Yes, photography is personal and solely my way of looking at things mixed in with all the things I have learned from other people. In general I like pictures that jump out at you and are full of contrast and deep saturation. A lot of my pictures come to life on a metal print surface.
I like pictures that are intricate but look pretty simple at first glance. First, there is a protagonist or focal point that draws your eyes into the picture. Secondary elements like people, trees, animals or even furniture support the main element of the picture. How does the environment or rest of the picture relate to my protagonist or focal point? Second, a closer look may reveal a specific message that I am trying to communicate. The third element within the picture is where I want to play with the viewer’s mind. What I am I trying to communicate? I don't know, so how could the viewer know, whatever the viewer thinks the picture is about that is what it is about. Have I ever produced a picture that has all three elements? I'll never tell!
To hold one's attention a photograph must have something to give. It must have meaning. It must be informative, educational, exciting, amusing, or inspiring. In the end the viewer has to connect with the picture, otherwise it is nothing more than a snapshot.
Some of the pictures in my collection hang in my living room wall. If I had more space I would like to hang all my pictures that you see on this page on my living room wall. I don't know if other people will see things in my pictures and want to hang these pictures on their wall. I can only hope they will.
Richard Hemingway joined Pixels.com Licensing on February 13th, 2013.
