Response to Robert Adams essay

     This was an interesting article to read because it made me realize how many photographers there are out there in the world.  And at times reading this essay and realizing that it would freak me out, I am thinking that of course there will be someone who takes photos similar to mine, who's better than me, who actually makes money off of their images, where I won't.  But at other times I just remind myself that this is something that I love to do.  It's proven to be after spending a year in my conservatory I realized that this work I am never too tired to do, I am never bored by it, and I always learn something by every project, every roll that I take.  And that is what matters, that you love what you are doing.

     It struck me when Robert Adams was writing about the plateau that has been the focus of his work for 20 years because it made me realize how amazing it is that being a photographer, you get to take what the world is made of and use it to create moments that are very important to you.  And there are some things that keep your attention for so long and you never have to stop paying attention and photographing it.  

     I liked the quote he used by Diane Arbus that I've taken notice to before, " "Instead of arranging it", she said, "I arrange myself." "  I relate this to the way that I take a lot of my photos, I like when I see someone arranged in a cool pose that they were in not because I was already taking photos of them but because it was what their body naturally did.  I love when someone is okay with their pose and won't move if they see me taking their photo.  I am really interested in the natural way people look when they think, talk, get angry or sad or excited.  And it's great when you get a subject that accepts you and lets you document them.

These two images above are by two photographers that influence me a lot.  The top is an image taken by Vivian Maier, a street photographer/nanny.  The bottom one is Robert Doisneau a photographer who mainly photographed people on the streets of Paris.  

     I recently heard about Vivian Maier, when a documentary was made about her and her undiscovered photos.  She took really amazing pictures of people on the streets of Chicago and sometimes New York City.  They were mostly candids of strangers and I was just amazed at how many  she took of people she didn't know.  She inspires me to take more photos of strangers.

     I have been really influenced by Robert Doisneau's work for a while, every photo he takes whether it's kids sneaking in an alley or adults sharing a romantic moment at a cafe all have a watcher quality, where the sitter in the photo, whether they knew he is there taking the photo, they don't care.  I am inspired to be quick about taking my photos, you see it and either you go for it or you don't.   I also love how both these photos have a humorous feel to them.