucial to experience. The less
of cities, gadgets, mass entertainment, the
of it we assign to any one activity, the less
Internet, etc.
capable we are of appreciating it, of being
Attention is the currency of the mind. It is aware of all its nuances and lessons and,
the hard cost we pay for having awareness, ultimately, the less significant and satisfying
perhaps even consciousness. What we don’t our experience of it is. A meal eaten in front
pay attention to, we are not aware of, and may of the television will not be as rewarding as
as well believe to be untrue or non-existent. a meal experienced as a primary focus of
attention, savored slowly and deliberately. A
Though many are quick to suggest that
virtuous violin performance among the clamor
modern society suffers from attention deficit,
of a subway station will not be as moving as
I think it is actually the opposite that is true.
one experienced in the quiet darkness of a
We have the same amount of attention we
concert hall. The same is true for experiencing
always had. We are just spreading it too
the wild; the more distractions we bring into it
thin, and not always on the right things. We
– sounds and scents and anxieties and social
don’t have a deficit in attention, we have an
interactions – the less of it we experience
overload of alluring minutiae to spend it on,
and the more prone we are to dismiss it
and are lacking the mechanisms to properly
as lacking. This is not attention deficit, it’s
prioritize this spending.
attention overload. We invest our awareness
From an evolutionary perspective it’s easy to in too many things and, not surprisingly, get
suggest that we are designed to pay attention little return from each of them.
to distractions: exceptional sounds, colors,
The solution is no secret. We know it from
shapes and sensations that may suggest
medicine, from financial planning, and from
social or existential threat or reward. Imagine
any number of other disciplines dealing with
prehistoric humans roaming their quiet world.
scarce resources: stop the bleeding, close
A movement in the grass may suggest a
the loopholes, pool your resources, scrape
predator or enemy; a sharp call may indicate
your pennies, and eliminate all the little
the presence of other humans, or perhaps
things that drain your attention and squander
edible or dangerous wildlife; a burst of color
it on things yielding little return. Use your
may be a tasty piece of fruit or a poisonous
new found wealth to purchase something
snake; regular geometric shapes stand out
important and lasting: deep and meaningful
from the fractal geometry of nature and may
experiences.
be dwellings or other products indicating the
presence of unknown people. These were Turn off, tune out, drop in.
exceptions in an otherwise uniform world.
In contrast, today we are bombarded with
unnatural sounds, bright colors, architecture

The Grateful Mind

And the highest enjoyment of timelessness – our images also carry some of it in them. If all
in a landscape selected at random – is when photographs have the power to capture the
I stand among rare butterflies and their food appearance of a moment in time, photographs
plants. This is ecstasy, and behind the ecstasy is created from gratitude can venture beyond
something else, which is hard to explain. It is like mere appearances and encapsulate in them
a momentary vacuum into which rushes all that the essence of the photographer’s thoughts
I love. A sense of oneness with sun and stone. A and feelings, as well.
thrill of gratitude to whom it may concern – to the
It takes little more than time and money to
contrapuntal genius of human fate or to tender
produce images of spectacular beauty and
ghosts humoring a lucky mortal.
technical perfection. Yet, after more than two
–Vladimir Nabokov decades of creating and viewing landscape
photographs on a daily basis, I find that I am
Friedrich Nietzsche is perhaps the most
no longer impressed or moved by yet more
prolific of Western philosophers on the topic
takes on the same subjects, not even ones
of art. In his mind, art is a means of coping
adorned in perfect golden light or sprinkled
with the chaos, tragedy and imperfection
with rainbows, star trails or the Milky Way, yet
that are the true nature of reality and, as
still lacking in any personal narrative. All too
such, makes life itself not only tolerable, but
often such images strike me as showcasing
also meaningful and noble. Beyond random
technique and technology, rather than
observations on art and its role, Nietzsche
relating to the personal experience of a
also sought to understand the minds of
fellow human with an expressive mind and a
artists. Among his many profound and pithy
sensitive heart. These days, I seek the quiet,
observations, he offered that “The essence
soulful, intimate imagery that speaks to the
of all beautiful art, all great art, is gratitude.”
mindset and sensibilities of an artist in love
Gratitude is what allows us to venture beyond and in harmony with their subjects, rather
the mechanical act of creating images, than their tools.
making the very experience of engaging in
It starts in the simple admission that, on
the creative process rewarding in its own
the whole, none of us matters to any great
right, independent of any outcome. It is a
degree; our work merely serves to elevate our
distinction often lost on those yet to have their
own life and the lives of the few we are able
first taste of it.
to touch, and it will someday be forgotten,
When we are thankful for simply being, whether in days, years or millennia it matters
experiencing, appreciating and enjoying little. Rather than the preoccupation with
what we do, something magical happens. Not our skills, our technology or our ability to
only do we value the experience more, but control and manipulate our environment, it

