All the Little Pieces.

The creation of images is more about pieces than the image as a whole. It is all the little pieces that come together to create an image that determine how good, or bad,or even if,that image will be and those pieces are copious. From the very first grain of an idea, to the final exposure calculation,it is all about pieces. Whether the image is a formal portrait or whether it is a seemingly spontaneous event in the course of one's day, there are pieces to be collected,assembled and considered. The photographer's frame of mind,health,emotions,schedule or anticipated plans can all influence the day's creative output. There are, of course, a myriad of things that influence the actual exposing of the image and an even greater phalanx of influencing pieces governing the final output. However, beyond the technical and the technological lies the heart of the matter,the photographer him,or her self.For after all, it is the indelible style and the determination of the individual photographer that ordains the impact and the legacy of any image.

For example, take some of the circumstances surrounding Moonrise Hernandez. Adams was probably not in a spectacularly good frame of mind, he had had a disappointing shooting day. He had only a few minutes to capture the image,so few, in fact, that only one negative was exposed, yet Adams was certain that he was seeing a unique photographic moment even before, he exposed his negative. Still later , in the darkroom, many manipulations were preformed to achieve the image we all know so well. Now look further at some of the completely random pieces that played a part. Had he driven slower, the shot would have been gone. Had he taken a different route,gone. Had he found his exposure meter, perhaps a different result and had he not remembered the moon's luminance,possibly another result or none at all.Had he been alone, could he have set up the camera in time? Pieces,all the little pieces. As it turned out, everything did come together and Ansel Adams, being who he was,perhaps his single most iconic image was created and is with us today, as tribute to the talent of a great photographer. The shot, incidentally, is gone forever, as many pieces of the whole no longer exist, including, the location of the road from which it was taken.

And so, you can see, that no image is simply a creation of a single shutter release. In every image be it good ,bad,or spectacular, are many, many pieces. To be a truly good photographer you must be alert to the pieces in your life that if fitted together, may well yield the images that will define your talent.

{ For further insights into Moonrise Hernandez, see www.hcc.commnet.edu/artmuseum
/anseladams/details/moonrise.html#B }