"A poem is never finished, only abandoned."
~Paul Valery
Photography is visual poetry.
One of Jean Cocteau’s better known quotes is, "The poet doesn't invent. He listens." And in that vein I don’t think photographers actually invent but rather find great images. It starts with listening to the subject (no matter if the subject is a single blade of grass, a group of people or the highly developed product of a designer’s mind) and then finding an understanding of what to portray. The photographer then takes that vision and gathers all the elements required to build the image.
Once all the elements are acquired and the image is assembled the right lighting needs to be found. Whether it be existing, reflected, highly controlled artificial or any combination thereof doesn’t really matter as long as the photographer has the aesthetic and technical ability to see the light and capture it with maximum effect. No gadget can do this for you. Cameras, lights and all the rest are merely tradesman tools waiting to be used by the skilled eye and hand. The photographer who relies on any particular gadget becomes the one-trick pony of yesterday.
All exceptional photographs possess three elements: Light, Gesture and Color/Tonality. It is within this arena that a photographer finds their individual expression. And it is in the combination of these elements that exceptional images rise above the commonplace.
My goal is to use these elements to explore and show the deeper nature and beauty of the subject rather than just document the subject’s exterior appearance. There are any number of photographers around who can give you a precise rendering of what something or someone looks like and if you have a need for mere documentation, I recommend you find one of them. It is in the exploration and transcendence that I find the joy in my work and I like to believe that’s the reason I’ve had so many long-term clients over these past thirty years.
Contact Will Fields
E-mail: will@willfields.com
Phone: 616-745-5497
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