The camera sees more than the eye, so why not make use of it?
Edward WestonRead
I see my finished platinum print (in the viewfinder) in all its desired qualities, before my exposure.
Interpretation
The quote reflects the importance of envisioning the final outcome before starting a creative process.
Edward Weston's quote emphasizes the significance of having a clear vision of the desired result before undertaking a task, particularly in photography and art. By visualizing the finished product, the artist can make informed decisions during the creation process and guide their efforts toward achieving that vision, highlighting the interplay between imagination and execution in the artistic journey.
In practice
In an art class, to encourage students to visualize their projects: 'As Edward Weston said, you must see your finished work before you start.'
The camera sees more than the eye, so why not make use of it?
The photograph isolates and perpetuates a moment of time: an important and revealing moment, or an unimportant and meaningless one, depending upon the photographer's understanding of his subject and mastery of his process.
Why limit yourself to what your eyes see when you have an opportunity to extend your vision?
Consulting the rules of composition before taking a photograph, is like consulting the laws of gravity before going for a walk.
I start with no preconceived idea - discovery excites me to focus - then rediscovery through the lens - final form of presentation seen on ground glass, the finished print previsioned completely in every detail of texture, movement, proportion, before exposure - the shutter's release automatically and finally fixes my conception, allowing no after manipulation - the ultimate end, the print, is but a duplication of all that I saw and felt through my camera.
People who wouldn't think of taking a sieve to the well to draw water fail to see the folly in taking a camera to make a painting.
I'm a much better filmmaker than painter. But studying it did make me visually acute and taught me lessons like being economic: Say something once and you don't have to say it again.
A person sets out to write a poem for a variety of reasons: to win the heart of his beloved; to express his attitude toward the reality surrounding him, be it a landscape or a state; to capture his state of mind at a given instant; to leave - as he thinks at that moment - a trace on the earth.
The painter makes real to others his innermost feelings about all that he cares for. A secret becomes known to everyone who views the picture through the intensity with which it is felt.
I never paid attention to what was contemporary or what was commercial, it didn't mean anything to me.
The slightest thing can ruin a scene, but you must be willing to take chances.
I've always been interested in photographs, collecting them not systematically but randomly. They get lost, then turn up again.
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