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is worth sometimes to remember that we are Humility is the fertile soil for a grateful mind,
but tiny blips in the astoundingly complex and a grateful mind, beyond any tool or
and beautiful tapestry of nature, and that technique you may possess or master, is the
the greatest goal we can set for ourselves engine of creativity and emotion that manifest
is to use our painfully short lives in the best in meaningful art and a meaningful life.
possible way: to be grateful for, and in, the
An artist must balance the arrogance of a
present.
creator with the humility of knowing that,
In our desire to comply, to fit in, to follow beyond a blissfully narrow window of time,
fashions and to keep up with our peers, it our creations, like ourselves, ultimately are
is important not to lose the most important insignificant.
things of all: to live meaningfully, to find joy
and contentment and pride not just in what
we have or what we produce, but in who we
are; to create not for our own glory but so we
have something to be grateful for, and to help
others accomplish the same.

Aboutness
Look at the things around you, the immediate main reason having little to do with either
world around you. If you are alive, it will mean photography or art, but with the fact that most
something to you, and if you care enough about people have no preconceived notion of what
photography, and if you know how to use it, you a photographic artist is, and I get to explain.
will want to photograph that meaningness. If you
Yes, I use photographic tools, and yes, I
let other people’s vision get between the world and
approach my work with the mindset of an
your own, you will achieve that extremely common
artist. But, a distinction often missed is how
and worthless thing, a pictorial photograph.
such an approach manifests in the end result:
–Paul Strand the image. In particular, what makes an image
expressive of the mind of the photographer,
I struggle to make meaningful images while
rather than a trophy for their technical skill
traveling, especially in places that are new to
or the aesthetic qualities of the subject. In
me and/or where I feel like a casual visitor.
my mind, expressive images are distinct in
In my work I strive to tell stories, and in order
that they are not pictures of things, they are
for me to be an effective storyteller I need to
pictures about things.
possess some intimate first-hand knowledge
of my subjects – the kind of knowledge that Expressive images transcend subject,
can only come from an ongoing relationship location, light and technique. These are all
with them. Without such knowledge, the important, but they are secondary to the goal
best I can hope for is to produce images of expressing something of the artist’s own
that illustrate the external veneer of subjects mind. As Minor White put it, “One should
and places, and that rely on aesthetics or photograph objects, not only for what they
interesting anecdotes rather than deeper are, but for what else they are.” And that
insight. Indeed, it likely is fair to say that “else” is never inherent in the subject, it has
the vast majority of photography of natural to come from the creative mind and unique
subjects is created in this mode, portraying sensibilities of the person behind the camera;
objective facts from the perspective of an it’s what gives an image that elusive quality:
outsider, rather than the subjective personal aboutness.
narrative of one who is an active participant
Aboutness is what I struggle to express
having a role in the unfolding story. To me,
when working in places I am not familiar with,
this is a very important distinction in defining
when working from the perspective of an
what I do, and how it is different from other
outsider, or when in a hurry or burdened by
common uses of the photographic medium.
distractions. And yet, without it, it is unlikely
Rather than “Photographer,” I often introduce that I’ll be satisfied with the result, no matter
myself as a “Photographic Artist.” The how beautiful, colorful, detailed or well

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composed. I have seen a myriad of breathtaking sunrises

and sunsets unfold before me, spectacular
After many years of practice, I find that I have
vistas and abundant beauty, without
become more and more specialized and
photographing any of them. I learned to
less of a generalist. Indeed, I have become
enjoy things for what they are, separating the
a firm believer in the value of self-imposed
rewards of witnessing beautiful things from
limitations. The more demanding I am of
the joy of creating beautiful things of my own.
myself, the less likely I am to make images,
and yet the greater is my satisfaction with the
images I do make. Aesthetics alone no longer
satisfy.
What may not be obvious is that such strict

limitations also serve to liberate and enhance
my experience as a person. When no
meaningful image can be made, I am free to
revel in feats of light and natural beauty for
sheer joy, unencumbered by the camera.

