>>>Why would you ever photograph with another photographer?<<<
My son-in-law is a photographer and one of the most fun times I've had was when we went shooting uptown together (dragging along my son, daughter, and another close friend). One other time we went shooting together (we did split ways) and I had real fun, though those are probably the only times ever I've done that. I'll say, we do work (or is it play?) quietly. I think it's just rude to interject too much when one is busy creating.
I've been thinking about this topic since it was posted. I usually prefer to photograph alone, but when others are involved, who they are, and how many there are is critical. I've had excellent outings shooting with my wife, and with one or several other people, but what's made then happy occasions is that they've always been alone-together experiences where others respected the autonomy of seeing and making the exposure. OTOH, I can't even imagine tolerating the kind of stereotypical 'photo tour' that has a mass of folks pointing their auto-everything SLRs at the same subject and firing away like a gaggle of paparazzi.
... OTOH, I can't even imagine tolerating the kind of stereotypical 'photo tour' that has a mass of folks pointing their auto-everything SLRs at the same subject and firing away like a gaggle of paparazzi.
That's the limit for me. I don't mind other like minded folks shooting along with me but the above reminds me a of a recent incident in the Grand Teton NP. I had set up my LF equipment on top of Signal mountain well before sunrise. As I waited in the quiet air for first light on the Teton range, a 15 passenger van showed up full of DSLR shooters. It was a Nikonian tour and it turns out there were three such vans in the park that day. They set up all around me jabbering away about digi this and hyperfocal that. They then all pulled out their sunrise colored graduated filters and proceeded to make fake sunrise shots as the light began to hit the mountains. Talk about a disappointing morning.
Like Jean-Loup Sieff, a well-known French photographer, who unfortunately passed away a few years ago, said: 'Photography is like onany, solitary'
But there is something worse than to be in company of an other photograher: to be accompanied by a non-photographer: "Why are you photographing that stupid roch, and not that wonderfull sunset?". Argh...
I have found I prefer photographing alone, most of the time. I feel I make my best pictures when I am in my own psychological space, and that is something hard to achieve with other people around. Sometimes being out with other photographers give me a little performance anxiety . . . they know what was there, and they are going to see the result, and I just can't take that kind of pressure . . . jk. Most of the time when I am out with other photographers, I want to just shoot the bull and not really do any work.
But, in general, I would prefer to be on a road trip with someone who is a photographer than who is not. With photographers, there is a common understanding of what it is that makes us set up the camera, no matter how ridiculous.
Lately I've been combining trips visiting my parents with photographing. They are always very understanding while I take forever, moving two inches in one direction or another, or waiting for the wind to stop blowing, or my wanting to get out and look every five minutes. They read, pick up cans and bottles, collect rocks, make me sandwiches . . .
Girlfriends are another issue though. I will never go out with a camera and girlfriend . . . made that mistake too many times.
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". . . photographing as a two-way act of respect. Respect for the medium and letting it do what it does best- describe. And respect for the subject in describing it as it is. A photograph must be responsible to both."-- Garry Winogrand
I've found the best success when shooting in a group is when we all have a pre-agreed upon subject or group of subjects in a single location. Then we can all work around the same subject and we tend to feed off each other's creative vibes. What doesn't work is cruising around together looking for something, because invariably the one driving the car has a different interest than the one(s) in the passenger seat, and either the driver gets forced to stop for something they aren't up for, or the passengers get stiffed out of shooting something because the driver won't stop.
I almost always go on photographic excursions with another photographer. I do this for two reasons, 1)safety - in case one of us has an accident or we are in a dangerous area, and 2) we feed off each others ideas.
This said, once on location we generally are some distance apart, up to perhaps a mile, so that we are working independently, but once again share ideas when we are back together.
Obviously I am selective as to whom I choose to go with.
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[FONT=Comic Sans MS]Films NOT Dead - Just resting[/FONT]
... The guys says, "Aren't you going to include the part on the left?". I look. He was right. Argggg. I couldn't shoot it. It'd no longer be "my" photo, mistake or not. The very fact that he was there had distracted me .. and now he was pointing out the error of that very distraction. Maddening.
Worse-than-worse? When you're out with a photog-bud, scouting for things to shoot ... you see something and compose on it .... then, so does he (or she). Arrrgggh.
Truth be told, I almost wish I could post this anonymously. I feel a bit ashamed to have this attitude. Some might say I'm over-sensitive. But, damn it, creativity is a fragile thing. If a shot is bad, I accept the criticism. However, if it's good, I want full credit! Am I alone in this sentiment?
Not alone Christopher. To me, creativity is Me testing Me and immense aloneness is required. Anyone else gets into the act, the image is not Mine to be ashamed of, or proud of.
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