tim on photography

the negative is comparable to the composer’s score and the print to its performance. each performance differs in subtle ways. (ansel adams)

photography and me

i saw an ansel adams exhibit not too long ago at boston’s mfa, but first saw the above quote at a tiny, temporary exhibit in the basement of the art institute of chicago a couple of years ago. The exhibit, from darkroom to digital, really grabbed my attention and affected my thinking about photography.

i edit my raw images a lot on the computer (not major photoshopping, but framing and color fixes). This comes less from ansel adams’ philosophy than my inability to see well what I am shooting. my ‘negatives’ are rarely that good, becaus of my vision, but a little straightening, cropping and other minor adjustments occasionally uncover a gem.

to sate the technologically curious, until last fall i used an older sony point-and-shoot, then processed a bit in picasa with a widescreen monitor. i have upgraded to a nikon d40x with a couple of inexpensive lenses and also to adobe lightroom. I have no formal training whatsoever in photography, but have learned much from friends (dave c. especially), flickr and the occasional book.

my eyesight and me

FYI, I am legally blind, having been born with startgardt disease, a form of juvenile macular degeneration, which has affected the shape of my life in some strange ways. since i still have sight (20/200), i have been able to explore one of my newer hobbies, photography. i am intrigued by how my pictures must reflect my vision (or lack thereof) and would love to discuss this with others.