I was fortunate to see a bunch of good bands at the Atlantis Festival. I was struck by the amount of really good music coming from bands that I will likely never hear from again. With a few exceptions, all the bands had a level of technical competence when it comes to playing music and were pretty entertaining. So, why do they not make it? What do they lack to get them over the hump from a local band with a good following to a band that has a national or even worldwide audience? The bands that I really liked had a stage presence or aura that made you want to watch them until they were carried off the stage from exhaustion. In other words, the band has a personality that makes you want to watch and listen.
Photography is no different. There is no shortage of photographers out there doing great work, but lack the intangibles or aura to make them great photographers. Technical competence can be obtained or mastered. You can follow rules, learn how to use your camera or manipulate it in photoshop but that doesn't make someone say WOW! when they see your pictures. As photographers we need to find something that sets us apart to make people have an emotional reaction to our photography. If anyone knows where I can get some aura, let me know.
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3 comments:
Drive. 1% inspiration, 99% perspiration.
Or 1% inspiration, 99% moving furniture.
Take your pick.
You got that right Gordon. Thanks for the post. I was going to take this post into athletics as well. What is the difference between Norman Stadler and your local pro that wins all the local races? In this example, you have the intangibles of the mind but I am also guessing that a VO2 max test would show us some major differences. A bit more complicated.
Thanks.
I read your post again and realised something else. Maybe.
As photographers we need to find something that sets us apart to make people have an emotional reaction to our photography. If anyone knows where I can get some aura, let me know.
It's got to come from inside. You have to be putting something of your emotional response into the shot (not putting 'you' into the shot though) getting the ego out of the way and letting the emotion come through is tough.
Also, does it have to make someone say 'WOW!' ? Is that the only emotion we want to get from others, other photographers, etc ? Is 'hmm...' a bad thing in comparison ? :)
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