Michael Atiyah

I am particularly fond of the above quote and I have no doubt that many people believe there is a similar bargain to be made with the devil in photography, giving up geometry/composition for the power of post processing in photoshop. Of course as with all bargains with the devil there is a catch. Just as algebra, without the understanding of geometry, would lose its power it is also true you cannot make a great photo from a poor one simply by the application of great photoshop skills. 

There is another quote from a very different source that I am rather fond of, this one on the subject of art:

“Well, art is art, isn’t it? Still, on the other hand, water is water! And east is east and west is west and if you take cranberries and stew them like applesauce they taste much more like prunes than rhubarb does. Now, uh… Now you tell me what you know.”

Groucho Marx

So let me tell you what I know. I long ago gave up worrying about what other people thought about my pictures. I take pictures to please myself and I find that feeling very liberating. I still take great pleasure from hearing that someone else likes one of my pictures but I no longer need that feedback to feel happy with a picture, it is enough for me that I like it. So in closing, let me post a picture of mine that nobody I know actually likes but tickles me greatly. For me it is all about the geometry in the image and geometry reminds me of my father. He always set a great example for anyone creative (be prepared to give anything a try and if it works don’t pay too much mind to what anyone else thinks).