Today's blog post about Rodney Smith's photo book, The End, concludes a week of thoughts about black-and-white versus color photography. Obviously, one medium is not superior to the other. But it's interesting to speak with photographers who have devoted their lives to one medium — and won't touch the other.
To end the week, here's some fodder for thought from Smith's blog — in an entry about this hay bale photo:
(Rodney Smith)
If you were to stand right beside me and use the same camera, you would not take this same picture. It probably would look quite different ... This is what makes each person's photographs unique. It is your take on the world, and is special only to you. This gift is not something to be taken lightly or ignored.
It is why I know more about you when I look at your pictures than I know about the subject. I can look deep into your being, know your vulnerabilities, whether you wish to acknowledge them or not. I can feel your perspective, your orientation, and your feelings. Isn't it funny how life sometimes feels backwards? I look at your pictures and I see you in them, with a greater clarity than I see your subject.
The weird thing is — weeks before I'd ever even heard of Smith, my friend Becky and I stood side by side and took the same picture. One in digital color, one in analog monochrome. We were looking at the same world, but in different ways.
(Becky Lettenberger)
(Yours Truly)
Have a nice weekend!
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