YouTube: Martin Henson

A friend of mine recommended this to me, I thought I’d share it with you:
https://www.youtube.com/@martinhensonphotography

The particular video she recommended is:

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Thanks for sharing :+1: Inspiring Artwork!

I have mixed feelings watching the video. It is really a style of photography. One would prefer artistic blur and other would prefer a sharp picture - just as comparing color vs b/w

In my mind - the key moment however are - if we are to take the camera - we can take a picture. If we don’t take the camera - we can’t take the picture. If we take the time to look at the picture through the viewfinder or on the screen - before pressing the shutter and agree in our mind that it is worth it - then yes - go ahead and press the shutter. When there is no time to assess and press the shutter think later - often we end up with a lot of pictures to dispose.

I shoot a lot of family photos. Often my models (my family) would rather move on instead of being in the shot. The sharpness can be of a big essence for me. While I don’t expect such pictures to hang on the walls in the gallery - I do spend a bit of time with some of them to adjust the look to what I like - to evoke the emotions that I am seeking. Then every now and then I look at them - often they are triggered by “remember this moment” or rediscover the past algorithms and it brings me joy - because I remember the time when I took the picture - what we were doing etc.

For creating gallery level art - one has to have a talent (this is somewhat assumed) but the next are either a cooperating subject (even if the subject is a landscape, a mushroom or a stone) and the time to enjoy taking the picture. One would enjoy the art when it is in a blur or smudge and another would fail to appreciate it - each would have their own view. If none is present but just point, click and there is a great shot - maybe it is a fluke. Or maybe the person is incredibly talented or incredibly lucky.

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If we are talking about photography as art, I think this is way too simple of a take. Rather, sharpness or lack of sharpness and color or b/w are creative choices to be made in the process of image making, and the photograph should be judged on whether those decisions (and the other decisions involved in image making) come together to support and enhance the message or statement that the photograph is intending to make.

From that angle, I didn’t not find any of his intentional camera movement (ICM) photos to be very good; they did not inspire feelings or trigger emotions for me.

On the flip side, Martin seems to have a keen sense for the holga and pinhole camera. There were some really nice shots in there. Particularly the last shot of the gravestone, wow. It gave me a feeling of the afterlife, the ethereal light, the softness, and the kind of “on looker” framing and composition all make for an excellent frame.

He also seems to have a keen sense of exposure with these cameras, which can be really tricky.

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You are right. I tried to illustrate it in the most simplistic way but it is much more than that.

In my perception - Martin is making a point that the cheap camera can make very good picture and to some extend the need of sharpness is not critical.

Perhaps it works very well with the style he utilizes but it is not applicable to everyone. It is a particular style.

I agree - some were really nice shots. On the flip side the intentional blur with the camera movement did not connect with me.

Back to the original point.

If one is to have a camera that can focus well and chooses to blur because of the creative view - this is good (regardless if others appreciate it or not).

If one is forced to work with less than optimal focus (because of imitation of the camera) - it is not a good situation. I can’t possibly miss focus - despite my desire to have the focus done right and try to convince myself that it was a creative choice :slight_smile:

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Exactly. This is the same idea as in the larger sense of knowing the rules so you can break them.

Or, in the sense of a personal style. IMO, a style isn’t a style because it’s all you can do, it’s a subset you intentionally choose from the wider context of more things you can do. In other words, learn all you can, then do what you want. An accomplished musician might choose three simple chords because they’re right. A beginner will choose them because that’s all he / she knows (at the time). Big difference.

This is why I don’t consider myself to have a style (yet?). I have preferences and semi-consistent tendencies, but I can’t call “how I do what I do” a style because I’ve not explored the alternatives then made an informed decision to this rather than that.

Anyway… related but tangential to the original topic. :slight_smile:

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Yeah those were straight into the waste paper basket for mine.

What stood out to me in his best images was the light, subject and framing.

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