jmxphoto
Can sloppy be a style?
by , 01-15-2009 at 12:20 PM (1295 Views)
I read somewhere here a quote that went something like "You can be a sloppy photographer, just as long as you're consistently sloppy."
Sometimes I feel like I live that. One example is that I just have a fundamental problem getting a horizon line level in the camera. I have spirit levels and they only seem to make things worse some how. I still try someteimes, but feel much more comfortable taking an "off balance" shot or a shot that simply doesn't need any balance than a symmetrical or level shot. Both appeal to me aesthetically, I'm just better at one than the other.
Another example is I have a hard time caring about temperature. Don't worry, I have no apirations in the areana of color processing or printing. I use all my chems at room temp, and it works. For water out of the tap if it doesn't feel warm or cold, it's just right. It's sloppy, but I'm more interested in seeing the print come up than waiting on a thermometer.
The quest for perfection is one I just don't have patience for. I like expired paper and film. I recently made prints on paper that expired in 1968 and to my semi-untrained eye, they look great with little age fog. I fight with my easels and can't ever seem to get perfect borders. I just keep going, doing what I can to address some issues, ignoring other. Someday I may "get there" and if I ever do I'll have left a trail of hopefully inspiring work in spite of it all.
Sometimes I feel alone in my sloppiness, but then I read this in the description of one of Simon Larbalesteir's clearance prints: "printed slanted on paper by error."
My name is James, I'm a sloppy photographer and I like it!
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