The camera sees more than the eye, so why not make use of it?
Edward WestonRead
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.
Interpretation
The quote reflects the process of artistic photography as a journey of discovery and expression.
Edward Weston emphasizes the importance of the creative process in photography, where the initial idea begins with a sense of discovery. This journey continues as the artist observes and captures the subject through their unique perspective, culminating in a final print that represents a faithful duplication of their vision and emotions, without any alterations post-capture.
In practice
This quote can be used in a photography workshop to inspire attendees about the creative process.
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.
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.
Photography to the amateur is recreation, to the professional it is work, and hard work too, no matter how pleasurable it my be.
Some of what I consider my best work, and some of the best films that I've ever worked on, kind of disappear without a trace. There's no accounting for it. Something connects, or something doesn't.
Publicity is like eating peanuts. Once you start you can’t stop.
If you set out to write an adjective novel, you're setting out to write a mediocre novel; your allegiance is to the adjective, not to the story, and then that just sucks all the joy right out of it.
After writing a novel, what is there to say? If a novelist could say it in a maxim, they wouldn't need 120,000 words, several years and sundry characters, plots and subplots, and so on. I'd much rather listen always.
Wrestling was like stand-up comedy for me. Every night I had a live audience of 25,000 people to win over. My goal was never to be the loudest or the craziest. It was to be the most entertaining.
It's important that a film is loud and I hope many people agree. You should be inside of a film when you go into a theater. It should surround you, envelope you, so you can live inside a dream.
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