Ganshi, firstly let me tell you that the spider image is indeed excellent conceptually as well as visually. I feel the right amount of mystery blends with the tones to create a strong impression of the night. Now to understanding colors for a purpose of expression. If one goes through the symbolic expression of colors , more or less colors individually or in combination have been successful in expressing the feelings or moods conceptually. Lot of photographers too like to create such images exploiting various colors. ( panning images of sea shore or sun rise or sun set etc etc ). My only concern is ( strictly my opinion and no one really has to agree with me here
), in the process of creating or even understanding expressions which are strong points of paintings, do we end up creating images which look like extension of the world created by painters ? I completely understand and respect your intentions behind creating these images but I personally choose not to loan a dime from another genre. What is weakness in painting ( realism ) can be the strong point of photography. The realism does not have to be representative, the forms can be altered. Plz do not think that am accusing you of trying to emulate painting, I understood your motive very well buddy
. I know how hard you and a few others are trying to create strong footholds for the art form in nature photography to survive in the long run. At times I have wondered if photography is a form which is suitable more for expressing humans ? The moment it comes to nature and subjects from the wild, the art form gets appreciated owing to how beautiful the image is visually ( well mostly, lot more in other forums , little less here in CNP ). It is difficult for us as very few relate to nature images conceptually and only due to the fact that still the experience is less in the mind. This includes many nature photographers as well as those who work on human subjects. I have often seen Dhritiman stare at some of the CNP images completely clueless of what's happening
and a smile which perhaps indicates we must be a bunch of mad people.
. I do not blame him at all. We may often have a tendency to relate the thoughts of our images in ways which makes it a little more acceptable to people. You know what I mean right ?? This is where I am concerned. An art critic can perhaps question that due to our inability to find out a way to relate viewers with our creations in nature, we have decided to incorporate concepts which is already a known method of expression in another genre of art. Am scared of this Ganshi....Am scared of loaning a dime from other genre. I do not at all accept the area where photography as an art form merges with other visual form of art. Not that I have an answer how to come out of it. I only want a separate identity of the creations using a camera which stand out immediately away from what painters have experimented on. This is also another strong reason why I decided to shift more to black and white, I share this similar feelings of many other photographers I have spoken to. If I need to move out of representative art form in photography by trying to create abstracts, then I also need to move out of any such creations which has a similarities with the work of artists from other genre of art. Plz do not treat me as an egoist, I think the clouds of confusion are just lifting a bit. I may not have most of the answers to my own questions, but for myself I have decided to omit a few paths. I apologize to everyone if I have given out a signal of being a painter hater, it is not that, trust me. I love to see them, not create anything which comes close to theirs. My mind is my own and I will one day figure out a path ( at least try to do so ) but I completely refuse to even walk parallel to ideas and concepts created by painters where history has endorsed them as the inventors. I want my foot steps to create an impression, so I want a separate path, no matter how lonely and isolated it might be....I must try it Ganshi....or it will all fail buddy, the fight the struggle will fail.... life will become worthless. May be just 2-3 images at the end of my life which a painter or a sculptor would love to stand in front of say " what a great form of art Nature Photography is "......
. I beg the lord for 2-3 such images at the end of my life. More the disconnect, more is my joy...I see connect as something which is less unique. With days and years passing, am getting so scared Ganshi, just 2 days left for B'pur trip and am completely clueless on what I would create.