Deadpan Photography by: Gord Barker

      When did mediocrity become an acceptable standard for creative work? It seems that many practitioners of the craft of photography are almost afraid to achieve any degree of accomplishment in their work.

    Admittedly, that rhetoric is a harsh way to begin a blog post about photography and the creative experience. Furthermore, in making statements like that, I realize that I'm opening myself up to strong critique of my own work. I mean, who am I to say what is good or bad in the field of creative imaging?

    This diatribe came about after watching a YouTube video about "Deadpan Photography." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0W1dmfG699w&t=12s  Up until I watched that video, I had never heard of deadpan photography. I had no idea that it existed as a genre or style in the craft. Now that I'm aware that a style name has been given to boring low contrast images made with flat lighting and questionable composition, I will try that much harder to eschew that style in my own photography. For myself, I like images that pop with a richness of colour or strong monochromatic contrast. Let the image be strong enough to tell a story, evoke a mood or trigger an emotional response. 

    How do you become better at photography? The answer is simple. Strive to create powerful and / or interesting images at a standard greater than the level you currently occupy. Nothing more, nothing less. 

    But please don't try to make flat, boring images visually successful by simply applying a term like "deadpan photography." Ultimately, you're not fooling anyone. 

          ... more later 

   

    

February

         It's the second to last Saturday of the month and I'm sitting at a counter at Detour Coffee in Wincey Mills in Paris. I'm having an Americano and trying to think of an idea for this blog post. I tried to take a picture through the window that is in front of me but found that the memory card in my Fuji X-E3 is filled up. Hardly surprising. The X-E3 is one of the two cameras I took to Spain in the spring of last year. I took a lot of pictures in Spain. Considering the cold grey weather we're having, I wish that I could be there again. I fell in love with that country! 

    No worries. I've got a new SD card in my camera bag. I change out the cards and take a few shots through the window. Back to the matter at hand.                                                           

   

        My son brought up an interesting point in regards to artistic discussion. All of the philosophical rhetoric regarding the artistic experience is null and void if you don't have a reasonably solid body of work or if you're not in the process of creating that body of work. Within the photographic community there are a quite a number people who talk a good game but ultimately fail to deliver. Some people are too busy being photographers to create good photographs! I know that sometimes I'm guilty of it.

     In my opinion, if I am going to make a good, or at least interesting photograph of something I have be, at least to some degree, in awe of it. The subject has to have some visual value or I have to provide that value in the way that I photograph it. Often, it's a combination of those two aspects of image making that result in the creation of a picture. Sorry folks. As a photographer, sometimes ya gotta work for it!

    When I'm at the top of my game making photographs, there are a lot of facets of the craft, that ultimately go into making the image. My skills, experience, vision, choice of equipment, knowledge of the controls of said equipment, training, tips and tricks that I've picked up along the way. All are concentrated into a simple squeeze of the shutter button. Hopefully it results in the creation of an image that is pleasing or at least visually interesting both to me and those who look at and appreciate the pictures I create.

    Ultimately, it's the reason I loaded a fresh SD card into my camera. It's the excitement of putting all I've got in this craft at any given moment into the press of a shutter button.  That's the joy and the challenge of it. It's what keeps me going. 

    Even on a grey winter day in February.

    ...more later 

    

    

    

     

     

     

    

Year Ahead Plans

     So the month is almost over. Is it too late to wish everyone a Happy New Year? I really don't know the protocol on that. What the hell! Happy New Year anyway!

    This first month of the year has been kind of a drag. It seems like all we've gotten so far is endless days of grey cold weather or, if it does warm up a bit, it's raining. Not exactly inspiring weather  to grab a camera and enjoy outdoor photographic pursuits.

    However, there have been some good things happening. A new year is a good time to take stock of my photographic life. I don't really make New Year's resolutions, but that doesn't mean that I don't have some  plans for the year ahead. 

 

    With my son, Greg, purchasing his first serious camera last year, we have plans in the works for a father and son photo exhibit coming up in May. Details to follow closer to the actual date.  We also have plans in the works for a collaborative  short video production. Storyboards and screenplays are currently being developed. 

    For myself, I hope to create a long overdue website as well as expand into some previously untapped opportunities for continuing to get my pictures out there. 

    So prospects for the coming year promise to be interesting if nothing else. Stay tuned this could be kinda cool! 

...more later