Jim Goldstein is one of many contemporary photographers who really inspires me. He not only produces beautiful work, he writes with great introspection, intelligence and insight.
He’s got a great blog, and although I really enjoy reading his posts, I don’t spend as much time over there as I’d like to. So today, I spent a while poking around his archives and came up with three posts that I’d like to share with you. Check them out, and then, if you have time, root around for awhile and grab some of the inspiration that you’re likely to find there.
1. 10 Tips to Photograph The Unexpected
So much of what I love about photography and life, for that matter, is rooted in the unexpected. I’ve often said that if you always know what’s going to happen, then you’re missing out on the adventure of life.
However, trying to photograph the unexpected can be difficult. If you’re ready at the dra, you’re likely to miss then. Jim’s 10 tips will help prepare you to catch those fleeting moments should they unfold in front of you.
2. Discovering Artistic Impression in Your Photography
As someone who loves music as much, and possibly even more than photography, I really enjoyed this post. In it he talks about the singular expression that each person imparts into his or her own work, whether it be an image or a collection of sound waves.
To accompany his insight, Jim has included a video called “Chlandi Singing,” where an artist’s voice creates patterns in salt that’s poured onto a metal plate. If you’ve never seen this kind of thing before, it’s pretty cool to see.
According to Jim, “We do not capture a clinically sterile view of the world around us. We inject our own unique perspectives, styles, areas of focus, life experiences and personalities into our work.”
How true. Well said, man.
3. One of Photography’s Great Paradoxes
In this post, Jim explores the age old paradox between the journey and the end result. Photography is certainly no immune to this and at whether we know it or not, we all get caught up in this idea every time we go out with our cameras.
It’s even more prevalent when we interject the vision thing. As creative image makers, we spend so much time and energy trying to define a strong vision for our work so that we don’t just head out blindly and snap away, hoping to merely chance a spectacular shot.
However, if we don’t leave ourselves open to the element of chance, then we’re likely to miss out on all the wonder that lies outside of the peripheral edges of our our vision.
Great posts, Jim. Keep it up and thanks for the inspiration!!
-Dan