Now we all know that Jimi had many things right. I mean a generation of people learned a new and brilliant way of thinking. Well, Jimi said one thing that I find as an untruth. “….ain’t no life nowhere….”. Well, here in Philly with Andre’ the Fuji X100s, if you look around “….there’s life everywhere….”.
When I was younger and had more innocence, hmmmmmm well innocence for sure, I would see the world as interesting place photographically. I adopted a premise for my work while in VietNam. See, I was surrounded by life of all forms but in a fraction of a second, the world was transformed to a place where nightmares are real and not dreams, friends I talked with and ate with and smokes with were no longer a part of this world and now they would be memories that would haunt me to my elderly age and still live inside my soul and mind.
The point of this is, that as many are taught to “See as if seeing for the first time”. There’s such a beautiful innocence in that statement and method of working, seeing.
I envy those that can live in a world like that and make photos.
For me it’s a different approach. I have no choice in how I work. I don’t want a choice either. I am doing everything wrong in my work and because of that, I am doing everything right in my work. I don’t ask opinions about my work and I don’t want or need them either. This work is my death, not yours.
For me, I works as if…”seeing something for the last time….”.
What’s the Fuji X100s have to do with all this? Think about it and then come back and continue reading. If I feel this way about my work, I need a camera that feels that way to. Ok, so the camera might not feel but it should let me feel, right. Well, that’s what Andre’ the Fuji X100s has to do with this. Andre’ lets me experience and photograph life as if I will never see the subject again. Try as hard as you will, you will never see the subject the exact same as you do right now. All things change in the blink of an eye or the beat of a heart.
Sound like sentimental bullshit. Ok, go look at photos of you family that passed on. I’ll wait for a min……………………………………………….. C’mon, dry the tears, we all have that emotional feeling for the lost moment. We all lost friends, family, pets, everything we get attached to or not attached to.
The assumption of seeing for the first time means that we can be arrogant enough in our work to think we have a power that if we blow the photo this first time, we can always get another later, better and more important… yeah, it’ll be better next time around.
I wish I had THE LORD tell me that my time is going to run for many, many decades and all be healthy years. I could go thru life not worrying about anything, not paying attention to anything around me and then the process of making photos would be different.
I do pray every night. I don’t pray for more time, more money, isn’t that being selfish? My prayers are my business but the point again is, I never got those messages from THE LORD or anyone else for that matter. So I figure that my time on the planet will run out someday I know this, I am ready but not yet. Doesn’t it make sense for me to make photos that are kinda like memories.?
So, If I photograph as if I’m seeing something for the last time, then when I look at the photos, they will have almost a private loneliness about them. lonely becaue I miss that moment right now and I will always miss that moment.
I wonder if that moment will miss me?
So I decided this summer I would just make photos because I can and because I want to. That’s what I’m doing and I’m doing most with my FujiX100s because that camera is a gas to work with. This of course doesn’t mean I can get away with bullshit because I can’t. I won’t let myself anyway. I will let myself work in a manner that pleases my soul and my heart.
Sometimes I wish I was the shooter that hated the camera being used. I mean, “this damn Leica, Nikon, Canon, Olympus camera never does what it’s supposed to do. I can’t get a shot right with this crappy camera.
Man o’ man.. lucky to be that shooter.
See, if I’m having problems out there finding my photos, it’s not the FujiX 100s at fault, it’s my fault. So I can’t blame anyone or anything but myself. I do that a lot too, ask my VA Shrink.
I’ll be back tomorrow my friends.
Love hour way of writing. IM a fan…… (and the photos too 🙂 )
…and I love the way you read my friend. There’s not many with an eye like yours…. much appreciated around here… don
Winter is comming (well, again).
Yeah Winter is around the corner. It’s a big corner mind you but it’s there. Actually, I do well in winter…. hopefully you will too.
Thanks for commenting…. don
Thanks, Don.
Thank You Tommi, your a friend more than anything else…
I´m glad to hear that, Don. You are too. And I hope you see me as a somewhat decent photographer, too.
Tommi, you know I have the deepest respect for you and your work….
Now, everyone else knows it too….. don
I know you do, Don, and it brings me great joy and pride, only my understanding of English isn´t always so good … Thanks, buddy.
ahhh Tommi… English is supposed to me my Native Language but I still don’t use it to well….hehe
“For me, I works as if…”seeing something for the last time….”. Powerful statement, I know what you mean, a loneliness, a melancholy and still a drive to shoot and process what you feel.
thank you
Thanks Lynn… I know you understand…..
Best. Post. Ever. Thank you Don! And damn fine photos too.
WOW! That’s a heck of a comment…. how do I keep stride with this? I’ll try, thanks for the post and energy…. don
Amen!
Thanks Dan….. I know you get it…..
Hi Don nice work
Thanks Dick… never got more stuff from you…. let me know…. don
the rambler who opened a window to his soul…….
let’s us see for the last time through his eyes……
true life.
Peace my friend
Hmmmm, been trying to find that rambler for decades… thanks my friend, nice comment.
That was hard to read at 4 am when my camera had been lying in is bag for so long. I read a little piece a few days ago by a young man who is far wiser than me. He reminded me to live with “intent”. To really experience every thing I do not just do it. Really look at things, tast each mouthful of food, even focus on the act of peeing. Your message is so much clearer to this 58 year old.
Maybe I also need to be honest about why I find excuses to leave my GX1 at home when the battered beast went every where with me.
Thank you Don
Stephen. What your dealing with is a concept of being in the here and now. Intent is most important in anything one does. In photography, intent without the triad to support it means nothing. So, I practice and teach the triad with intent in the center.
Visualize a circle divided into 3 sections. It’s like a pie in thirds. Put Intent in the very center so that all 3 dividing lines intersect it. Then in each section, each one of three… put Eye in one, Heart in one and Mind in the last.
In order to have complete intent fulfilled, all three sections must be present to realize the intent. If only one or two sections is present, you could still have a great photo but it will appear as if something’s missing…..
Be blessed my friend….
don
I liked the photos and I enjoyed the writting!
And the imprint that was left in my soul was not “…he loves 100s like me…” neither “…he takes some really good shots… (which he does!) but “…Don is a good man…”! And that’s what this all Is about!
Thanks for this…. I’d like to think I make a strong effort to be a good man…. not sure I succeed tho’….
Hey Don: have you tried either of the X100s lens adapters to provide 28 and 50mm fields of view? They do add size, but I hear that they’re really light weight and good quality. Of course, 35mm could last some people a career. But having the option is nice. I know that you’re extra weight conscious now, so wondering what you thought of these. Thanks!
Douglas, I had the 28mm adapter for my X100 but didn’t like it. Size is an issue. Besides I have the X20 and GRD4 both with 28mm if I need it and using a different camera for a change of FOV also invites a change of thinking that I find refreshing.
No sentimental bullshit here, no sir. The more I read this blog, the more respect I feel for you as a photographer, as a writer/thinker, and as a human being. For what is worth.
Regards
Thanks Jordi. I gotta tell ya that I’m just being me and writing like I do. It’s all from the heart and obviously you get that.
Have a good one or more.
Don