Experience, Uninterrupted
I experience a period of frightening clarity in highlight one of the many aspects in which
those moments when nature is so beautiful. I am art and industry are antithetical. Even in the
no longer sure of myself, and the paintings appear days of writing software I never liked the
as in a dream. results-oriented approach. Any passionate
programmer knows how elegant and poetic
–Vincent Van Gogh
well-written code can be. And while I never
My reading list in the last couple of months has quite bought into the rigid process frameworks
consisted mostly of the personal accounts of either, I had my own way of approaching
pioneering photographers, artists, scientists such projects. I needed time to think about
and explorers. It polarized for me a trend I them, to identify patterns, abstractions and
have been aware of for some time – that of commonalities, and to sketch out my designs
an ongoing decline in awe, reverence and before ever touching the keyboard. To my
sense of rapport that accompany encounters employer’s chagrin, I found the process of
with the natural world. I have some theories creating elegant solutions far more interesting
about the forces at work, but that’s a topic than any functional requirement. Is it any
for another post. wonder I now work for myself?
Many years ago, while working as a technology The same dichotomy in attitude is prevalent
contractor in Silicon Valley, I remember being in photography, as well. I watched a recent
interviewed for a software architect position. discussion thread by photographers sharing
I recall one question asked by the manager their experiences of the “one that got away.”
of the group: “Are you process-oriented Accounts ranged from sarcastic humor to
or results-oriented?” It was, of course, profanity, always laced with a degree of
more of a statement than a question. At the anger and frustration. Behold, the results-
time, engineering, project management oriented photographer: perpetually in a state
and computer science schools promoted of worry, stress, anger and jitter, fighting a
rigid process frameworks, documentation mighty battle against subjects, equipment,
standards, quality management, etc., which light and time. When they manage a “victory,”
many business managers found superfluous they are classic case studies for the hedonic
and costly. In the course of my technology treadmill – momentarily satisfied, boasting to
career, I can attest to countless such the world, only to fall back unto their stressful
conversations ending with some variation of unhappy state as they go on the hunt for the
“I don’t care, I just want it to work.” next one.
While those days are, thankfully, long For those of the process-oriented mindset, the
behind me, I think that the separation of world is a different place. We are still elated
process versus results is an excellent one to when our efforts are fruitful, and somewhat

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disappointed when they are not, yet we also progression. The flow of the experience
find sustained joy in merely engaging in remains unbroken. No struggle is involved
creative work, no matter the outcome. Our and no victory is claimed. If I have to interrupt
progress is not measured in milestones or the experience to make an image, then to hell
“keepers.” Instead, we are carried forth by the with the image.
current of our own experiences, discoveries,
This is an attitude I see reflected in these old
thoughts and meditations; and trust that they
accounts I’ve been reading: the journals of
have the power to take us to places we cannot
John Wesley Powell as the canyon country
even begin to imagine, resulting in art that
revealed before him, the poetic meanderings
reflects the inner significance of whatever
of surveyor Clarence Dutton unraveling
inspires us, rather than attempts to muscle,
stories in the geology of Utah’s high plateaus,
impose and command our own notions and
the personal transformation of Edward Curtis
expectations onto a subject, and becoming
as he came to know the American natives.
frustrated when it does not yield.
These were all people with jobs to do, but
When I make an image, I discover, I see, I they did not let their pursuit of results distract
feel, I reach for the camera when I have a them from appreciating the magic, the nature
concept and composition in mind. It’s a fluid and the humanity of their unfolding journeys.

