Random Rambling Thoughts

I was reading an interesting post over at Vincent Laforet's Blog that had an interesting quote from a photographer named James Nacht. He was looking through a student's portfolio and when he closed it he said,

"I’m afraid that these pictures don’t tell me anything about who you are."

As I read that, I got to thinking, and wondering if someone who saw my photos would have any idea about who I was. As I think about that I really don't know. I try to take pictures that are interesting to me, and that tell a story in their own right perhaps, but I don't know that I have often even thought about what these pictures say about me as a photographer, and as a person.

On some levels I rebel against the thought that everything has to have a meaning. I always hated it in English classes in junior high and high school when we would take a book or some other written work and systematically rip it to shreds as we tried to find "meaning" in it, or tried to find out what the purpose of the author was in writing it. I thought then (and still do) that sometimes people create things just for the simple joy of making something that is beautiful for others to enjoy.

Now, that being said, I do think that sometimes there are deeper meanings and values than just face value. In fact, I would go so far as to say that this is often the case. In my example above, "creating things for the simple joy of making something that is beautiful for others to enjoy" IS a motivation or purpose.

I guess this probably is not making a ton of sense, but I have been thinking a lot lately about this idea of having a part of ME come through my artistic endeavors. I am not sure that I know how to do this. I think that as the volume of my work increases, I will learn here and there a few things that will help. Also, as I seek to grow emotionally and spiritually, I will develop attributes that will effect many aspects of who I am, including what I find pleasing in a good photograph.

I am making it my goal to try to have my pictures take on more meaning, and to tell more about who I am. I am not sure exactly what I mean by "meaning," but it is a developing goal, and that will have to do for now.