I’ve learned that there are two primary methods of “seeing” as a landscape photographer. The first is to wander around — be inspired by what you see, then capture the beauty of nature. The second is to envision a shot in your mind that was inspired by nature — then intentionally seek that image. I find that many of my photos were created using the second method.
On day 3 of my Fall 2012 trip to Zion National Park, one of my envisioned shots came to fruition. Please watch my video journal from that day to see what transpired.
Velvia 50 8×10 | 1 sec @ f/22 | Nikkor 300mm | Ebony RW810
Ben Horne Photography: Contemporary Large Format Landscape & Nature Photography 
January 3, 2013 at 9:42 pm |
Thank you for sharing these videos, they have really inspired me to take the plunge into film. I am also planing a trip to Zion soon because of your blog.
January 6, 2013 at 10:45 am |
You’ll love Zion. There is so much to shoot there, yet it’s a small enough park so you won’t be overwhelmed. There are photographic opportunities around every corner, but sometimes it does take a bit of legwork to find the best shots. The first week of November is best for fall color, but this park is beautiful any time of year.
January 4, 2013 at 12:38 am |
Love that shot Ben. I have been wanting to get something similar, not with a singular rock but with a collection. One of my favorite photos is by Art Wolfe which is somewhat similar to yours, if you’ve seen and adopted it then you followed my belief which is adopted from a comment about literature: “bad writers copy, good writers steal.”
Here is the link to that photo:
http://prints.artwolfe.com/#s=2&mi=2&pt=1&pi=10000&p=2&a=3&at=0
January 4, 2013 at 12:29 pm |
Bad writers copy, thieves steal and great writers invent and innovate original and creative works. I think that would be a better belief to adopt.
January 6, 2013 at 10:49 am |
That’s a really cool shot from Art Wolfe. I hadn’t seen it before, but I must admit that I don’t spend much time studying the work of other photographers — especially when visiting a location that is new to me. I feel that I would be viewing the location through the eyes of another person, rather than through my own eyes. That being said, I’m sure that both Art Wolfe and myself were inspired by the same thing when we found our respective shots — the amazing color contrast, and the almost hypnotic reflections as they danced across the river.
January 4, 2013 at 7:16 pm |
My take on the quote is that mediocre (of which I include myself) artists imitate or copy, great artists steal a concept that they can use to innovate. Every great artist has adopted or stolen a vision from another great artist, they don’t create in a vacuum. Most of the time the concept they stole isn’t visible in their art, it can’t be directly linked to another work of art. Looking at Ben’s photo, which I think goes in the great category, it is not clear that he was inspired by Art Wolfe. They are very different photos.
January 5, 2013 at 5:17 pm |
With due respect you sound like someone who is trying to find himself by quoting and imitating what others have said, fully taking on the the copy and steal method but in the process have bypassed what creativity, innovate and invent really mean (You cant steal a concept and innovate/invent at the same time, that is an oxymoron). Speaking as someone who has done photography and artwork (paintings, drawings etc.) everyday for a lifetime and I can tell you most good artists that I know do not work this way so you cant voice this opinion for anyone but yourself. There is a difference between being inspired and stealing. You can be inspired to take up photography but that does not mean you have stolen the concept (its like breathing), you can still go out and photograph imagery in a unique way that has yet to be seen only IF you have extreme dedication and are willing to sacrifice much of your life in the process (of course if you dont have an eye or the mindset to begin with then….) As far as working in a vacuum, yes that is impossible if i understood correctly but I have worked in solitude for very long periods of time (well before the days of the internet, where information and stealing is now rampant and apparently accepted) for the purpose of not being influenced by others in producing original works. Its not you, its ridiculous philosophies that people adopt and try to apply to the world in attempts to speak for others that bug me. I will leave it at that as I realize this may not be the place for this so lets just drop the subject and talk about jello.
January 10, 2013 at 11:33 am |
Hey Ben, just catching up on your videos and being inspired, as usual. The solitary rock shot is exquisite! I’ve tried for something similar but have never made it work. Yet! Not to argue with anyone, just to put out my own opinion I LOVE studying other people’s photographs, especially people who are much better than me (which is most of them at this point). I find it very inspirational and makes me see things I might not have otherwise. It’s amazing how each person has such a unique view. Two of the spots I took photos of in the Narrows this past fall were featured in your last video but I doubt anyone would realize this looking at my photos because both of us saw it differently. That’s why photography is so fantastic! Thanks as always Ben, I can’t wait to go back for fall 2013!