Hear No Evil
But one day the “why” arises and everything work; I gaze into the astounding depths of the
begins in that weariness tinged with amazement. universe on a dark night; I listen to coyotes
and ravens and wrens and the crackling of
–Albert Camus
coals; I breathe the perfume of sagebrush
I learned some time ago the benefit of and pine and juniper smoke; I watch as feats
accepting disagreement and not engaging of light and land transform and dazzle before
in futile debates. When the dark clouds of my eyes. Meaningless banter on a random
rancor and animosity threaten on the horizon, web site, if it even enters my thoughts,
all I need to do is to remind myself of the becomes insignificant and inconsequential,
words of George Herbert: “Living well is the as do those that propagate it. But this time
best revenge.” I go outside; I go to places I’ll make an exception because the topic at
that inspire me and feed my soul, where I hand is exactly the reason I’m able to have
can be whole and content, independent of these experiences – I do this for a living.
the mass of humanity. I engage in creative
It is by no means a glamorous living, nor a

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lucrative one. At times it is a source of much with the question of whether the celebrated
anxiety and doubt. It requires sacrifices career-driven urban lifestyle was really all that
and adaptation. But most importantly, it is there was to aspire to, and, having realized
possible. And the reason I write about it is the answer, I could no longer pretend to not
exactly because so many pundits proclaiming know what it was, or that it did not matter.
(or pretending) to be “pros” are in the habit of
There came a point when I could no longer
going out of their way to dissuade others from
reconcile my most fundamental notions
attempting it. Whether it’s outright saying
about what makes a life worth living with the
you shouldn’t, or the constant whining about
actual life I was living. I could no longer be
office work and lack of time and changing
one person in theory and another in practice.
business models and too much travel ...
I could no longer be one person in my “off”
enough already.
time and another person in my professional
Don’t look to me for any great business endeavors. I could no longer be the person
insights. Success in art, however you define secretly admiring others for doing the things I
it, is as much about skill and temperament as wanted to do and being the things I wanted to
it is about dumb luck. But, if you are willing to be, rather than doing and being them myself.
take the risks and acknowledge that failure I had to at least try. Either that or give up
is a real possibility, consider what is truly hope. The scale tipped when I realized that
at stake: the value of a life – your life, the the latter was a far more terrifying prospect
greatest gift you will ever be given. than the former.
Are you really prepared to wake up one day, Looking back, it was one of the best decisions
when it is too late, and admit that you gave up I ever made, though I went into it knowing
your dream, that you lived an unsatisfying life, it could just as easily have been the wrong
that you could have been, if only ... because one. But that’s the thing about meaningful
of something you read online, written by accomplishment: you roll the dice and you
someone you know little about? accept the risk and you go into it prepared
to pick up the pieces and move on if you
For many years, I struggled with the decision
fail. It’s not for everyone and it’s not easy,
to leave a corporate career to pursue art. I
but if you believe you have what it takes
spent years in offices and cubicles, yearning
and you acknowledge the risk, and you see
to be elsewhere. For decades I made a
yourself spiraling deeper into despair at the
good income, lived a comfortable life, and
thought of time slipping away, squandered
patted myself on the shoulder for having
on meaningless pursuits, it’s likely that the
accomplished the fabled American Dream.
regret of not trying will ultimately be worse
But, I was not happy. I was not fulfilled. I did
than failure.
not feel like I was living my life to its fullest.
It made me bitter and angry. It took a toll on This is not to say that photography is the one
my health and my relationships. Like many thing that can inspire such contentment, far
others, I’m sure, I found myself struggling from it. Many do find their calling in corporate

careers, in raising families, in political of my wonderful wife. But, even if it all ends
activism or any number of other avenues. The today, it would still have been the right
point is that if you want something – anything call and one of the most transformational
– badly enough that it hurts, and you know experiences of my life. It has altered me in
that accomplishing it will enrich your life ways I could not have predicted and has
beyond anything else you may do, and give made me a better person.
your life meaning and pride and contentment,
So, don’t listen to the naysayers. Consider
don’t delegate the decision to anyone else.
your own situation, factor your own risks,
So-called “fine-art” photography as a prioritize what is truly valuable to you and
profession has changed considerably in your own aspirations, and whatever you do,
recent years. Old models may no longer be at peace with yourself and your choices.
be possible. If you want to make a living in
I started with a quote from Camus, and I will
it, you have to be creative not only in your
end with another:
photographic work but also in coming up
with novel business ideas. I say this with the But what is happiness except the simple
humility of someone who still wonders about harmony between a man and the life he
the long-term prospects of being in this leads?
business, and the knowledge that I could not
I’m the happiest person I know.
have done it without the unwavering support

