Frame of Mind and Photography

[jhelmphotography.com]

I propped my subject on the table, set my lights, picked my point of view, took a reading and shot away. But was I missing something? I didn't sit there and say, "oh I want this image to portray... blah, blah, blah" or "this pic will make people feel... whatever!" My questions is?

Do you shoot with a particular feeling in mind?


Jerry Uelsmann shot his famous calendar black and white montages with the understanding that people generally have a different mindsets when they view a photograph. Your vision may be completely different than your best friend, and when you are upset about something, your view may be different than when you were happy a few hours before. So why shoot with a particular "feeling" in mind? The prospect art buyer or viewer will not have your same viewpoint, so why bother shooting with your "feelings" in mind, and wait to see what the public's reaction will be. Feed off of that.

The image below could be see as "life beginnings", it could be seen as "evolution", but to some... it could just be a flower in an egg, surrounded by other eggs creating a dynamic sense of form and light.

http://www.jhelmphotography.com/gallery/photos/eggs.jpg

So how do you shoot? And do you agree that it doesn't matter how you feel before you create. Or do you actually need a feeling in mind to be able to create the image for others to portray as something completely
different than the original approach?
A tangled web I weave.
--

[GPR1]

So much of my photography is motivated by an unconscious driver: I see an object or a scene and am moved by its appearance, but not in mindful way. I find my photographs improve when I stop and say, "Why was I attracted to this?" Then I work from there. I don't necessarily have a theme I'm trying to portray, even when I'm very intentional about my photography. I do, however, often have a mood or emotion in mind.

Just what moves me.

[John_T]

Hmmm... I can only say this. I am the only one who can truly be me, and by the same token trying to be anything else will fail or be mediocre at best.

First something must come out of my gut, heart or inspiration before my mind is engaged to do something with it. There is no feeling in mind. My mind is a bio computer assistant to help realize something that arose elswhere. If something only arises in my head and is only carried out through intellect, it will be empty of life and out of touch with reality.

If I do something to satisfy something in me, it might turn out to be art. If I do something for a buck, I don't try to convince myself or somebody else it is art.

If your daisy and eggs were truly an expression of you, you wouldn't be asking this question. Your answer is somewhere within you. Just allow it to arise and don't think about it.