Photophilosophy - Mental training #2

Be sure to read the Mental training #1 before continuing

You have something to say, but you can’t seem to do it.

So there’s a guy who takes a camera, looks around, “awwws” in excitement, presses a button, process the picture, prints the picture and… eeemmm… picture is dead. Dead, dull, boring… and it’s disgusting enough to share it with anyone. What now?

Advice number one: Forget about all those shiny books with “oh so smart” things about photography and promises to make you a professional in 20 easy steps, get up and go to the museum of visual or fine art.

In the museum, with your eyes out and a sponge-like brain – ABSORB… absorb the painters with all their compositions, lighting, framing, textures and colors. Until you get enlightened. After the painters got your nerve, just go home and walking, just look at all those disgusting things surrounding you with the eyes of those painters, with their color and lighting. You should do it at least 3 times a week, 2 hours in the morning, day by day lowering your dose. Imitate those painters in your photography. It will look nothing like fine art, but practice will make it better, that’s for sure.

(c) Lyapin translated by Serge Nanovsky