This is the time of photographic compeititions with all kinds of rules.  Many competitions cost $500 or more because the person has to buy a partiular box, wrap the prints in a special way, with the claim that if you listen to the comments of the judges, one can learn a great deal.  I didn't hear wisdom about photography; I heard egos spouting off.

In one group they have certificates, another has wall plaques, another has gold awards to put on a chain and wear around your neck.when you go to their meetings.  It's sort of like boy scouts and cub scouts.

I've learned very little from the egos of the judges.


I have learned a lot from mentors and teachers who offered classes during the summer at conference centers where the prices were affordable... and the ego's were right sized.. Kanuga Episcopal Conference Center is one such place, where for $1000 you get a week of comfortable, clean, private rooms, great food, next to a lake to get up before dawn and walk 5 minutes to watch the sunrise, and 5-6 different photographer-mentors who were available all week long to everyone. They liked working with other photograpers who were not ruled by enormous egos.  

I met and worked with three mentors from such conference centers.  Two of whom I met with after the conference was over, at another time of the year, and I bought several days of time from them.  One cost $150 a day.  Another charged $75 to take a day hike with me to a waterfall I wanted to see and photograph with him, so I could use that experience as a teaching experience.

None of these mentors pulled out a scorecard to check off points, or award me certificates or gold coins.  We were both in an adult mode and learned from each other.

This is how I would suggest learning photography.  Learn from another photographer who is more advanced than you are; someone who does not have a huge ego to put up with.  Find a few friends; go on adventures together, where you enjoy each other, and easily compare what you have tried and what didn't work.

If it's art, then we photograph with great care and attention to detail, and we don't give a hoot about entering a contest, paying money, to get someone else to approve of what I have created.  

Someone asked me if I entered a particular contest years ago, and I said I had decided against it... because for the price of entering three photographs, I could buy a complete system of Pocket Wizard radio Transmitters for 4 flashes and my camera.  That seems a lot more worthwhile than the contest. 

Good photography, like a good life,  involves solitude, being alone with yourself, watching what is unfolding inside that surprises, following the ends of the threads of our lives to see where they lead us.

I've created notes about 14 classic photographs which willl be exhibited May 1 - July 31 at the River's Edge Conference Center in Rocky River.

This is titled Silencio.  Sycamore trees prefer to make their lifelong home beside a stream or river.  In the late fall and winter when the leaves have fallen, the white branches of the sycamore light up.  It's as if someone flipped a switch and the white bark of the twisting sycamore stands out from the surrounding oak and maple, whose bark is dark and grey.
Route 715 in eastern Ohio is a short route, rarely traveled, with plenty of places to pull off.  Considerable time and patience and conversation with the trees reveal their best side. The rarely traveled road contribute greatly to slowing down and walking around the trees and then walking back from the trees, to determine whether to use a normal 50mm or 35mm lens, or steps way back on the road and use a telephoto--70-200mm.   n this classic photograph we can see beyond the twisting white sycamore tree branches to a few colorful branches that have held on  The grey sky was avoided when I created the photograph, but the effect of the sky is to create a soft diffused dome of light.  Many times the soft and gentle effect of a grey sky is just what my heart needs.  "Be soft and gentle to yourself.  Slow down."  Give yourself the gift of Silencio.

In a playful burst of energy,  I just spun the wheel on the back of my camera to see quickly what I had taken so far, and I saw how the duck weed in this little pond, was slowly moving clockwise, as a result of a little trickle of water from the rocks.  I wondered how slow I could get the shutter speed with every polarizer filter on, the ISO down to 50, the f stop at 22.  .... about 30 seconds, that was it, on a bright day. 
So in my next visit to MidWest Camera I learned about a variable neutral density filter--variable in that it began with 2 stops darker and by clicks went down to 8 stops darker.  Genius was the name of the filter.  Expensive.  But I went back and here is a 3 minute exposure of the duck weed. 

I thought I'd be clever and use the variable neutral density filter at High Banks in the Fall and see what occurred.
Blur occurred.  or....  BBBBBBBBBLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRR

So I went to focus stacking.  I created 32 images rapidly.  And then put them together. Not as fascinating as the swirl in the pond, from a tiny trickle of water.....   

 Swirls like galaxies are found in all kinds of places on the crust of the Earth, in clouds, in sandstone--the record of the swirls from millions of years ago. 

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Next time, the question is, How do you put 32 images together as one?  Or, What is focus stacking?  Or, How to make a curving fern that is in focus at one end but not the other, in focus from end to end? 
'nuff said.

John