Sunday Edition: Meadows, Bennett and Knapp

PHOTOSNACK #165

Every Sunday, I reach out to photographers previously featured on PHOTOSNACK and ask them to send me their spontaneous thoughts, observations, reflections, or advice.

Today, I am sharing with you the messages I received from Daniel Meadows, Eric Bennett, and Marty Knapp.

This is a free preview version of PHOTOSNACK Sunday Editions. Please consider supporting my work (and getting all future Sunday Editions!) as a paid subscriber.

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Daniel Meadows

Make a habit of engaging with strangers, particularly with people whose opinions and attitudes are not your own, be polite, don’t argue, listen. Be curious and respectful. And afterward, think about what you have learned.

Daniel Meadows was featured in PHOTOSNACK #134.
You can visit his website here.

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Eric Bennett

When trying to take impressive photographs, it can be overwhelming with how much there is to consider. Where should you go? How to compose the scene? What kind of lighting will best compliment the subject matter? Which settings will expose the scene in the best way? What lens should you choose? And so on and so forth. But before you take any of these things into account, you must first make the most important decision of all: what you will photograph?

No visual principle, technique, or piece of equipment will have more of an impact on your photography than your relationship with the things you are photographing. When you decide to photograph something and momentarily ignore everything else around you, it should be because you find significance in the subject. If there is no connection, and you are photographing something for ulterior motives - financial gain, popularity, or because you think it's expected of you - then even a perfect composition, epic lighting, or impeccable technique won’t make up for it. Just like beautiful penmanship and expensive paper don’t make for a great story, if you ultimately have nothing to express, it will only result in a vacant image.

When you are off somewhere with the intention to take photographs, I would encourage you to let go of any plans or expectations and just explore with an open mind. Rather than trying to force your environment to fit some sort of a mental image you carry, see it how it actually is and work with that instead. Observe everything around you and refrain from hunting for something specific. Just wait until something calls out to you. Be receptive to whatever happens to present itself. The things that naturally stand out and grab your attention will make for the most meaningful subjects.

Apart from learning about photographic techniques, image editing, and equipment, I would encourage you to learn more about the things you photograph. Spend more time in the places you are drawn to so you can become more familiar with them. Study your surroundings closely and allow for more time to observe your subjects before moving on to something else. Immerse yourself in your content as much as possible. The greater understanding you have of your genre, the better you will be able to express it, and all of these feelings will inevitably come through in your photographs. The way a photograph makes us feel is what engages us, sustains our attention, and makes it memorable.

Just like in any medium, before creating anything, you must first have something to say. The more familiar you are with a subject matter, place, season, idea, or feeling, the more you will be able to say about it. Photograph the things you love and find to be the most interesting, regardless of how others may perceive them. This will make photography much more fulfilling and meaningful, both to you and those who view your work. After all, if you don't care deeply about the things you photograph, why should anyone else?

Eric Bennett was featured in PHOTOSNACK #138.
You can visit his website here.

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Marty Knapp

Letting the photograph come to me: When I started photographing the landscape, I had a laundry list of places that I wanted to document. These beautiful beaches and vistas I captured are beloved places near my northern California home. I sought to photograph magnificent places during special moments of light at just the right moment. Over the years, they served to establish my career as an artist/photographer.

After a number of years, I became less interested in these iconic places. I found it more rewarding to wander in general, less well-known areas during good light and let the pictures come to me instead of seeking them out. Many of my best and most current photographs were made this way. They are gifts.

I am surprised by a bend on a wooded path that, at a certain hour of the day, during a particular season, lights up the view to reveal an evocative scene. It is as though I have walked the path dozens of times and had never seen it until just that moment. The photograph shown here, Portal 1756, is an example of just this kind of discovery. I found this opening on a trail I had often walked but noticed for the first time on a late spring morning in May 2018.

Marty Knapp was featured in PHOTOSNACK #153.
You can have a look at his “Portals” portfolio here.

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Sunday Editions connect you with photographers whose work you previously explored through PHOTOSNACK.

I want to reveal some authentic parts of the people behind the cameras.

I don’t ask them any specific questions. I ask them to share whatever pops into their mind when thinking about YOU - the readers of this newsletter.

It makes their responses genuine and personal.

I hope you enjoyed today’s Sunday Edition.

Until next time,
Tomasz