ipernity

looking at my pics i'm wondering if it's not a too huge "mixed pixels" dish i'm serving. then i'm seeing streams of others. not all, but lots are speaking one language of their own and often in a very elaborate and fascinating way. so what's better: finding one language and sticking to it and like that become a master ( but a limitated one ) or sticking ones nose curiously in every pot trying to express yourself in different, maybe new ways ?

first way, the specialist universal : is mainly working on a limited or concentrated area ( for example only nature or humans photography, still lifes etc ) or his pics have a certain kind of atmosphere ( f.e. either romantic soft or striking colourful etc ). like that the photographer is able to deepen his knowledge and skills.

second way, the universal specialist : he's able to use a bigger variaty in order to express himself ( different topics like portraits, stills, landscape etc ) and / or different atmospheres he's using. on the other hand he normaly can't reach the depth of the specialist .

which way are you following ?

ps: i'm not talking about the genius people amongst us :)

pps: sorry i'm too lazy to translate the whole text into french and german. hope you can understand, if not you can maybe use a translation program • sorry, je suis trop paresseuse pour traduire le text en francais. j'espères que vous comprenez ou peut être utilisez un program de traduire • sorry, bin zu träge den ganzen text ins deutsche zu übersetzen. ich hoffe, ihr versteht ihn oder benutzt ein übersetzungsprogramm

15 comments

2 said:

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12 years ago

mo | replied to :

not even in my profession as a graphic designer i'm able to limit myself to just one area ( i'm working in ), just one language etc. i wouldn't want to always make brochures for shoes or book covers for the rest of my days... so i'm hopping from corporate design, to illustration, to whatever mainly in print...
btw. your expression "whenever something whispers to me *take a picture*" is brilliant and i'll make it to one of my mottos, if it's ok with you !!!

17 years ago

limone said:

I end up taking mostly pictures of flowers, but that's just because they don't run away or complain or have to sign a model release before publishing. And, of course, they are just beautiful and I love flower pictures. I think most pros specialize on one subject or at least put the emphasis on one subject. However, I'm not a pro, so I just take pictures of anything that grabs my attention and stands still long enough to get into the frame.

I think the personality of a good photographer comes through in any picture regardless of the subject - and I think your pictures do have individual character.

mo | replied to limone:

think most pros specialize simply because it makes it easier for the customer to choose. the one who made good pics of strawberries will come up with the same quality next time... or - oooh, if you're the daring customer - he will make a good pic of bananas too :)
i like your reason to select flowers as a topic ! did you ever think about taking pics of stills ( they don't run away either ), or stones or... :)
btw. thanx for seeing the individual pixels in my soup ö_=

long live your "coolpix", ombre ! no seriously, think you have a tufu-language. all your fantasmo / collage / found still live pics, they are very tufu-zonk-stylish :)
and i'm glad they found their way to this part of the universe

if i knew how do get to a satisfying compromise or how i could continue on different areas with different techniques on a really high level, i would feel happier and more self confident on what i'm doing and where my way is leading me to. i'm for sure not the person who can be satisfied with only one topic over and over again... yes this becomes boring no matter how brilliant it is. no one would like to eat only caviar (iiik, me doesn't like at all) all the time...

limone replied to :

hmmm... I think this depends on the subjective view of the viewer. As I viewer I prefer mixed streams which show an insight into the life of the photographer - that was the original intent of fotolog sites: creating a visual diary, with one image a day, like a weblog, but with the means of imagery. Of course it can be used as a showcase too, but that's not the main focus in social networks, and ipernity is a social network, just with the emphasis on photography.

What bores me is to see dozens of shots of the same subject, like the usual "family album shots" where the photographer didn't filter out the really interesting stuff, generally I enjoy variety in a photostream.

the universalist approach - as you call it - doesn't mean you're taking pics of whatever comes your way, whenever, with whatever technique comes to your mind. a good universalist is aware of what he's doing and seeing. he also selects the pics he's showing as being interesting, technically good or even better, important for oneself or expressing exactly what the photographer had in mind etc.
i second your opinion of boring allover streams if there isn't any selection and a at least minimum of quality. but it's the same for the only one way walkers, this becomes boring too. so here we come full circle...

yes, sometimes I take pics of stills and stones too, and of course of my meals. when I was younger, I would take more pictures of architecture, but now I'm more fascinated by living things, like plants - or cute furry animals of course. or teddybears. or teddybears that look like bananas. ;-)

no your comment isn't cryptic at all, jorge . it's very understandable and nice. you're right, one has to continue doing it (taking pics, drawing etc) - again and again.
about what i have to "say": there are different things i'd like to "say", depending on what i'm going through, on my feelings, thoughts and the experiences i'm making etc. there are different favorite words, like there are different languages i love

another great motto ! thanks :)
i'll add it to my "wise words" collection - wirklich gefällt mir sehr.

quest for the best... yep ! i'm with you.

thanks gabi... yes, i'm trying to express what's going on inside of me, quite different sometimes contradictory feelings. but there are people out here doing that too, still you can recognize their handwriting. i sometimes doubt there's one in my stream.

in my opinion your pics have a language of their own – one i love. i can see differences in the chosen topics but the visual language is a recognizable one. maybe it's due to the atmosphere, the weather and the nature of norway. what i see are the more poetical and not very coloured pics.

oui... je suis lazy - tu vois j'ai eu besoin d'un mois pour te repondre - hooo !
t'as raison lill' big photographer et + .. il y sont encore beaucoup de choses belles
que nous pouvons voir et photographier. bien sur c'est comme ça - ou " what a luck
that it's like that.. encore "
mais est il pas mieux d'avoir un langue visuell et une concentration on certain topics ?
toi, tu as un langue visuell qu'on peut reconnaître ... while i jump around sticking
my nose in all kind of corners and places
o_O
kind of corners and places

17 years ago ( translate )

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