Words of Inspiration. They work for me, hopefully they'll work for you too.
Last week, I had the chance to sneak away for a whirlwind trip to the Museum of Fine Arts Boston to catch the Ansel Adams exhibit. I wish that I had more time, but it was still well worth the 60 mi round trip excursion! It's amazing to look at an 80 year-old black and white print, in some cases no larger than an 8x10, and as John Szarkowski, the Museum of Modern Art's former photography curator, described, "when you look at a good Ansel Adams photograph, you think you know the temperature, the relative humidity, the month." To me it's just plain, good story-telling. Fact or fiction, he compels you to keep reading.
"It has kept me young in heart, adventurous, growing perhaps, and forever seeking. It has taken me close to so many remarkable people around the world that I have never regretted a moment of my time or a mile of my travels. I speak with some experience when I say that I have rarely left the company of accomplished men and women without feeling the they had in them real sincerity, integrity-yes, sometimes vanity of course-and always a sense of high purpose."
"In this realm, women are engaged with the world. They have the patience to fly-fish; they are fragile mothers who fiercely protect their progeny; they are loyal equal partners in relationships that are worthy of at least a silver anniversary celebration; they are temptresses who challenge you into hand-to-hand combat, if not a gun duel. They are creatures of mystery whose psychological complexity suggests a rich personal history; they are best girlfriends, they are lovers. They give speeches and are tentative in spite of their strong convictions to do good and be good...In Stephen Shore's world, women are celebrated. They are individual, independent, strong. "
I agree with this assessment in the work I have seen of his wife, but more so I just appreciate this intentional process. "Again and again he seems willing to let her be herself."
I was lucky enough to listen in on Annie Leibovitz's live office hours as part of her Master Class series. My best take away:
"You can have all the talent in the world but you still need to feed it." A. Leibovitz
Although Heidi Ferguson was a fine art photographer, her words express so clearly what I feel with every click of the shutter.
"I often ask myself why it is that I photograph and why it is so important to me. These photographs, these images are of one moment in time, yet they are held in space and time to view...to be with...to learn from...They are constantly changing and constantly teaching us about life about strength, integrity, vulnerability, relationships, solitude, connection. Each person, each animal, each landscape, each object creates a presence and shares a space in time with me." - Heidi Ferguson (1978-2012)