Gordon Lewis's Shutterfinger

Stumbled upon a cool photography blog while searching for Portra 160 reviews: Gordon Lewis's Shutterfinger.


What I appreciate most about it is what he says in this post:

The fact is that photography for me is often a struggle, the most constant of which is finding the time to practice it. I'm paid to write, you see, not to take pictures. During my "free" time I'm expected to be a good husband and father, not wandering the streets of Philadelphia taking pictures of perfect strangers for no reason other than my own personal gratification.

It speaks, I think, to all of us who are 'normal' people, living normal lives with jobs and families to take care of, and not professional photographers who live, eat and breathe photographs.

I love how he ends the post:

Nothing ever goes exactly as you had hoped or planned [...] you're going to miss shots. On the other hand, there will be times when the gods are smiling down on you, the fates align in your favor, and you capture a once-in-a-lifetime shot you would never have imagined and could never have planned. That's the fun of it all, you see. And that's why I keep at. Because one of these days I'll get it right.

One of these days I'll get it right!


In another post here, he talks about the importance of paying attention.

He says (and I quote):

1. Study the masters, especially those whose work interests you most. Let them open your eyes to the possibilities for location, lighting, color, tonality, framing, timing, and printing. If someone's work bothers you, don't dismiss it too quickly. As yourself why it bothers you. You may discover that the artist wanted you to be uncomfortable—and was successful.

2. Learn to meditate, to play a musical instrument, to play chess, or to play a sport. Any practice that requires you to focus your mind and use it differently than you do in everyday life triggers a new awareness and a sense of new possibilities. You become aware of how much your everyday awareness (or lack of it) is a distraction and illusion in and of itself.

3. Set a creative goal and standard of quality, then reach or exceed them. Unless you have some idea of where you're going and what you're trying to achieve then you're basically just wandering in the wilderness hoping to find a hot meal and a dry place to sleep.