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The Abyss is Always There

Courage slayeth also giddiness at abysses: and – keep your eyes looking ahead, through
where doth man not stand at abysses! the turn, and never look down; if you look
down, you’ll go down.” Learning to resist
–Friedrich Nietzsche
instinct took some discipline, but I did it,
Among the small pleasures I treasure is sitting once, twice, and then I just stopped thinking
in my quiet living room in the moments before about it and launched myself into the turns
dawn with a cup of coffee, and watching the with unwavering confidence. Since then,
darkness slowly fade into the colorful views whenever I ride, I think of that piece of advice
of red rock and high plateaus covered in each time I enter a turn. The bike may lean
aspens and conifers. This time of year, the so far that a foot peg scrapes the pavement
sight of golden foliage on the large elm tree but my eyes never venture from the exit point,
in my yard coming slowly into view, framed and the bike obeys. Never look down. If you
by the thin patterns of the old window, also look down, you’ll go down.
never fails to put a smile on my face. There is
Nietzsche stated it more poetically when he
something graceful and comforting about this
said, “Whoever fights monsters should see
little old house that I never felt when living
to it that in the process he does not become
in other places, and that made its presence
a monster. And if you gaze long enough
known, subtly but undeniably, since the first
into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into
time Sarah and I entered it.
you.” In truth, there is no abstract “whoever,”
It is easy, in these silent moments, to allow and no “if” about it; we all fight monsters all
the mind to drift, and when it does there is the time, and the abyss is always there. No
no telling what thoughts and memories may matter who you are or what your situation
surface. Bliss may give way to anxiety, joy to is, there are always reasons to worry, things
fear, contentment to bitterness, and peace to to fear, others to envy, challenges to meet,
turmoil. They are old rivals, as much a part of and deeds to regret. Aristotle knew this when
life as close friends, and partners in a never- he said, “Be kind, for everyone you meet is
ending match of wits and resolve. On any fighting a great battle.” Never look down. If
given day one of us will win, and these days, you look down, you’ll go down.
I’m happy to say, I win far more often than I
As artists, we are perhaps more attuned to
lose. Almost every time. Almost.
the ups and down of our creative core and all
Years ago I took a motorcycle safety class the things that revolve around it. We bind our
before receiving my license. I remember lives with our work – we measure ourselves by
struggling with turns. The instructor, noticing it and hang the value of all other experiences
my hesitation, came over and said, “The on it. When we are inspired and creative,
bike will go where you look; trust me on this everything is beautiful, and when we are not,

all else loses magic and flavor. On some direction. Look ahead. Never look down. If
days we can do no wrong, and on others we you look down, you’ll go down.
fear that we may never accomplish anything
There is endless beauty wherever you are,
worthwhile.
and endless opportunity to create, to engage
I find that the cycle is not really a cycle, but with life and with the world, to be inspired
more of a pendulum. You can only hope to and fascinated. The only way forward is to
go so far in one direction if you are prepared immerse yourself in the work – not work, THE
to swing as far to the opposite. To reach the work. Circumstances will change and shift,
highest highs, you sometimes have to endure you may not always be as inspired or as free
the lowest lows. But, we come back, again or as wealthy or as healthy, but the work
and again. Put your trust in the ride and look remains and the work rewards. In our work
ahead. Do not gaze into the abyss. If you look we look forward, and away from the abyss.
down, you’ll go down. In our work we find beauty and value and
meaning and satisfaction. We carry it and are
If there is a lesson here, it is not to fear the
carried by it into life, into our relationships
abyss, but rather to trust and hope and to
and studies and interactions and decisions.
look ahead, especially in those times when it
Engage in it with vigor and passion and
gazes back into you. It’s never going away. It
honesty, and all that you will put into it you
is always there if you look for it.
will get back and more. Forget the abyss.
Put another way, though, when life bears It will be there no matter what you do. Look
down and hopelessness beckons, it may ahead. Don’t look down. Create. Live.
really just be that you are looking in the wrong

