The one with Location, Location, Location.

There is a certain footnote to taking a photograph. In fact there are many. But one in particular has always bothered me and in the past few weeks has really just pissed me off. It is commonly believed that you must take a photograph in an exotic place, to get a rock star of an image. I hate that so much. It is so untrue it gives me an ulcer to think about the poor people that believe it. And I almost began to believe it recently! Until my angel of an instructor Gary Sutton commented “You don’t have to be in an extraordinary place to take an extraordinary image.” Truer words have never been spoken. (Unless you count the whole ‘One small step for man’ thing) Anyway, recently I have been trying to really capture things around me and embrace this mantra. I’m trying to find the actual photograph and not find a location to photograph.

I just bought a 4x5 view camera. If you are not familiar, they are amazing. The quality they output is better than digital. The negatives are the most beautiful things I have ever seen. Anyway, I think I’m going to mash up the perceived ‘dirtiness’ of the mantra and the beauty of the 4x5. This is going to infuriate my fellow photogs so much. I can’t wait.