Posted by Robert Fisher on November 13, 2008 at 10:17 AM
I just took a cruise over to the Photo Art & Series Gallery and was really interested to see the number of impressionistic photos posted there. I've been doing these kinds of photos for several years and until recently it was hard to find others doing them. There've been a couple articles recently in Outdoor Photographer about these techniques; one by William Neil and the other by DeWitt Jones. Neil has a new book out made up entirely of impressionistic photos, in fact.
I'm wondering when people started taking up this style of photography. For those who do it, how long have you been doing it? What got you started doing it? How are you learning/developing your techniques?
Hi, Robert–
Yes, it is interesting that impressionistic photos are catching on. I've been shooting this way for many years, largely because my eyesight is impaired and makes it difficult for me to do the grand landscape, wide angle type of shots. Critiques that came my way were anything but encouraging and spoke of my images as "mistakes" -- focus is soft, need to learn hyperfocal distance, and on and on. These critiques eventually helped me to refine my shots according to the "usual" rules of composition. I work on technique by practicing and experimenting and studying people's work as well as taking workshops. It's a fun adventure and much more gratifying now that the challenge and creativity involved is being recognized and enjoyed by others– photographers and consumers.
Btw, the Flora forum is great for seeing this technique, too. How did you get started with impressionism?
Robert:
Thanks for pointing this out. I, for one, have not previously visited that area. However, I must say it is well worth keeping tabs on.
Thanks again,
Don
Posted by Robert Fisher on November 13, 2008 at 5:47 PM
Thanks Catherine. I'll check that out too. I got started with impressionistic photography several years ago after a friend showed me a book he got for Christmas called "Photo-Impressionism and the Subjective Image" by Freeman Patterson and Andre Gallant; two Canadian photographers. Not sure when that book first came out, but probably 7, 8, 9 years ago. I started doing them with film. Then when I got my first DSLR a little over a year ago (I'm slow) I started trying to figure out how to do them digitally. I started with multiple exposures and combining them, then I started playing with longer single exposures and camera movement.
Discussion
3 repliesI'm wondering when people started taking up this style of photography. For those who do it, how long have you been doing it? What got you started doing it? How are you learning/developing your techniques?
Thanks.
Yes, it is interesting that impressionistic photos are catching on. I've been shooting this way for many years, largely because my eyesight is impaired and makes it difficult for me to do the grand landscape, wide angle type of shots. Critiques that came my way were anything but encouraging and spoke of my images as "mistakes" -- focus is soft, need to learn hyperfocal distance, and on and on. These critiques eventually helped me to refine my shots according to the "usual" rules of composition. I work on technique by practicing and experimenting and studying people's work as well as taking workshops. It's a fun adventure and much more gratifying now that the challenge and creativity involved is being recognized and enjoyed by others– photographers and consumers.
Btw, the Flora forum is great for seeing this technique, too. How did you get started with impressionism?
Thanks for pointing this out. I, for one, have not previously visited that area. However, I must say it is well worth keeping tabs on.
Thanks again,
Don