Wisdom from the Masters

“If people knew how hard I worked to get my mastery, it wouldn’t seem so wonderful at all.” – Michelangelo

There is something to be said about studying your craft through the eyes of a master. Why try to reinvent the wheel, right? The masters had a pattern and a distinct style that equaled success. I don’t think you have to be a “newbie” to benefit from their work; we should always be challenging ourselves to do more excellent work and maybe even step out of our comfort zone.

Someone that is resonating with me right now is Vivian Maier, obscure and unknown until her work was discovered in boxes at an auction. I am perhaps most enamored by her work because I have never done street photography of any kind. Maier’s work is amazing – and to think she used film, much of which remained undeveloped until after her death! She was able to “get in people’s faces”, capture the detail, and walk away! The mystery surrounding her only adds to the interest in her fascinating style.

Did you know that Ansel Adams said, “ Twelve significant photographs in one year is a good crop.”?

photo credit leaca_travels on Instagram

Oh my, what would Adams have thought about the digital era and its endless amount of images to record? And why am I disappointed when I don’t have twelve good shots in one outing? Ugh! I think I need to return to film where I was more calculated and thoughtful about “wasting (precious) frames”! Then again….look at this shot by Leaca! She’ll have to tell us if it was shot on her phone from IG headquarters (her car) ;) It’s timeless Alaska! There is something to be said for this digital era and its various editing toolboxes too.

“There is a brief moment when all there is in a man’s mind and soul and spirit is reflected through his eyes, his hands, his attitude. This is the moment to record.” – Yousuf Karsh

When my father-in-law asked me to photograph him in such a way as to mimic an Albert Einstein photo, I don’t think I realized that it was the Yousuf Karsh who had shot the photo of Einstein he wanted me to incorporate. I was just as surprised and pleased as my father-in-law was with the results! I studied the Einstein photo and did my best to recreate it with window light. 

But there are other “masters” I follow, everyday-nothing-is-ordinary-365ers. Photographers I have followed and admired for years on Flickr and now on Instagram as well. They have taught me more about photography in the past 8 years than I have learned in the previous 22 years of being a photographer. They (you) are my daily dose of inspiration and have influenced and stirred my photographic vision forever. Thank you :)

Who are the Masters that you admire, both the old and new? Share with us so that we too might muse over their work and be inspired!