Analogue

I like digital photography.

A lot.

My photography has improved significantly in terms of quality of the print, the way the pictures can be used, shared etc.
However, it has not changed the way that I make pictures. I still try to get it right in camera, avoiding a lot of post production work.
Though I am technophile, I realise that I am not very happy doing this digital work. I love to print and finally hold the print in my hands (see it, touch it, feel it). I live to frame it and could not stop staring at it on the wall. But the digital work …

I use a digital calendar. I love this.

A lot.

It makes my life so much easier. I can use and synchronise it through all of my devices. And yet – I always have the feeling that a paper based calendar would fit me better. I love touching the paper. I love writing with a pen. And I have a better feeling about what the week will be about. It gives me pleasure to use it, touch it, feel it. I like using my hands to write, every letter a little bit different, the lines forming a peace of artwork.

I read on iBook. And the digital magazines. I like this.

A lot.

It saves me space, time and money. I do not have to carry around a lot of weight. The books are always with me, I could read wherever I want, whenever I want.
But – touching a book, holding it in the hands, reading printed words, skimming through the paper, being surprised by good typography and new font types … feeling the paper – that is a different experience that the iPad will never give me.

So, I am analogue.

Perspectives

Whenever we make photographs, one of the most influential ways to improve the picture is to choose the right perspective. To choose the best point of view, the best distance, the right angle to allow the scenery to unfold it’s beauty. Perspective however has nothing to do with the tools you are using. Perspective is strictly and straightforward the point of view that you choose. No lens, camera, tripod or filter can help you in finding the right perspective. Isn’t it astonishing and at the same time beautiful that with photography and life, it is all the same: no fancy thing or tool or gadget or advice will help you a lot to get the most of your life (or the scenery), it is always you choosing the right perspective.

Detail Work

It is not always the big landscape that makes interesting pictures. Sometimes nature surprises with a lot of beauty in the details of plants, stones or small objects you may find on a beach.
I came across this tree during a hike on the deep ravine trail near Stinson beach, CA. The light was low, so I had to push the ISO up. Best thing I would have needed in this situation was a tripod.


 

Gear is good. Vision is better. – David du Chemin