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About the Author

I am a professional artist, author, photographer,
educator and public speaker. I believe that the practice
of creative pursuits manifests not only in the making
of art, but also has the ability to transform and enrich
life, facilitate meaningful and rewarding experiences,
and foster contentment and satisfaction through life-
long discovery and adventure.
I wish to create images that speak to my intimate

connection with the still-wild places of the American
West, hoping to express a deep familiarity that
transcends momentary glimpses of superficial beauty.
My images are the result of a lasting and complex
relationship with these lands that evolved over many
years, through times of bliss and conflict, love and
loss, personal transformations and life changes – a
relationship as intricate as any I have had with another
human being.
Rather than pursue impressive feats of land and light

I seek instead to convey the quiet reverence and
gratitude for the way these places inspired and shaped my life and became my home. To do so,
I must separate my own stories from those already inherent in the subjects, avoid the obvious
and distill those qualities that are just aesthetically beautiful or interesting in their own right,
but that are personally meaningful to me, the things I could only discover through personal
knowledge and feeling and experience. The things I photograph are not just attractive models
to me, they are friends and sanctuaries and characters in my own story.
I do not consider myself a photographer who creates art, but rather an artist working in the
medium of photography.
My work was featured in various publications including LensWork Magazine, Outdoor

Photographer Magazine, Popular Photography Magazine, Digital Photographer, Landscape
Photography Magazine, PhotoLife, On Landscape, and others.
For more of my work and writings, please visit my web site: guytal.com.

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More Than A Rock Guy Tal

More Than A Rock

Lovingly dedicated to my mother, Sara.

Copyright © 2014 Guy Tal

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected under

Any unauthorized copy, reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part

My work is my livelihood and my calling. I try to price it fairly so it is accessible to everyone. It

I very much appreciate your support of my work.

The representational image shows a rock,

The Things Themselves

To be sure, I am tired of the rampant self-

I hold the purpose of art to be as described

Driving Ms. Camera

be considered creativeart requires that it story – a line separating creation from

There’s a distinct line between re-capturing

The Phase of No Emotion

The irony is that in a workshop setting, it is suggest to a budding photographer. While I

Lie Like You Mean It

Then there are those who lie about lying; those

The art of photography is not in successfully

Art and Rebellion

be beautiful in their own right. If it is to be purposeless pursuit of trophies (let alone

I want others to have what I have, to know

In my work, I wish to reflect something of The source of my inspiration may be inherent

The Case for Landscape

no artist, there is no art. or a more complex narrative. Simply put,

objective measure of quality. Instead, it is although plausible at first blush, can be

Photography as Fine Art Whereas the laying of brush strokes on

The Medium is not The

of prejudice. with the contemporary art elite has an implicit

Art for People’s Sake

Consumption of art is not a passive endeavor,

To claim that art should have no value outside

The Important Thing

What Makes an Artist

So, at the risk of more backlash, I think that

Understanding the implications and sacrifices

The Mythical Personal Style

This would, of course, require that the artist

Mimicry is not a bad thing in itself and is

Where Credit is Due

I long for the day when photographers show

Finding the Needle

food. There may be an obvious loaf of bread others.

Learn the Language Artists of the past relied on the experience

the tradition of apprenticeship is largely lost. attention can be reassigned elsewhere.

Projects and Explorations

If you’ve ever wondered what it feels like to

Without good teachers and hungry students,

–Wynn Bullock Visualization – the ability to see in the “mind’s

Composition Means Nothing

Composition is the grammar of the visual

The Missing Dimensions

The missing dimensions are not missing at

Film director Federico Fellini expressed what,

Breadth and Depth

The Velvet Handcuffs of

In The Blink Of A Lifetime

So many work to satisfy others, to mimic

daytime and laughing around the campfire take for granted.

Early Spring Meanders

Table of Contents 100

Table of Contents 101