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.
If I'm honest I have to tell you I still read fairy-tales and I like them best of all.
Life and people are complex. A writer as an artist doesn't have the personality of a politician. We don't see the world that simply.
To work magic is to weave the unseen forces into form; to soar beyond sight; to explore the uncharted dream realm of the hidden reality; to infuse life with color, motion and strange scents that intoxicate; to leap beyond imagination into that space between the worlds where fantasy becomes real; to be at once animal and god. Magic is...the ultimate adventure.
I think the experience of going to a theater and seeing a movie with a lot of people is still part of the transformational power of the film, and it's equivalent to the old shaman telling a story by the campfire to a bunch of people.
I'm not an actor because I want my picture taken. I'm an actor because I want to be part of the human exchange.
If typography is calling attention to itself, it's taking that attention away from what the words are saying.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.